y closed the deal, and the papers were signed, and Mr. Streeter
took the six new, crisp ten-thousand-dollar bills.

Then he escorted him to the outer office, remarking pleasantly on the
way, "I hope you're well advised. We're inclined to be bearish upon
Transcontinental ourselves--the situation looks rather squally."

These words were not worth the breath it took to say them; but Montague
was not aware of this, and felt a painful start within. But he
answered, carelessly, that one must take his chance, and sat down in
one of the customer's chairs. Hammond and Streeter's was like a little
lecture-hall, with rows of seats and a big blackboard in front, with
the initials of the most important stocks in columns, and yesterday's
closing prices above, on little green cards. At one side was a ticker,
with two attendants awaiting the opening click.

In the seats were twenty or thirty men, old and young; most of them
regular habitues, victims of the fever of the Street. Montague watched
them, catching snatches of their whispered conversation, with its
intricate and disagreeable slang. He felt intensely humiliated and
uncomfortable--for he had got the fever of the Street into his own
veins, and he could not conquer it. There were nasty shivers running up
and down his spine, and his hands were cold.

He stared at the little figures, fascinated; they stood for some vast
and tremendous force outside, which could not be controlled or even
comprehended,--some merciless, annihilating force, like the lightning
or the tornado. And he had put himself at the mercy of it; it might do
its will with him! "Tr. C. 59 5/8" read the little pasteboard; and he
had only six points of safety. If at any time in the day that figure
should be changed to read "53 5/8"--then every dollar of Montague's
sixty thousand would be gone for ever! The great fee that he had worked
so hard for and rejoiced so greatly over--that would be all gone, and a
slice out of his inheritance besides!

A boy put into his hand a little four-page paper--one of the countless
news-sheets which different houses and interests distributed free for
advertising or other purposes; and a heading "Transcontinental" caught
his eye, among the paragraphs in the Day's Events. He read: "The
directors' meeting of the Transcontinental R.R. will be held at noon.
It is confidently predicted that the quarterly dividend will be passed,
as it has been for the last three quarters. There is great