The faces turned to the
pitiless, polished granite front of the great gambling-hall were white
and drawn, and on them sat Ruin and Despair. The men were for the most
part silent, with here and there one cursing; the women, who were there
by scores, wept and mourned; and from the multitudes rose that peculiar
whisper of crowds that tells of apprehension of things worse to come.
And this, I must believe, was the work of Doddridge Knapp.
CHAPTER X
A TANGLE OF SCHEMES
Doddridge Knapp was seated calmly in my office when I opened the door.
There was a grim smile about the firm jaws, and a satisfied glitter in
the keen eyes. The Wolf had found his prey, and the dismay of the sheep
at the sight of his fangs gave him satisfaction instead of distress.
The King of the Street honored me with a royal nod.
"There seems to have been a little surprise for somebody on the Board
this morning," he suggested.
"I heard something about it on the street," I admitted.
"It was a good plan and worked well. Let me see your memoranda of
purchases."
I gave him my slips.
He looked over them with growing perplexity in his face.
"Here's twelve thousand five hundred shares of Omega."
"Yes."
"You paid too much for that first lot." He was still poring over the
list.
"It's easier to see that now than then," I suggested dryly.
"Humph! yes. But there's something wrong here." He was comparing my
list with another in his hand.
"There!" I thought; "my confounded ignorance has made a mess of it.
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