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fted　through　the　real…lace　curtains　of　his　gorgeous　bedroom　in　his　great　Madison　Avenue　mansion。　　But　in　fact　James　was　only　physically　and　titularly　the　representative　of　his　grandfather。　　Actually　he　was　typical　of　the　present　generation　of　Fanning…Smithsa　self…intoxicated；　stupid　and　pretentious　generation；　a　polo…playing　and　racing　and　hunting；　a　yachting　and　palace…dwelling　and　money…scattering　generation；　a　business…despising　and　business…neglecting；　an　old…world　aristocracy…imitating　generation。　　He　moved　pompously　through　his　two　worlds；　fashion　and　business；　deceiving　himself　completely；　every　one　else　except　his　wife　more　or　less；　her　not　at　allbut　that　was　the　one　secret　she　kept。

James　was　the　husband　of　Herron's　daughter　by　his　first　wife；　and　Herron　had　induced　him　to　finance　the　syndicate　that　had　raided　and　captured　National　Woolens。

James　was　bred　to　conservatism。　　His　timidity　was　of　that　wholesome　strength　which　so　often　saves　chuckle…heads　from　the　legitimate　consequences　of　their　vanity　and　folly。　　But　the　spectacle　of　huge　fortunes；　risen　overnight　before　the　wands　of　financial　magicians　whose　abilities　he　despised　when　he　compared　them　with　his　own；　was　too　much　for　timidity。　　He　had　been　born　with　a　large　vanity；　and　it　had　been　stuffed　from　his　babyhood　by　all　around　him　until　it　was　become　as　abnormal　as　the　liver　of　a　Strasburg　gooseand　as　supersensitive。　　It　suffered　acutely　as　these　Jacks　went　climbing　up　their　bean…stalk　wealth　to　heights　of　magnificence　from　which　the　establishments　and　equipages　of　the　Fanning…Smiths　must　seem　poor　to　shabbiness。　　He　sneered　at　them　as　〃vulgar　new…comers〃；　he　professed　abhorrence　of　their　ostentation。　　But　heand　Gertrude；　his　wifeenvied　them；　talked　of　them　constantly；　longed　to　imitate；　to　surpass　them。

In　the　fullness　of　time　his　temptation　came。　　He　shivered；　shrank；　leaped　headlonghis　wife　pushing。

About　ten　days　before　the　raid　on　National　Woolens　there　had　drifted　in　to　Dumont　through　one　of　his　many　subterranean　sources　of　information　a　rumor　that　the　Fanning…Smiths　had　stealthily　reduced　their　holdings　of　Great　Lakes　to　twenty…one　thousand　shares　and　that　the　property　was　not　so　good　as　it　had　once　been。　　He　never　permitted　any　Wall　Street　development　to　pass　unexplainedhe　thought　it　simple　prudence　for　a　man　with　the　care　of　a　great　financial　and　commercial　enterprise　to　look　into　every　dark　corner　of　the　Street　and　see　what　was　hatching　there。　　Accordingly；　he　sent　an　inquiry　back　along　his　secret　avenue。　　Soon　he　learned　that　Great　Lakes　was　sound；　but　the　Fanning…Smiths　had　gone　rotten；　that　they　were　gambling　in　the　stock　of　the　road　they　controlled　and　were　supposed　in　large　part　to　own；　that　they　were　secretly　selling　its　stock　〃short〃that　is；　were　betting　it　would　go　downwhen　there　was　nothing　in　the　condition　of　the　property　to　justify　a　fall。　　He　reflected　on　this　situation　and　reached　these　conclusions：　　〃James　Fanning…Smith　purposes　to　pass　the　autumn　dividend；　which　will　cause　the　stock　to　drop。　　Then　he　will　take　his　profits　from　the　shares　he　has　sold　short　and　will　buy　back　control　at　the　low　price。　　He　is　a　fool　and　a　knave。　　Only　an　imbecile　would　thus　trifle　with　an　established　property。　　A　chance　for　some　one　to　make　a　fortune　and　win　a　railroad　by　smashing　the　Fanning…Smiths。〃　　Having　recorded　in　his　indelible　memory　these　facts　and　conclusions　as　to　James　Fanning…Smith's　plunge　from　business　into　gambling；　Dumont　returned　to　his　own　exacting　affairs。

He　had　himself　begun　the　race　for　multi…millions　as　a　gambler　and　had　only　recently　become　ALMOST　altogether　a　business　man。　　But　he　thought　there　was　a　radical　difference　between　his　case　and　Fanning…Smith's。　　To　use　courageous　gambling　as　means　to　a　foothold　in　businesshe　regarded　that　as　wise　audacity。　　To　use　a　firm…established　foothold　in　business　as　a　means　to　gamblinghe　regarded　that　as　the　acme　of　reckless　folly。　　Besides；　when　he　marked　the　cards　or　loaded　the　dice　for　a　great　Wall　Street　game　of　〃high　finance；〃　he　did　it　with　skill　and　intelligence；　and　Fanning…Smith　had　neither。

When　the　banking…house　of　Fanning…Smith　and　Company　undertook　to　finance　the　raid　on　National　Woolens　it　was　already　deep　in　the　Great　Lakes　gamble。　　James　was　new　to　Wall　Street's　green　table；　and　he　liked　the　sensations　and　felt　that　his　swindle　on　other　gamblers　and　the　publiche　did　not　call　it　by　that　homely　name；　though　he　knew　others　would　if　they　found　him　outwas　moving　smoothly。　　Still　very；　very　deep　down　his　self…confidence　was　underlaid　with　quicksand。　　But　Herron　was　adroit　and　convincing　to　the　degree　attainable　only　by　those　who　deceive　themselves　before　trying　to　deceive　others；　and　James'　cupidity　and　conceit　were　enormous。　　He　ended　by　persuading　himself　that　his　house；　directed　and　protected　by　his　invincible　self；　could　carry　with　ease　the　burden　of　both　loads。　　Indeed；　the　Great　Lakes　gamble　now　seemed　to　him　a　negligible　trifle　in　the　comparisonwhat　were　its　profits　of　a　few　hundred　thousands　beside　the　millions　that　would　surely　be　his　when　the　great　Woolens　Monopoly；　bought　in　for　a　small　fraction　of　its　value；　should　be　controlled　by　a　group　of　which　he　would　be　the　dominant　personality？

He　ventured；　he　won。　　He　was　now　securewas　not　Dumont　dispossessed；　despoiled；　dying？

At　eleven　o'clock　on　that　Monday　morning　he　was　seated　upon　his　embossed　leather　throne；　under　his　grandfather's　portrait；　immersed　in　an　atmosphere　of　self…adoration。　　At　intervals　he　straightened　himself；　distended　his　chest；　elevated　his　chin　and　glanced　round　with　an　air　of　haughty　dignity；　though　there　was　none　to　witness　and　to　be　impressed。　　In　Wall　Street　there　is　a　fatuity　which；　always　epidemic　among　the　small　fry；　infects　wise　and　foolish；　great　and　small；　whenever　a　paretic　dream　of　an　enormous　haul　at　a　single　cast　of　the　net　happens　to　come　true。　　This　paretic　fatuity　now　had　possession　of　James；　in　imagination　he　was　crowning　and　draping　himself　with　multi…millions；　power　and　fame。　　At　intervals　he　had　been　calling　up　on　the　telephone　at　his　elbow　Zabriskie；　the　firm's　representative　on　'Change；　and　had　been　spurring　him　on　to　larger　and　more　frequent　〃sales〃　of　Great　Lakes。


His　telephone　bell　rang。　　He　took　down　the　receiver〃Yes；　it's　Mr。　Fanning…SmithohMr。　Fanshaw〃　　He　listened；　in　his　face　for　the　first　few　seconds　all　the　pitying　amusement　a　small；　vain　man　can　put　into　an　expression　of　superiority。　　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Fanshaw；〃　he　said。　　〃But　really；　it's　impossible。　　WE　are　perfectly　secure。　　No　one　would　venture　to　disturb　US。〃　　And　he　pursed　his　lips　and　swelled　his　fat　cheeks　in　the　look　for　which　his　father　was　noted。　　But；　after　listening　a　few　seconds　longer；　his　eyes　had　in　them　the　beginnings　of　timidity。

He　turned　his　head　so　that　he　could　see　the　ticker…tape　as　it　reeled　off。　　His　heavy　cheeks　slowly　relaxed。　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　hurriedly。

〃I'll　just　speak　to　our　Mr。　Zabriskie。　　Good…by。〃　　And　he　rang　off　and　had　his　telephone　connected　with　the　telephone　Zabriskie　was　using　at　the　Stock　Exchange。　　All　the　while　his　eyes　were　on　the　ticker…tape。　　Suddenly　he　saw　upon　it　where　it　was　bending　from　under　the　turning　wheel　a　figure　that　made　him　drop　the　receiver　and　seize　it　in　both　his　trembling　hands。　　〃Great　heavens！〃　he　gasped。　　〃Fanshaw　may　be　right。　　Great　Lakes　one　hundred　and　twelveand　only　a　moment　ago　it　was　one　hundred　and　three。〃

His　visions　of　wealth　and　power　and　fame　were　whisking　off　in　a　gale　of　terror。　　A　new　quotation　was　coming　from　under　the　wheelGreat　Lakes　one　hundred　and　fifteen。　　In　his　eyes　stared　the　awful　thought　that　was　raging　in　his　brain〃This　may　mean〃　　And　his　vanity　instantly　thrust　out　Herron　and　Gertrude　and　pointed　at　them　as　the　criminals　who　would　be　responsible　ifhe　did　not　dare　formulate　the　possibilities　of　that　bounding　price。

The　telephone　boy　at　the　other　end；　going　in　search　of　Zabriskie；　left　the　receiver　off　the　hook　and　the　door　of　the　booth　open。　　Into　Fanning…Smith's　ear　came　the　tumult　from　the　floor　of　the　Exchangeshrieks　and　yells　riding　a　roar　like　the　breakers　of　an　infernal　sea。　　And　on　the　ticker…tape　James　was　reading　the　story　of　the　cause；　was　reading　how　his　Great　Lakes　venture　was　caught　in　those　breakers；　was　rushing　upon　the　rocks　amid　the　despairing　wails　of　its　crew；　the　triumphant　jeers　of　the　wreckers　on　shore。　　Great　Lakes　one　hundred　and　eighteentickticktickGreat　Lakes　one　hundred　and　twenty…threetickticktickGreat　Lakes　one　hundred　and　thirtytickticktickGreat　Lakes　one　hundred　and　thirty…five

〃It　can't　be　true！〃　he　moaned。　　〃It　CAN'T　be　true！　　If　it　is　I'm　ruinedall　of　us　ruined！〃

The　roar　in　the　receiver　lessenedsome　one　had　entered　the　booth　at　the　other　end　and　had　closed　the　door。　　〃Well！〃　he　heard　in　a　sharp；　impatient　voiceZabriskie's。

〃What　is　it；　Nedwhat's　the　matter？　　Why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　　Fanning…Smith's　voice　was　like　the　shrill　shriek　of　a　coward　in　a　perilous　storm。　　It　was　in　itself　complete　explanation　of　Zabriskie's　neglect　to　call　upon　him　for　orders。

〃Don't　ask　me。　　Somebody's　rocketing　Great　Lakestaking　all　offerings。　　Don't　keep　me　here。　　I'm　having　a　hard　enough　time；　watching　this　crazy　market　and　sending　our　orders　by　the　roundabout　way。　　Got　anyth