the pit-第48节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eeing　where　so　many　shut　their　eyes；　step　into　the　place　of　high　command？

Jadwin　chafed　and　fretted　in　his　inaction。　　As　the　time　when　the　house　party　should　break　up　drew　to　its　close；　his　impatience　harried　him　like　a　gadfly。　　He　took　long　drives　over　the　lonely　country　roads；　or　tramped　the　hills　or　the　frozen　lake；　thoughtful；　preoccupied。　　He　still　held　his　seat　upon　the　Board　of　Trade。　　He　still　retained　his　agents　in　Europe。　　Each　morning　brought　him　fresh　despatches；　each　evening's　paper　confirmed　his　forecasts。

〃Oh；　I'm　out　of　it　for　good　and　all；〃　he　assured　his　wife。　　〃But　I　know　the　man　who　could　take　up　the　whole　jing…bang　of　that　Crookes　crowd　in　one　hand　and〃his　large　fist　swiftly　knotted　as　he　spoke　the　words　〃scrunch　it　up　like　an　eggshell；　by　George。〃

Landry　Court　often　entertained　Page　with　accounts　of　the　doings　on　the　Board　of　Trade；　and　about　a　fortnight　after　the　Jadwins　had　returned　to　their　city　home　he　called　on　her　one　evening　and　brought　two　or　three　of　the　morning's　papers。

〃Have　you　seen　this？〃　he　asked。　　She　shook　her　head。

〃Well；〃　he　said；　compressing　his　lips；　and　narrowing　his　eyes；　〃let　me　tell　you；　we　are　having　pretty　livelytimesdown　there　on　the　Board　these　days。　　The　whole　country　is　talking　about　it。〃

He　read　her　certain　extracts　from　the　newspapers　he　had　brought。　　The　first　article　stated　that　recently　a　new　factor　had　appeared　in　the　Chicago　wheat　market。　　A　〃Bull〃　clique　had　evidently　been　formed；　presumably　of　New　York　capitalists；　who　were　ousting　the　Crookes　crowd　and　were　rapidly　coming　into　control　of　the　market。　　In　consequence　of　this　the　price　of　wheat　was　again　mounting。

Another　paper　spoke　of　a　combine　of　St。　　Louis　firms　who　were　advancing　prices；　bulling　the　market。　　Still　a　third　said；　at　the　beginning　of　a　half…column　article：

〃It　is　now　universally　conceded　that　an　Unknown　Bull　has　invaded　the　Chicago　wheat　market　since　the　beginning　of　the　month；　and　is　now　dominating　the　entire　situation。　　The　Bears　profess　to　have　no　fear　of　this　mysterious　enemy；　but　it　is　a　matter　of　fact　that　a　multitude　of　shorts　were　driven　ignominiously　to　cover　on　Tuesday　last；　when　the　Great　Bull　gathered　in　a　long　line　of　two　million　bushels　in　a　single　half　hour。　　Scalping　and　eighth…chasing　are　almost　entirely　at　an　end；　the　smaller　traders　dreading　to　be　caught　on　the　horns　of　the　Unknown。　　The　new　operator's　identity　has　been　carefully　concealed；　but　whoever　he　is；　he　is　a　wonderful　trader　and　is　possessed　of　consummate　nerve。　　It　has　been　rumoured　that　he　hails　from　New　York；　and　is　but　one　of　a　large　clique　who　are　inaugurating　a　Bull　campaign。　　But　our　New　York　advices　are　emphatic　in　denying　this　report；　and　we　can　safely　state　that　the　Unknown　Bull　is　a　native；　and　a　present　inhabitant　of　the　Windy　City。〃

Page　looked　up　at　Landry　quickly；　and　he　returned　her　glance　without　speaking。　　There　was　a　moment's　silence。

〃I　guess；〃　Landry　hazarded；　lowering　his　voice；　〃I　guess　we're　both　thinking　of　the　same　thing。〃

〃But　I　know　he　told　my　sister　that　he　was　going　to　stop　all　that　kind　of　thing。　　What　do　you　think？〃

〃I　hadn't　ought　to　think　anything。〃

〃Say　'shouldn't　think；'　Landry。〃

〃Shouldn't　think；　then；　anything　about　it。　　My　business　is　to　execute　Mr。　Gretry's　orders。〃

〃Well；　I　know　this；〃　said　Page；　〃that　Mr。　Jadwin　is　down　town　all　day　again。　　You　know　he　stayed　away　for　a　while。〃

〃Oh；　that　may　be　his　real　estate　business　that　keeps　him　down　town　so　much；〃　replied　Landry。

〃Laura　is　terribly　distressed；〃　Page　went　on。　　〃I　can　see　that。　　They　used　to　spend　all　their　evenings　together　in　the　library；　and　Laura　would　read　aloud　to　him。　　But　now　he　comes　home　so　tired　that　sometimes　he　goes　to　bed　at　nine　o'clock；　and　Laura　sits　there　alone　reading　till　eleven　and　twelve。　　But　she's　afraid；　too；　of　the　effect　upon　him。　　He's　getting　so　absorbed。　　He　don't　care　for　literature　now　as　he　did　once；　or　was　beginning　to　when　Laura　used　to　read　to　him；　and　he　never　thinks　of　his　Sunday…school。　　And　then；　too；　if　you're　to　believe　Mr。　Cressler；　there's　a　chance　that　he　may　lose　if　he　is　speculating　again。〃

But　Landry　stoutly　protested：

〃Well；　don't　think　for　one　moment　that　Mr。　Curtis　Jadwin　is　going　to　let　any　one　get　the　better　of　him。　There's　no　manno；　nor　gang　of　mencould　down　him。　He's　head　and　shoulders　above　the　biggest　of　them　down　there。　　I　tell　you　he's　Napoleonic。　　Yes；　sir；　that's　what　he　is；　Napoleonic；　to　say　the　least。　　Page；〃　he　declared；　solemnly；　〃he's　the　greatest　man　I've　ever　known。〃

Very　soon　after　this　it　was　no　longer　a　secret　to　Laura　Jadwin　that　her　husband　had　gone　back　to　the　wheat　market；　and　that；　too；　with　such　impetuosity；　such　eagerness；　that　his　rush　had　carried　him　to　the　very　heart's　heart　of　the　turmoil。

He　was　now　deeply　involved；　his　influence　began　to　be　felt。　　Not　an　important　move　on　the　part　of　the　〃Unknown　Bull；〃　the　nameless　mysterious　stranger　that　was　not　duly　noted　and　discussed　by　the　entire　world　of　La　Salle　Street。

Almost　his　very　first　move；　carefully　guarded；　executed　with　profoundest　secrecy；　had　been　to　replace　the　five　million　bushels　sold　to　Liverpool　by　five　million　more　of　the　May　option。　　This　was　in　January；　and　all　through　February　and　all　through　the　first　days　of　March；　while　the　cry　for　American　wheat　rose；　insistent　and　vehement；　from　fifty　cities　and　centres　of　eastern　Europe；　while　the　jam　of　men　in　the　Wheat　Pit　grew　ever　more　frantic；　ever　more　furious；　and　while　the　impassive　hand　on　the　great　dial　over　the　floor　of　the　Board　rose；　resistless；　till　it　stood　at　eighty…seven；　he　bought　steadily；　gathering　in　the　wheat；　calling　for　it；　welcoming　it；　receiving　full　in　the　face　and　with　opened　arms　the　cataract　that　poured　in　upon　the　Pit　from　Iowa　and　Nebraska；　Minnesota　and　Dakota；　from　the　dwindling　bins　of　Illinois　and　the　fast…emptying　elevators　of　Kansas　and　Missouri。

Then；　squarely　in　the　midst　of　the　commotion；　at　a　time　when　Curtis　Jadwin　owned　some　ten　million　bushels　of　May　wheat；　fell　the　Government　report　on　the　visible　supply。

〃Well；〃　said　Jadwin；　〃what　do　you　think　of　it？〃

He　and　Gretry　were　in　the　broker's　private　room　in　the　offices　of　Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。　　They　were　studying　the　report　of　the　Government　as　to　the　supply　of　wheat；　which　had　just　been　published　in　the　editions　of　the　evening　papers。　　It　was　very　late　in　the　afternoon　of　a　lugubrious　March　day。　　Long　since　the　gas　and　electricity　had　been　lighted　in　the　office；　while　in　the　streets　the　lamps　at　the　corners　were　reflected　downward　in　long　shafts　of　light　upon　the　drenched　pavements。　　From　the　windows　of　the　room　one　could　see　directly　up　La　Salle　Street。　　The　cable　cars；　as　they　made　the　turn　into　or　out　of　the　street　at　the　corner　of　Monroe；　threw　momentary　glares　of　red　and　green　lights　across　the　mists　of　rain；　and　filled　the　air　continually　with　the　jangle　of　their　bells。　　Further　on　one　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　Court　House　rising　from　the　pavement　like　a　rain…washed　cliff　of　black　basalt；　picked　out　with　winking　lights；　and　beyond　that；　at　the　extreme　end　of　the　vista；　the　girders　and　cables　of　the　La　Salle　Street　bridge。

The　sidewalks　on　either　hand　were　encumbered　with　the　〃six　o'clock　crowd〃　that　poured　out　incessantly　from　the　street　entrances　of　the　office　buildings。　It　was　a　crowd　almost　entirely　of　men；　and　they　moved　only　in　one　direction；　buttoned　to　the　chin　in　rain　coats；　their　umbrellas　bobbing；　their　feet　scuffling　through　the　little　pools　of　wet　in　the　depressions　of　the　sidewalk。　　They　streamed　from　out　the　brokers'　offices　and　commission　houses　on　either　side　of　La　Salle　Street；　continually；　unendingly；　moving　with　the　dragging　sluggishness　of　the　fatigue　of　a　hard　day's　work。　　Under　that　grey　sky　and　blurring　veil　of　rain　they　lost　their　individualities；　they　became　conglomeratea　mass；　slow…moving；　black。　　All　day　long　the　torrent　had　seethed　and　thundered　through　the　streetthe　torrent　that　swirled　out　and　back　from　that　vast　Pit　of　roaring　within　the　Board　of　Trade。　　Now　the　Pit　was　stilled；　the　sluice　gates　of　the　torrent　locked；　and　from　out　the　thousands　of　offices；　from　out　the　Board　of　Trade　itself；　flowed　the　black　and　sluggish　lees；　the　lifeless　dregs　that　filtered　back　to　their　level　for　a　few　hours；　stagnation；　till　in　the　morning；　the　whirlpool　revolving　once　more；　should　again　suck　them　back　into　its　vortex。

The　rain　fell　uninterruptedly。　　There　was　no　wind。　　The　cable　cars　jolted　and　jostled　over　the　tracks　with　a　strident　whir　of　vibrating　window　glass。　　In　the　street；　immediately　in　front　of　the　entrance　to　the　Board　of　Trade；　a　group　of　pigeons；　garnet…eyed；　trim；　with　coral…coloured　feet　and　iridescent　breasts；　strutted　and　fluttered；　pecking　at　the　handfuls　of　wheat　that　a　porter　threw　them　from　the　windows　of　the　floor　of　the　Board。

〃Well；〃　repeated　Jadwin；　shifting　with　a　movement　of　his　lips　his　unlit　cigar　to　the　other　corner　of　his　mouth；　〃well；　what　do　you　think　of　it？〃

The　broker；　intent　upon　the　figures　and　statistics；　replied　only　by　an　indefinite　movement　of　the　head。

〃Why；　Sam；〃　observed　Jadwin；　looking　up　from　the　paper；　〃there's　less　than　a　hundred　million　bushels　in　the　farmers'　hands。。。。　That's　awfully　small。　　Sam；　that