the pit-第61节

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emustn't　we？　　Well；　there　goes　fifty　thousand　dollars　of　my　good　money。〃

〃I　can　tell　you　who's　got　it；　if　you　care　to　know；〃　answered　Crookes。　　〃It's　a　pewter　quarter　to　Government　bonds　that　Gretry；　Converse　&　Co。　　sold　that　wheat　to　you。　　They've　got　about　all　the　wheat　there　is。〃

〃I　know；　of　course；　they've　been　heavy　buyersfor　this　Unknown　Bull　they　talk　so　much　about。〃

〃Well；　he　ain't　Unknown　to　me；〃　declared　Crookes。　　〃I　know　him。　　It's　Curtis　Jadwin。　　He's　the　man　we've　been　fighting　all　along；　and　all　hell's　going　to　break　loose　down　here　in　three　or　four　days。　　He's　cornered　the　market。〃

〃Jadwin！　　You　mean　J。Curtismy　friend？〃

Crookes　grunted　an　affirmative。

〃Butwhy；　he　told　me　he　was　out　of　the　marketfor　good。〃

Crookes　did　not　seem　to　consider　that　the　remark　called　for　any　useless　words。　　He　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　looked　at　Cressler。

〃Does　he　know？〃　faltered　Cressler。　　〃Do　you　suppose　he　could　have　heard　that　I　was　in　this　clique　of　yours？〃

〃Not　unless　you　told　him　yourself。〃

Cressler　stood　up；　clearing　his　throat。

〃I　have　not　told　him；　Mr。　Crookes；〃　he　said。　　〃You　would　do　me　an　especial　favor　if　you　would　keep　it　from　the　public；　from　everybody；　from　Mr。　Jadwin；　that　I　was　a　member　of　this　ring。〃

Crookes　swung　his　chair　around　and　faced　his　desk。

〃Hell！　　You　don't　suppose　I'm　going　to　talk；　do　you？〃

〃Well。。。。　Good…morning；　Mr。　Crookes。〃

〃Good…morning。〃

Left　alone；　Crookes　took　a　turn　the　length　of　the　room。　Then　he　paused　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　looking　down　thoughtfully　at　his　trim；　small　feet。

〃Jadwin！〃　he　muttered。　　〃Hm！　。。。　　Think　you're　boss　of　the　boat　now；　don't　you？　　Think　I'm　done　with　you；　hey？　Oh；　yes；　you'll　run　a　corner　in　wheat；　will　you？　　Well；　here's　a　point　for　your　consideration　Mr。　Curtis　Jadwin；　'Don't　get　so　big　that　all　the　other　fellows　can　see　youthey　throw　bricks。'〃

He　sat　down　in　his　chair；　and　passed　a　thin　and　delicate　hand　across　his　lean　mouth。

〃No；〃　he　muttered；　〃I　won't　try　to　kill　you　any　more。　You've　cornered　wheat；　have　you？　　All　right。。。。　　Your　own　wheat；　my　smart　Aleck；　will　do　all　the　killing　I　want。〃

Then　at　last　the　news　of　the　great　corner；　authoritative；　definite；　went　out　over　all　the　country；　and　promptly　the　figure　and　name　of　Curtis　Jadwin　loomed　suddenly　huge　and　formidable　in　the　eye　of　the　public。　　There　was　no　wheat　on　the　Chicago　market。　　He；　the　great　man；　the　〃　Napoleon　of　La　Salle　Street；〃　had　it　all。　　He　sold　it　or　hoarded　it；　as　suited　his　pleasure。　　He　dictated　the　price　to　those　men　who　must　buy　it　of　him　to　fill　their　contracts。　　His　hand　was　upon　the　indicator　of　the　wheat　dial　of　the　Board　of　Trade；　and　he　moved　it　through　as　many　or　as　few　of　the　degrees　of　the　circle　as　he　chose。

The　newspapers；　not　only　of　Chicago；　but　of　every　city　in　the　Union；　exploited　him　for　〃stories。〃　　The　history　of　his　corner；　how　he　had　effected　it；　its　chronology；　its　results；　were　told　and　retold；　till　his　name　was　familiar　in　the　homes　and　at　the　firesides　of　uncounted　thousands。　　〃Anecdotes〃　were　circulated　concerning　him；　interviewsconcocted　for　the　most　part　in　the　editorial　roomswere　printed。　　His　picture　appeared。　He　was　described　as　a　cool；　calm　man　of　steel；　with　a　cold　and　calculating　grey　eye；　〃piercing　as　an　eagle's〃；　as　a　desperate　gambler；　bold　as　a　buccaneer；　his　eye　black　and　fierya　veritable　pirate；　as　a　mild；　small　man　with　a　weak　chin　and　a　deprecatory　demeanour；　as　a　jolly　and　roistering　〃high　roller；〃　addicted　to　actresses；　suppers；　and　to　bathing　in　champagne。

In　the　Democratic　press　he　was　assailed　as　little　better　than　a　thief；　vituperated　as　an　oppressor　of　the　people；　who　ground　the　faces　of　the　poor；　and　battened　in　the　luxury　wrung　from　the　toiling　millions。　　The　Republican　papers　spoke　solemnly　of　the　new　era　of　prosperity　upon　which　the　country　was　entering；　referred　to　the　stimulating　effect　of　the　higher　prices　upon　capitalised　industry；　and　distorted　the　situation　to　an　augury　of　a　sweeping　Republican　victory　in　the　next　Presidential　campaign。

Day　in　and　day　out　Gretry's　office；　where　Jadwin　now　fixed　his　headquarters；　was　besieged。　　Reporters　waited　in　the　anteroom　for　whole　half　days　to　get　but　a　nod　and　a　word　from　the　great　man。　　Promoters；　inventors；　small　financiers；　agents；　manufacturers；　even　〃crayon　artists〃　and　horse　dealers；　even　tailors　and　yacht　builders　rubbed　shoulders　with　one　another　outside　the　door　marked　〃Private。〃

Farmers　from　Iowa　or　Kansas　come　to　town　to　sell　their　little　quotas　of　wheat　at　the　prices　they　once　had　deemed　impossible；　shook　his　hand　on　the　street；　and　urged　him　to　come　out　and　see　〃God's　own　country。〃

But　once；　however；　an　entire　deputation　of　these　wheat　growers　found　their　way　into　the　sanctum。　　They　came　bearing　a　presentation　cup　of　silver；　and　their　spokesman；　stammering　and　horribly　embarrassed　in　unwonted　broadcloth　and　varnished　boots；　delivered　a　short　address。　　He　explained　that　all　through　the　Middle　West；　all　through　the　wheat　belts；　a　great　wave　of　prosperity　was　rolling　because　of　Jadwin's　corner。　Mortgages　were　being　paid　off；　new　and　improved　farming　implements　were　being　bought；　new　areas　seeded　new　live　stock　acquired。　　The　men　were　buying　buggies　again；　the　women　parlor　melodeons；　houses　and　homes　were　going　up；　in　short；　the　entire　farming　population　of　the　Middle　West　was　being　daily　enriched。　　In　a　letter　that　Jadwin　received　about　this　time　from　an　old　fellow　living　in　〃Bates　Corners；〃　Kansas；　occurred　the　words：

〃and；　sir；　you　must　know　that　not　a　night　passes　that　my　little　girl；　now　going　on　seven；　sir；　and　the　brightest　of　her　class　in　the　county　seat　grammar　school；　does　not　pray　to　have　God　bless　Mister　Jadwin；　who　helped　papa　save　the　farm。〃

If　there　was　another　side；　if　the　brilliancy　of　his　triumph　yet　threw　a　shadow　behind　it；　Jadwin　could　ignore　it。　　It　was　far　from　him；　he　could　not　see　it。　Yet　for　all　this　a　story　came　to　him　about　this　time　that　for　long　would　not　be　quite　forgotten。　　It　came　through　Corthell；　but　very　indirectly；　passed　on　by　a　dozen　mouths　before　it　reached　his　ears。

It　told　of　an　American；　an　art　student；　who　at　the　moment　was　on　a　tramping　tour　through　the　north　of　Italy。　　It　was　an　ugly　story。　　Jadwin　pished　and　pshawed；　refusing　to　believe　it；　condemning　it　as　ridiculous　exaggeration；　but　somehow　it　appealed　to　an　uncompromising　sense　of　the　probable；　it　rang　true。

〃And　I　met　this　boy；〃　the　student　had　said；　〃on　the　high　road；　about　a　kilometre　outside　of　Arezzo。　　He　was　a　fine　fellow　of　twenty　or　twenty…two。　　He　knew　nothing　of　the　world。　　England　he　supposed　to　be　part　of　the　mainland　of　Europe。　　For　him　Cavour　and　Mazzini　were　still　alive。　　But　when　I　announced　myself　American；　he　roused　at　once。

〃'Ah；　American；'　he　said。　　'We　know　of　your　compatriot；　then；　here　in　Italythis　Jadwin　of　Chicago；　who　has　bought　all　the　wheat。　　We　have　no　more　bread。　　The　loaf　is　small　as　the　fist；　and　costly。　　We　cannot　buy　it；　we　have　no　money。　　For　myself；　I　do　not　care。　　I　am　young。　I　can　eat　lentils　and　cress。　　But'　and　here　his　voice　was　a　whisper'but　my　mothermy　mother！'〃

〃It's　a　lie！〃　Jadwin　cried。　　〃Of　course　it's　a　lie。　Good　God；　if　I　were　to　believe　every　damned　story　the　papers　print　about　me　these　days　I'd　go　insane。〃

Yet　when　he　put　up　the　price　of　wheat　to　a　dollar　and　twenty　cents；　the　great　flour　mills　of　Minnesota　and　Wisconsin　stopped　grinding；　and　finding　a　greater　profit　in　selling　the　grain　than　in　milling　it；　threw　their　stores　upon　the　market。　　Though　the　bakers　did　not　increase　the　price　of　their　bread　as　a　consequence　of　this；　the　loafeven　in　Chicago；　even　in　the　centre　of　that　great　Middle　West　that　weltered　in　the　luxury　of　productionwas　smaller；　and　from　all　the　poorer　districts　of　the　city　came　complaints；　protests；　and　vague　grumblings　of　discontent。

On　a　certain　Monday；　about　the　middle　of　May；　Jadwin　sat　at　Gretry's　desk　（long　since　given　over　to　his　use）；　in　the　office　on　the　ground　floor　of　the　Board　of　Trade；　swinging　nervously　back　and　forth　in　the　swivel　chair；　drumming　his　fingers　upon　the　arms；　and　glancing　continually　at　the　clock　that　hung　against　the　opposite　wall。　　It　was　about　eleven　in　the　morning。　　The　Board　of　Trade　vibrated　with　the　vast　trepidation　of　the　Pit；　that　for　two　hours　had　spun　and　sucked；　and　guttered　and　disgorged　just　overhead。　　The　waiting…room　of　the　office　was　more　than　usually　crowded。　　Parasites　of　every　description　polished　the　walls　with　shoulder　and　elbow。　　Millionaires　and　beggars　jostled　one　another　about　the　doorway。　　The　vice…president　of　a　bank　watched　the　door　of　the　private　office　covertly；　the　traffic　manager　of　a　railroad　exchanged　yarns　with　a　group　of　reporters　while　awaiting　his　turn。

As　Gretry；　the　great　man's　lieutenant；　hurried　through　the　anteroom；　conversation　suddenly　ceased；　and　half　a　dozen　of　the　more　impatient　sprang　forward。　　But　the　broker　pushed　his　way　through　the　crowd；　shaking　his　head；　excusing　himself　as　best　he　might；　and　entering　the　office；　closed　the　door　behind　him。

At　the　clash　of　the　lock　Jadwin　started　half…way　from　his　chair；　then　recognising　the　broker；　sank　back　with　a　quick　breath。

〃Why　don't　you　knock；　or　something；　Sam？〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Might