Young Lord Stranleigh

ow cunning of a fox is often successful where the brave strength of a lion fails. Of course there are estimable men who accumulate a fortune through manufactory, discovery,

es a mere predatory beast, producing nothing; fattening on the woes and losses of others; stealthy and cruel as the man-eating tig

a check to fulfill his promises to Captain Simmons and Frowningshield should have been scarcely more important than the tossing of a penny to a beggar by an ordinary man. But Schwartzbrod brooded over it, grit his teeth, and swore vengeance. Now, vindictiveness is a quality which does not pay. In our modern strenuous life the man who wastes thought on revenge runs a risk of falling behind in the procession, but in a time of crisis such deflection of thought upon trivialities, when all senses should be on the alert to prepare for the coming storm, may be fatal. Schwartzbrod was li

t browbeating or recrimination, eliminated all chance of Schwartzbrod's further interference with his mine. Schwartzbrod knew that Lord Stranleigh was possessed of every fact in the case, and these facts, i

n seas and back again, and Mackeller's industrious smelters had tum

been cornered, to the great benefit of some one individual either in New York or Chicago, and to the universal loss of a hungry world, but no one had hitherto attempted to corner gold. Wheat could not be produced at will. Once the sowing was done, the mathematicians could estimate very accurately, given a full crop, the maximum number of bushels of wheat likely to be placed on the market the coming autumn, and to this amount no man could add, because the production of wheat depended on the slow revolution of the seasons. With gold it was different: gold could be produced summer and winter, night and day, therefore no individual, be he as rich as Midas, and no syndicate, however powerful, had heretofore dared to attempt the cornering of gold. Wheat was consumed year by year, but gold was practically everlasting, preserved in the shape of ornaments, bullion, plate, and what not. Old coinage, minted centuries before the birth of Christ, was still in existence, and although a few grains of wheat grown in the time of the Pharaohs rested in the palms of certain mummies, the great bulk of year before last's wheat was already ground and baked and eaten. It would seem, then, that the boldest financial coup ever attempted had been successfully accomplished by the men of Wall Street. This, however, the New York paper pointed out, was not the case. Tremendous as might be the consequences of the corner, there was, after all, little risk to the operators. Gold, unlike wheat, was a staple commodity. Wheat rose and fell

ous was about to happen. Then stocks of all kinds began to come down with a run. One important house failed, then another, and another, and another, and shrewd men realized that both England and America were face to face with the greatest financial disaster of modern times. It seemed that the punishment fitted the

was pointed out, the bank had not asked for time, and although the governor and directors were known to have been bi

those rather fine, honest eyes of his were staring through the thin film of smoke, and apparently seeing nothing. One of the men who had successfully borrowed money from him the day before, and whose salutation Lord Stranleigh ignored, not on account of the borrowed money, but simpl

looked about him for a moment as if wishing to find a chair alone, or searching for some friend whom he expected to meet. This was Alexander Corbitt, manager of Selwyn's Bank, a smooth-faced, harsh-featured man, under whose direction

d, "here's a chai

ut each movement of his body which contrasted strikingly with the indifferent, indolent air assumed by mo

u imbibe?" as

bite of dinner, and having a few moments to spare, will n

ning? I thought banks closed a

ht," said Corbitt, shortly, a

ask you a f

k t

a child of all matters pertain

I know

this fuss ab

t fu

, and the morning papers, too, for that matter.

a little; a low, ha

nipped in it, I hope. I was told you were da

ter, Corbitt, on behalf

een specula

e brains nor knowledge requis

eded is cash. The biggest fool with ready cash can do more a

into the turmoil," sai

Schwartzbrod has gone under, and has carried down with him six or seven men who are considered the

Then it must be a fraudu

away. He's had no time to hedge, or you m

? Can't a man of your powerful intellect make

ve Act, passed last May, and coming into force on the first of January next year. This Act makes it obligatory on the Bank of Englan

less telegraphy part of the speech of the Chancellor of the Excheque

ture of this case is that the Chancellor of the Exchequer knew at the time the folly of his own action, although, of course, he did not perceive the tremendous disaster it was going to bring upon not only his own country, but practically all the solvent nations of the world. He should have withstood the pressure of his unreasonable and ignorant followers. He should have arranged an interview with the managers of the Bank of England; should have told them that a bill of

hought the same. However, it passed both houses, received royal assent, and then the mischief was done. These very clever Wall Street men at once saw the possibilities of the situation, as they do with all amateur legislation. The bank remained silent and solemn; has given no word to thi

hat there's a chance of the Ban

such a date. But if the bank doesn't do it, there can be neither a fine inflicted, nor can the governor be put into prison for contumely. If I were governor of the Bank of England, I would snap my fingers at Parliament, at the Act, and at the gold-corne

of such a statement on t

o be difficult to get the gold, he should have approached Parliament while it was in session, and got a relief bill, postponing the date, say for another year, but,

ill get the seventy extra mil

prepared to pay two hundred millions for th

ndicate got the gold? T

overnment will commandeer the gold as Kruger did before the Transvaal War began. I understand that the syndicate has notified the B

serve by the Bank of England be in

one or t

and were to announce that there are a hundred million pounds wort

uary, and the announcement made then, I am not sure but it would be almost as disastrous as the former panic. It would be like the sudden releasing of a powerful and compressed spring, and anything sudden and powerful is apt to disarrange machinery. I think the inevitable result would be the in

or an interview at an early date sent to the governor of the Bank of England. Another was an order forwarded to Peter Mackeller in Cornwall. A third requested the

enough," he said to himsel

as shocked at the appearance of the aged financier, and, much as he disliked him, could not but feel sorry for him. He seemed almost ten years older than when last they met. His face was haggard, draw

you; you smooth, brainless sneak, you can do me no further harm. You have done your worst, and if you have called me h

s. They had helped you, father and son. They were innocent men, and honest. Each in his own way had assisted you to the possibility of almost unlimited wealth. That did not satisfy you. You determined to take from them thei

it, you human poodle dog, you contemptible pu

entered the room, and I merely followed your lead, and strove to remove a misapprehension from your mind as to the original causes of things. No, my invitation to this house had quite another object.

, like the grating

on whatever belief in human nature you may possess, so don't trouble any further ab

a sti

x colleagues; are

belief in human nature. Well, the faith in human nature in me is gone. I have done my

y chauffeur would add dignity to the equipage of an emperor. I will lend you chauffeur and car for the day, and if you drive

or car after the fashion of the Romans parading their captives in their chariots when

resent moment. I don't know precisely what the position of a bankrupt is, and it may be possible that your creditors can take away those bars of gold if they knew you possessed them, therefore trade in my name if you like; act as my agent. Go in this automobile to your bank, and get the porters to carry the bullion inside. There they will weigh it, and estimate its value, giving you the credit for the amount. Now, pay strict attention to me. Buy the value of those bars in stocks which you know possess some intrinsic worth, but are now far beneath their proper level. Hol

ame the old cringing manner, with a flattering endeavor to mitigate the harshness of his former remarks, a

The chauffeur thinks the metal under the seat is copper. Your banker will tell you it is gold, so keep an eye on it till it is safely in his possession. There, there, do not thank me, I b

h me, then, in your ow

down in the city. If anyone asks you what the machine cost, you can tell them its price is a net two thousand pounds. You will jou

nd. He arrived in the anteroom a few minutes before the time of his appointment, and exactly at the arranged moment was c

t Schwartzbrod had indicated he was. Stranleigh, who was always more scrupulously polite to a beggar than was his custom with the kin

man who is big enough, I shall actually cringe

on man before him sent him in the other direction, and he knew that for the next ten minutes he was going to be regarded as the most hopeless fool in London. Yet he did not consi

rily refused to waste time with a member of the aristocracy of whom he knew nothing, but the secretary, whose

ch Lord Stra

the beetling brow of one man, an inane, silly smile on the lips of the other. At the sight of this smile the governor saw at once that his first thought had been right. He should not have wasted a moment on this nonentity, yet he had before him the herculean task of providing the institute over which he presided

ord?" he bellowed forth, tem

don't mind my sitting down, do you? It seems to me I can speak better sitting down. I've-I've really never bee

on't think it necessary

on, and sitting down. "You see, I have no head for figures, and so little knowledge of busines

, yes," snappe

e from those men. Seems kind of a silly thing to do, don't you think?

that to do with t

he navy, and the king, and sometimes for the Government, but not always, as, for instance, when they pass silly Acts

ord, but my time is very limi

much about the crisis until four or five days ago when Mr. Corbitt-Alexand

Mr. Corb

opinions, and I agree

dmitted the governor, as if, instead of pra

ll I forget the decimal figures, but perhaps you're up in them. I never could remember-to tell you the tru

so far as that. If you will have the kindness, not to say the mercy, to tell me

f the business, then, do you have twelve

n the hard surface of the table. He gl

ith are twelve ounces or sixteen ounces, then the ease gets kind of hopeless-ah, I see you are in a hurry. Now tell me how much w

ous calmness, "have you come here under the impres

ng her first proposal. The contempt of the man before him was so unconcealed that poor Stranleigh thought, as

e utmost respect for the Bank of England. You see, I am rather well off, and within the last day or two I have plung

ught it out," s

of January London is going to see the greatest boom in stocks

ounds for such a

t an upstart like Wall Street should be able to play Hey-diddle-diddle, the cat and the fiddle, with a venerable institution like t

d up. He rose like

sist you in your speculations. You should have consulted Alexander Cor

n when he saw the g

d

ack to him. He surely nev

f the situation filled me

anleigh, you have met me. I

rude dismissal. He was not accustomed to being treated in such

ld?" he said, almost as ste

t go

go

l your assets had been vest

ets except one. The one

ol

es

hat f

form of

have you got? W

wenty-three decimal-whatever-it-happens-to-be, I can't even estimate it? I asked-I hope with courtesy-the favor of your assistance in calculating

ernor, waxing impatient. "There

re were. The mine I spe

ling, my lord, and I think I h

don't want

ds of raw gold

gold in pounds. I hold at prese

tons! In ore

ment because I had lent my principal automobile to a man named Conrad Schwartzbrod. I see my automobile standing outside, and as I gave Schwartzbrod eight bars of this metal, telling him to take it to his bank, he seems t

is your

e other thousand tons is on a special train of the Great Western Railway, which has already ar

hurriedly than he had anticipated, dre

or is this-is this-What you

yourself. I have always avoided the city as a cynical place, but

Worth a hundred and ten

te when a man who knows figures gets at i

this gold

working most of the year transporting the ore to Cornwall and smelting it, tossing

you demand fo

that the gold was quite as safe in your vaults as in my copper mine, therefore I eng

omobile to the Great Western goods depot,

I shall be

at his appetizing breakfast, and smiled a

of the bank, no one but the governor, and those in his confidence, can tell. While the country was ringing with predictions of failure on the part of the bank to conform with a new and absurd law, those responsible for the direction of our leading financial institution quietly and in silence had gathered together the almost unimaginable amount of three hundred million pounds' worth sterling of virgin gold. Those journals which for the past four months have been foremost in deluding their readers, and bringing a crisis on the country, are now loud in their denunciation of the gov

anleigh

u are! A fitting companion grandmother

nd