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Kip, drug brokers and importers, he decided
to make the buying and selling of stocks and
bonds his exclusive business. The hours
were easy; the profits would be great. He
would make enough to live on. He would
not let the Street take away what it had
given. That was the great secret: to know
when to quit! He would be content with a
moderate amount, wisely invested in gilt-
THE TIPSTER 91
edged bonds. And then he would bid the
Street good-by forever.
Force of long business custom and the
indefinable fear of new ventures for a time
fought successfully his increasing ticker-
fever. But one day his brokers wished to
speak to him, to urge him to sell out his entire
holdings, having been advised of an epoch-
making resolution by Congress. They had
received the news in advance from a Wash-
ington customer. Other brokers had impor-
tant connections in the Capital and therefore
there was no time to lose. They dared not
assume the responsibility of selling him out
without his permission. Five minutes
five eternities! passed before they could
talk by telephone with him; and when he
gave his order to sell, the market had broken
five or six points. The news was  out.
The news-agencies slips were in the bro-
kers offices and half of Wall Street knew.
Instead of being among the first ten sellers
Gilmartin was among the second hundred.
II.
The clerks gave him a farewell dinner.
All were there, even the head office-boy to
92 WALL STREET STORIES
whom the two-dollar subscription was no
light matter. The man who probably
would succeed Gilmartin as manager, Jenk-
ins, acted as toastmaster. He made a witty
speech which ended with a neatly turned
compliment. Moreover, he seemed sin-
cerely sorry to bid good-by to the man whose
departure meant promotion which was the
nicest compliment of all. And the other
clerks old Williamson, long since ambition-
proof; and young Hardy, bitten ceaselessly
by it; and middle-aged Jameson, who knew
he could run the business much better than
Gilmartin; and Baldwin, who never thought
of business in or out of the office all told
him how good he had been and related cor-
roborative anecdotes that made him blush
and the others cheer; and how sorry they
were he would no longer be with them, but
how glad he was going to do so much better
by himself; and they hoped he would not
 cut them when he met them after he had
become a great millionaire. And Gilmartin
felt his heart grow soft and feelings not all of
happiness came over him. Danny, the dean
of the office boys, whose surname was known
only to the cashier, rose and said, in the tones
of one speaking of a dear departed friend:
THE TIPSTER 93
 He was the best man in the place. He
always was all right. Everybody laughed;
whereupon Danny went on, with a defiant
glare at the others:  I d work for him for
nothin if he d want me, instead of gettin ten
a week from anyone else. And when they
laughed the harder at this he said, stoutly:
 Yes, I would! His eyes filled with tears at
their incredulity, which he feared might be
shared by Mr. Gilmartin. But the toast-
master rose very gravely and said:  What s
the matter with Danny? And all shouted
in unison:  He s all right! with a cordiality
so heartfelt that Danny smiled and sat
down, blushing happily. And crusty Jame-
son, who knew he could run the business so
much better than Gilmartin, stood up he
was the last speaker and began:  In the ten
years I ve worked with Gilmartin, we ve had
our differences and well I well er
oh, DAMN IT! and walked quickly to the
head of the table and shook hands violently
with Gilmartin for fully a minute, while all
the others looked on in silence.
Gilmartin had been eager to go to Wall
Street. But this leave-taking made him sad.
The old Gilmartin who had worked with
these men was no more and the new Gil-
94 WALL STREET STORIES
martin felt sorry. He had never stopped to
think how much they cared for him nor
indeed how very much he cared for them.
He told them, very simply, he did not expect
ever again to spend such pleasant years any-
where as at the old office; and as for his spells
of ill-temper oh, yes, they needn t shake
their heads; he knew he often was irritable
he had meant well and trusted they would
forgive him. If he had his life to live over
again he would try really to deserve all that
they had said of him on this evening. And
he was very, very sorry to leave them.  Very
sorry, boys; very sorry. Very sorry! he fin-
ished lamely, with a wistful smile. He shook
hands with each man a strong grip as
though he were about to go on a journey
from which he might never return and in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]