Chapter 19

by Upton Sinclair

　　Montague brought a couple of chairs, and the two seated themselvesat the window for a long wait.

　　"How did you learn about this conference?" asked Montague.

　　"Be careful," whispered the other in his ear. "We mustn't make anoise, because Rodney will need quiet to hear them."

　　Montague saw that the cord was jerking again. Bates spelled out theletters one by one.

　　"W-a-t-e-r-m-a-n. D-u-v-a-l. He's telling us who's there. DavidWard. Hegan. Prentice."

　　"Prentice!" whispered Montague. "Why, he's up in the Adirondacks!"

　　"He came down on a special train to-day," whispered the other. "Wardtelegraphed him--I think that's where we got our tip. HenryPatterson. He's the real head of the Oil Trust now. Bascom of theEmpire Bank. He's Waterman's man."

　　"You can imagine from that list that there's something big goingon," Bates muttered; and he spelled the names of several otherbankers, heads of the most important institutions in Wall Street.

　　"Talking about Stewart," spelled out Rodney.

　　"That's ancient history," muttered Bates. "He's a dead one."

　　"P-r-i-c-e," spelled Rodney.

　　"Price!" exclaimed Montague.

　　"Yes," said the other. "I saw him down in the lobby. I ratherthought he'd come."

　　"But to a conference with Waterman!" exclaimed Montague.

　　"That's all right," said Bates. "Why not?"

　　"But they are deadly enemies!"

　　"Oh," said the other, "you don't want to let yourself believe thingslike that."

　　"What do you mean?" protested Montague. "Do you suppose they're notenemies?"

　　"I certainly do suppose it," said Bates.

　　"But, man! I can give you positive facts that prove they are."

　　"For every fact that you bring," laughed the other, "I can bringhalf a dozen to show you they are not."

　　"But that is perfectly absurd!" began Montague.

　　"Hush," said Bates, and he waited while the string jerked.

　　"I-c-e," spelled Rodney.

　　"That's Cummings--another dead one," said Bates. "My Lord, but theydid him up brown!"

　　"Who did it?" asked Montague.

　　"Waterman," answered the other. "The Steamship Trust was competingwith his New England railroads, and now it's in the hands of areceiver. Before long you'll hear that he's gathered it in."

　　"Then you think this last smash-up was planned?" said he.

　　"Planned! My Heavens, man, it was the greatest gobbling up of thelittle fish that I have ever known since I've been in Wall Street!"

　　"And it was Waterman?"

　　"With the Oil Trust. They were after young Stewart. You see, he beatthem out in Montana, and they had to buy him off for ten milliondollars. But he was fool enough to come to New York and go in forbanking; and now they've got his banks, and a good part of his tenmillions as well!"

　　"It takes a man's breath away," said Montague.

　　"Just save your breath-you'll need it to-night," said Bates, drily.

　　The other sat in thought for a moment. "We were talking aboutPrice," he whispered. "Do you mean John S. Price?"

　　"There is only one Price that I know of," was the reply.

　　"And you don't believe that he and Waterman are enemies?"

　　"I mean that Price is simply one of Waterman's agents in every bigthing he does."

　　"But, man! Doesn't he own the Mississippi Steel Company?"

　　"He owns it for Waterman," said Bates.

　　"But that is impossible," cried Montague. "Isn't Waterman interestedin the Steel Trust? And isn't Mississippi Steel its chiefcompetitor?"

　　"It is supposed to be," said the other. "But that is simply a bluffto fool the public. There has been no real competition between themever since four years ago, when Price raided the stock and capturedit for Waterman."

　　Montague was staring at his friend, almost speechless withamazement.

　　"Mr. Bates," he said, "it happens that I was very recently connectedwith Price and the Mississippi Steel Company in a very intimate way;and I know most positively that what you say is not true."

　　"It's very hard to answer a statement like that," Bates responded."I'd have to know just what your facts are. But they'd have to bevery convincing indeed to make an impression upon me, for I ran thatstory down pretty thoroughly. I got it straight from the inside, andI got all the details of it. I nailed Price down, right in his ownoffice. The only trouble was that my people wouldn't print thefacts."

　　It was some time before Montague spoke again. He was groping aroundin his own mind, trying to grasp the significance of what Bates hadsaid.

　　"But Price was fighting Waterman!" he whispered. "The whole crowdwere fighting him! That was the whole purpose of what they weredoing. It had no sense otherwise."

　　"But are you sure?" asked the other. "Think it over. Suppose theywere only pretending to fight."

　　There was a silence again.

　　"Mind you," Bates added, "I am only speaking about Price himself. Idon't know about any people he may have been with. He may have beendeceiving them--he may have been leading them into a trap--"

　　And suddenly Montague clutched the arms of his chair. He sat staringahead of him, struck dumb by the thought which the other's words hadbrought to him. "My God," he gasped; and again, and yet again, "MyGod!"

　　It seemed to unroll before him, in vista after vista. Pricedeceiving Ryder! leading him into that Northern Mississippi deal;getting him to lend money upon the stock of the Mississippi SteelCompany; promising, perhaps, to support the stock in the market, andhelping to smash it instead! Twisting Ryder around his finger,crushing him--and why? And why?

　　Montague's thoughts stopped still. It was as if he had found himselfsuddenly confronted by a bottomless abyss. He shrank back from it.He could not face the thought in his own mind. Waterman! It was DanWaterman! It was something which he had planned! It was thevengeance that he had threatened! He had been all this time plottingit, setting his nets about Ryder's feet!

　　It was an idea so wild and so horrible that Montague fought it off.He pushed it away from him, again and again. No, no, it could notbe!

　　And yet, why not? He had always felt certain in his own mind thatthat detective had come from Waterman. The old man had set to workto find out about Lucy and her affairs, the first time that he hadever laid eyes on her. And then suddenly Montague saw the face ofvolcanic fury that had flashed past him on board the _Brünnhilde_."You will hear from me again," the old man had said; and now, allthese months of silence--and at last he heard!

　　Why not? Why not? Montague kept asking himself. After all, what didhe know about the Mississippi Steel Company? What had he ever seento prove that it was actually competing with the Trust? What had heeven heard, except what Stanley Ryder had told him; and what morelikely than that Ryder was simply repeating what Price had said?

　　Montague had forgotten all about his present situation in the rushof thoughts which had come to him. The cord had been jerking again,and had spelled out the names of several more of the masters of thecity who had arrived; but he had not heard their names. "What objectwould there be," he asked, "in keeping the fact a secret--I meanthat Price was Waterman's agent?"

　　"Object!" exclaimed Bates. "Good Heavens, and with the public halfcrazy about monopolies, and the President making such a fight! If itwere known that the Steel Trust had gathered in its last bigcompetitor, you can't tell what the Government might do!"

　　"I see," said Montague. "And how long has this been?"

　　"Four years," was the reply; "all they're waiting for is someoccasion like this, when they can put the Company in a hole, andpose as benefactors in taking it over."

　　"I see," said Montague, again.

　　"Listen," said Bates, and leaned out of the window. He could catchfaintly the sounds of a deep voice in the consultation room.

　　"W-a-t-e-r-m-a-n," spelled Rodney.

　　"I guess business has begun," whispered Bates.

　　"Situation intolerable," spelled Rodney. "End wildcat banking."

　　"That means end of opposition to me," was the other's comment.

　　"Duval assents," continued Rodney.

　　The two in the window were on edge by this time. It was tantalisingto have to wait several minutes, and then get only such snatches.

　　"But they'll get past the speech-making pretty soon," whisperedBates; and indeed they did.

　　The next two words which the cord spelled out made Montague sit upand clutch the arms of his chair again.

　　"Gotham Trust!"

　　"Ah!" whispered Bates. Montague made not a sound.

　　"Ryder misusing," spelled the cord.

　　Bates seized his companion by the arm, and leaned close to him. "Bythe Lord!" he whispered breathlessly, "I wonder if they're going tosmash the Gotham Trust!"

　　"Refuse clearing," spelled Rodney; and Montague felt Bates's handtrembling. "They refuse to clear for Ryder!" he panted.

　　Montague was beyond all speech; he sat as if turned to stone.

　　"To-morrow morning," spelled the cord.

　　Bates could hardly keep still for his excitement.

　　"Do you catch what that means?" he whispered. "The Clearing-house isto throw out the Gotham Trust!"

　　"Why, they'll wreck it!" panted the other.

　　"My God, my God, they're mad!" cried Bates. "Don't they realise whatthey'll do? There'll be a panic such as New York has never seenbefore! It will bring down every bank in the city! The Gotham Trust!Think of it!--the Gotham Trust!"

　　"Prentice objects," came Rodney's next message.

　　"Objects!" exclaimed Bates, striking his knee in repressedexcitement. "I should think he might object. If the Gotham Trustgoes down, the Trust Company of the Republic won't live fortwenty-four hours."

　　"Afraid," spelled the cord. "Patterson angry."

　　"Much he has to lose," muttered Bates.

　　Montague started up and began to pace the room. "Oh, this ishorrible, horrible!" he exclaimed.

　　Through all the images of the destruction and suffering whichBates's words brought up before him, his thoughts flew back to apale and sad-faced little woman, sitting alone in an apartment upon the Riverside. It was to her that it all came back; it was forher that this terrible drama was being enacted. Montague couldpicture the grim, hawk-faced old man, sitting at the head of thecouncil board, and laying down the law to the masters of theMetropolis. And this man's thoughts, too, went back to Lucy--hisand Montague's alone, of all those who took part in the struggle!

　　"Waterman protect Prentice," spelled Rodney. "Insist turn out Ryder.Withdraw funds."

　　"There's no doubt of it," whispered Bates; "they can finish him ifthey choose. But oh, my Lord, what will happen in New York to-morrow!'

　　"Ward protect legitimate banks," was the next message.

　　"The little whelp!" sneered Bates. "By legitimate banks he meansthose that back his syndicates. A lot of protecting he will do!"

　　But then the newspaper man in Bates rose to the surface. "Oh, what astory," he whispered, clenching his hands, and pounding his knees."Oh, what a story!"

　　Montague carried away but a faint recollection of the rest ofRodney's communications; he was too much overwhelmed by his ownthoughts. Bates, however, continued to spell out the words; and hecaught the statement that General Prentice, who was a director inthe Gotham Trust, was to vote against any plan to close the doors ofthat institution. While they were after it, they were going tofinish it.

　　Also he caught the sentence, "Panic useful, curb President!" And heheard Bates's excited exclamations over that. "Did you catch that?"he cried. "That's Waterman! Oh, the nerve of it! We are in at themaking of history to-night, Mr. Montague."

　　Perhaps half an hour later, Montague, standing beside Bates, saw hishand jerked violently several times.

　　"That means pull up!" cried he. "Quick!"

　　And he seized the rope. "Put your weight on it," he whispered. "Itwill hold."

　　They proceeded to haul. Rodney helped them by catching hold of thecornice of the window and lifting himself. Then there was a momentof great straining, during which Montague held his breath; afterwhich the weight grew lighter again. Rodney had got his knees uponthe cornice.

　　A few moments later his fingers appeared, clutching the edge of thesill. He swung himself up, and Montague and Bates grasped him underthe arms, and fairly jerked him into the room.

　　He staggered to his feet; and there was a moment's pause, while allthree caught their breath. Then Rodney leaped at Bates, and graspedhim by the shoulders. "Old man!" he cried. "We landed them! Welanded them!"

　　"We landed them!" laughed the other in exultation.

　　"Oh, what a scoop!" shouted Rodney. "There was never one like it."

　　The two were like schoolboys in their glee. They hugged each other,and laughed and danced about. But it was not long before they becameserious again. Montague turned on the lights, and pulled down thewindow; and Rodney stood there, with his clothing dishevelled andhis face ablaze with excitement, and talked to them.

　　"Oh, you can't imagine that scene!" he said. "It makes my hair standon end to think of it. Just fancy--I was not more than twenty feetfrom Dan Waterman, and most of the time he seemed to be glaringright at me. I hardly dared wink, for fear he'd notice; and Ithought every instant he would jump up and run to the window. Butthere he sat, and pounded on the table, and glared about at thosefellows, and laid down the law to them."

　　"I've heard him talk," said Bates. "I know how it is."

　　"Why, he fairly knocked them over!" said the other. "You could haveheard a pin drop when he got through. Oh, it was a mad thing tosee!"

　　"I've hardly been able to get my breath," said Bates. "I can'tbelieve it."

　　"They have no idea what it will mean," said Montague.

　　"They know," said Rodney; "but they don't care. They've smelt blood.That's about the size of it--they were like a lot of hounds on thetrail. You should have seen Waterman, with that lean, hungry face ofhis. 'The time has come,' said he. 'There's no one here but hasknown that sooner or later this work had to be done. We must crushthem, once and for all time!' And you should have seen him turn onPrentice, when he ventured a word."

　　"Prentice doesn't like it, then?" asked Montague.

　　"I should think he wouldn't!" put in Bates.

　　"Waterman said he'd protect him," said Rodney. "But he must placehimself absolutely in their hands. It seems that the Trust Companyof the Republic has a million dollars with the Gotham Trust, andthat's to be withdrawn."

　　"Imagine it!" gasped Bates.

　　"And wait!" exclaimed the other; "then they got on to politics. Iwould have given one arm if I could have got a photograph of DanWaterman at that moment--just to spread it before the Americanpeople and ask them what they thought of it! David Ward had made theremark that 'A little trouble mightn't have a bad effect just now.'And Waterman brought down his fist on the table. 'This country needsa lesson,' he cried. 'There's been too much abuse of responsiblemen, and there's been too much wild talk in high places. If thepeople get a little taste of hard times, they'll have something elseto think about besides abusing those who have made the prosperity ofthe country; and it seems to me, gentlemen, that we have it in ourpower to put an end to this campaign of radicalism.'"

　　"Think of it, think of it!" gasped Bates. "The old devil!"

　　"And then Duval chimed in, with a laugh, 'To put it in a nutshell,gentlemen, we are going to smash Ryder and scare the President!'"

　　"Was the conference over?" asked Bates, after a moment's pause.

　　"All but the hand-shakes," said the other. "I didn't dare to staywhile they were moving about."

　　And Bates started suddenly to his feet. "Come!" he said. "We haven'tany time to waste. Our work isn't done yet, by a long sight."

　　He proceeded to untie the rope and coil it up. Rodney took theblanket and put it on the bed, covering it with the spread, so as toconceal the holes which had been worn by the rope. He wound up theball of cord, and dropped it into the bag with the rest of thestuff. Bates took his hat and coat and started for the door.

　　"You will excuse us, Mr. Montague," he said. "You can understandthat this story will need a lot of work."

　　"I understand," said Montague.

　　"We'll try to thank you by and by," added the other. "Come aroundafter the paper goes to press, and we'll have a celebration."