about the firm jaws, and a satisfied glitter in the keen eyes. The Wolf had found his prey, an

treet honored me

le surprise for somebody on the

about it on the s

orked well. Let me see yo

him m

m with growing per

usand five hundred

es

hat first lot." He was s

that now than then

ng wrong here." He was comparing

made a mess of it." But I spoke with all the co

ed; and here are sales of Omega this morning of thirty-three thousand eight hundred and

erstand." I was all in t

e thousand five hundred through you, but somebody has taken in the other ten th

and shares," I suggested consolingly.

treet gave me a c

. I sold ten thousand of

ting lessons of one of the many ways

ink that som

Street broke in

contract for doing the thinking for thi

ator was silent

the Omega Company, and to do it I've got to have more stock. I've been afraid of a combination against me, and I guess I've struc

it?" I aske

the Street, "but I'll have them out in the open befo

-gray goatee rise like bristles, and the fangs of

and I reckon I'll know something about it by this time

s over. We've got to pay for what we get from now on. I've got a man looking after the between-Board trading. Wi

he program?" I

ke everything that's offere

anted already to settle for

wn, but the King of the

to settle for what you're ordered to buy." Then he added griml

t the door beyond,

the Wolf, huge and masterful, disappeared with a st

! Doddridge Knapp trusting me with a great fortune! I was

ormation I did not have. This was the man whose face had gleamed fierce and hateful in the lantern's flash in the alley. This was the m

e was something uncanny about Doddridge Knapp. Did two spirits animate that body? Wh

d left the office. As I stepped into the hall I discovered that somebody had a deeper curiosity than I. A man was stooping to the keyhole of Doddridge Knapp's room in

a second, and his face not at all. But in that second I knew h

et below and plunged down three steps at a time and into Clay street, nearly upsetting a stout ge

er than this? He was, I must suppose, trusted with the most secret and evil purposes of that strange man, and should be able to speak with him on even terms. Yet here he was, doing the work of the

ir as I revolved these questions in my mind without getting an a

operty missing, but I noticed the fellow reeling back toward me, and doubled my fist with something of an intention to commit

ing more that I did not catch, and, reeling on, disappeare

t it was the room Henry had occupied-the room in which I had spent my first dreadful

d creaking stairs. The place lost its air of mystery in the broad sunshine and penetrating daylight, and though i

und two notes. One was from

n't want you. Have another

e faint perfume of the first note I had

silence. The money is re

ring Detective Coogan of my gratitude at escaping the inquest, I asked

knew how to reach her I knew not what to say. As I was contemplating this state of affairs with some dejection, and sealing my melancholy note to Detective Coogan, there was a quick step in the ha

ho thrust a let

inquired, still hold

es

." And he was prepa

id. "Maybe ther

bloke as gave it to

r," said I, taking up my note to Detective C

vin' us?" said the boy with

ith a laugh, tossing him

th a grin. I tore open the envelope an

ght-never mind the price

shares of Omega was sure to smash the market, and the half-million dollars that had been put

the not

ed that Doddridge Knapp had given me a cipher with which he would communicate with me,

, sonny," I sai

ked the boy, loyally anx

y. I believed that the boy meant no har

Name Is Hildebrandt Montrose, and I was left

igence than I had hitherto entertained. Yet I was astonished that he should, even with the most hearty wish to bring about my downfall, contrive a plan that would inflict a heavy loss on his employ

ailing a boy to whom I intrusted my letter to D