Blindfolded Part 38

"I haven't felt any particular disposition to hunt them up," I confessed, "but if I could cut off all the heads of the hydra at once, it would be worth while. Anything for peace and quiet, you know."

Mrs. Knapp smiled.

"Well, there is no use challenging your fate. There is no need for you to act, unless the boy is in danger."

"Oh, no, none at all," I replied unblus.h.i.+ngly.

"And we'll hope that he will be kept safe until the danger has pa.s.sed."

I hoped so devoutly, and said as much. And after a few more words, Mrs.

Knapp led me, feebly resisting, to Mrs. Bowser.

"Oh, Mr. Wilton," said that charming dame, "my heart goes pit-a-pat when I see you, for it's almost like being among those dreadful highbinders again, and how could you bring the horrid creatures down on our dear Luella, when she might have been captured and sold into slavery under our very eyes."

"Ah, Mrs. Bowser," said I gallantly, "I ought to have known what to expect on bringing such a temptation before our Chinese friends. I do not see how you escaped being carried off."

"Oh, now, Mr. Wilton," exclaimed Mrs. Bowser, retreating behind her fan; "you are really too flattering. I must say, though, that some of them did make dreadful eyes at me, till I felt that I should faint. And do they really hold their slave-market right in the middle of San Francisco? And why doesn't the president break it up, and what is the Emanc.i.p.ation Proclamation for, I should like to know?"

"Madam," I replied, "the slave-market is _sub rosa_, but I advise you to keep out of Chinatown. Some temptations are irresistible."

Mrs. Bowser giggled behind her fan and was too pleased to speak, and I took advantage of the lull to excuse myself and make a dive into the next room where I espied Luella.

"Yes, you may sit down here," she said carelessly. "I want to be amused."

I was not at all certain that I was flattered to be considered amusing; but I was willing to stay on any terms, so we fell into animated conversation on nothing and everything. In the midst of this entertaining situation I discovered that Mrs. Knapp was watching us, and her face showed no easy state of mind. As I caught her eye she moved away, and a minute later Mr. Carter appeared with,--

"Excuse me, Miss Knapp, but your mother would like to see you. She and my wife have some conspiracy on hand."

I was pleased to see that Luella did not take the interruption gratefully, but she surrendered her place to Mr. Carter, who talked about the weather with a fertility of commonplaces that excited my admiration. But as even the weather has its limits as a subject of interest and the hour grew late, I suppressed a yawn and sought the ladies to take my leave.

"Oh, must you go?" said Luella, rising. And, leaving Mrs. Carter to her mother, she walked with me to the hall as though she would speak with me.

But once more alone, with only the hum of voices from the reception-room as company, she fell silent, and I could think of nothing to say.

"It's very good of you to come," she said hesitatingly.

My mind went back to that other evening when I had left the door in humiliation and bitterness of spirit. Perhaps she, too, was thinking of the time.

"It's much better of you to wish me to come," I said with all my heart, taking her hand.

"Come on Sat.u.r.day," she said at last.

"I'm at your service at any time," I murmured.

"Don't," she said. "That's conventional. If you are to be conventional you're not to come." And she laughed nervously. I looked into her eyes, and then on impulse stooped and kissed the hand I still held.

"It was what I meant," I said.

She s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away, and as she did so I saw in the dim light that hid the further end of the hall, the figure of the Wolf, ma.s.sive, dark, threatening, and my mind supplied it with all the fires of pa.s.sion and hate with which I had twice seen the face inflamed.

Luella's eyes grew large with wonder and alarm as she caught on my face the reflection of the Wolf's coming. But as she turned to look, the figure faded away without sound, and there was only Mrs. Knapp appearing in the doorway; and her alarm turned to amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Oh, I was afraid you had gone," said Mrs. Knapp. "Would you mind, Luella, looking after the guests a minute?"

Luella bowed me a good night and was gone.

"Oh, Henry," said Mrs. Knapp, "I wanted to ask you about Mr. Knapp. Is your aid absolutely essential to his success?"

"I presume not, thought it would probably embarra.s.s him somewhat if I should take s.h.i.+p for China before morning."

As I held in the bank securities worth nearly three millions of dollars, I believed that I spoke within bounds.

"I suppose it would do no good to try to dissuade him from his plans?"

"It would take a bolder man than I," said I with a smile at the audacity of the idea.

Mrs. Knapp smiled sadly in response.

"Do you think, Henry," she asked hesitatingly, "do you think that Mr.

Knapp is quite himself?"

My mind leaped at the recollection of the Wolf figure in the opium-dens.

But I choked down the thought, and replied calmly:

"He certainly has a vigorous business head on his shoulders."

"I wish you could tell me about his business affairs," said Mrs. Knapp wistfully. "But I know you won't."

"You wouldn't think much of me if I did," I said boldly.

"It would be right to tell _me_," she said. "But I mustn't keep you standing here. Good night."

I walked down the steps, and joined my waiting guards with a budget of new thoughts and feelings to examine.

The three days that followed were days of storm and stress in the market; a time of steady battle in the Stock Exchange, of feints and sallies on stocks which we did not want, of "wash sales" and bogus bargains, of rumors on rumors and stratagems on stratagems--altogether a harvest season for the Father of Lies.

Doddridge Knapp fought for the control of Omega, and the Decker syndicate fought as stubbornly for the same end. I was forced to admire the fertility of resource displayed by the King of the Street. He was carrying on the fight with the smaller capital, yet by his attack and defense he employed his resources to better result. The weakness of the syndicate lay in its burden of Confidence and Crown Diamond. Doddridge Knapp had sold out his holdings of both at a handsome profit, but, so far from ceasing his sales of these stocks, as I had expected, he had only begun. He suddenly developed into a most p.r.o.nounced "bear," and sold both stocks for future delivery in great blocks. He was cautious with Confidence, but his a.s.saults on Crown Diamond were ruthless. At every session he sold for future delivery at lower and lower prices, and a large contingent of those "on the Street" joined in the bear movement. Decker and his brokers stood gallantly to the defense of their threatened properties and bought heavily. Yet it was evident that Omega, Crown Diamond and Confidence together made a little heavier burden than even the El Dorado Bank could carry. In spite of their efforts to buy everything that was offered, Crown Diamond "futures" fell to forty, thirty, twenty-five, and even twenty, closing at the afternoon session at twenty and three-fourths.

But the King of the Street was less successful in his manipulation of Omega. Despite his efforts, despite the rumors that were industriously spread about of the "pinching out" of the great veins, the price continued to go up by leaps and bounds. The speculating public as well as Decker and Company were reaching out for the stock, and it was forced up ten and twenty points at a time, closing on Sat.u.r.day afternoon at three hundred and twenty-five.

"This is merry war," gasped Wallbridge, at the close of the last session. "I wouldn't have missed this for five years of my life.

Doddridge Knapp is the boy for making the market hum when he takes the notion. By George, we've had a picnic this week! And last Monday I thought everything was dead, too!"

"Doddridge Knapp!" I exclaimed. "Is he in this deal, too?"

Wallbridge looked at me in a little confusion, and mopped his head with comical abandon. Then he winked a most diabolical wink, and chuckled.

"Of course, a secret's a secret; but when the whole Street's talking about it, you can't exactly call it a close-corporation secret," he explained apologetically.