rt crop they kept the price inert, weak.

On the tenth of April came the Government report on the condition of
winter wheat. It announced an average far below any known for ten years
past. On March tenth the same bulletin had shown a moderate supply in
farmers' hands, less than one hundred million bushels in fact, and a
visible supply of less than forty millions.

The Bear leaders promptly set to work to discount this news. They
showed how certain foreign conditions would more than offset the effect
of a poor American harvest. They pointed out the fact that the
Government report on condition was brought up only to the first of
April, and that since that time the weather in the wheat belt had been
favorable beyond the wildest hopes.

The April report was made public on the afternoon of the tenth of the
month. That same evening Jadwin invited Gretry and his wife to dine at
the new house on North Avenue; and after dinner, leaving Mrs. Gretry
and Laura in the drawing-room, he brought the broker up to the
billiard-room for a game of pool.

But when Gretry had put the balls in the triangle, the two men did not
begin to play at once. Jadwin had asked the question that had been
uppermost in the minds of each during dinner.

"Well, Sam," he had said, by way of a beginning, "what do you think of
this Government report?"

The broker chalked his cue placidly.

"I expect there'll be a bit of reaction on the strength of it, but the
market will go off again. I said wheat would go to sixty, and I still
say it. It's a long time between now and May."

"I wasn't thinking of crop conditions only," observed Jadwin. "Sam,
we're going to have better times and higher prices this summer."

Gretry shook his head and entered into a long argument to show that
Jadwin was wrong.

But Jadwin refused to be convinced. All at once he laid the flat of his
hand upon the table.

"Sam, we've touched bottom," he declared, "touched bottom all along the
line. It's a paper dime to the Sub-Treasury."

"I don't care about the rest of the line," said the broker doggedly,
sitting on the edge of the table, "wheat will go to sixty." He
indicated the nest of balls with a movement of his chin. "Will you
break?"

Jadwin broke and scored, leaving one ball three inches in front of a
corner pocket. He called the shot, and as he drew back his cue he said,
deliberately:

"Just as sure as I make this pocket wheat will--not
go--off--another--_cent._"

With