going,
Scannel? Well, good-by to you, sir, and hey!" he called after him,
"please don't slam the door as you go out."

But he dodged with a defensive gesture as the pane of glass almost
leaped from its casing, as Scannel stormed across the threshold.

Jadwin turned to Hargus, with a solemn wink.

"He did slam it after all, didn't he?"

The old fellow, however, sat fingering the two checks in silence. Then
he looked up at Jadwin, scared and trembling.

"I--I don't know," he murmured, feebly. "I am a very old man.
This--this is a great deal of money, sir. I--I can't say; I--I don't
know. I'm an old man ... an old man."

"You won't lose 'em, now?"

"No, no. I'll deposit them at once in the Illinois Trust. I shall
ask--I should like."

"I'll send a clerk with you."

"Yes, yes, that is about what--what I--what I was about to suggest. But
I must say, Mr. Jadwin--"

He began to stammer his thanks. But Jadwin cut him off. Rising, he
guided Hargus to the door, one hand on his shoulder, and at the
entrance to the outer office called a clerk.

"Take Mr. Hargus over to the Illinois Trust, Kinzie, and introduce him.
He wants to open an account."

The old man started off with the clerk, but before Jadwin had reseated
himself at his desk was back again. He was suddenly all excitement, as
if a great idea had abruptly taken possession of him. Stealthy,
furtive, he glanced continually over his shoulder as he spoke, talking
in whispers, a trembling hand shielding his lips.

"You--you are in--you are in control now," he said. "You could
give--hey? You could give me--just a little--just one word. A word
would be enough, hey? hey? Just a little tip. My God, I could make
fifty dollars by noon."

"Why, man, I've just given you about half a million."

"Half a million? I don't know. But"--he plucked Jadwin tremulously by
the sleeve--"just a word," he begged. "Hey, just yes or no."

"Haven't you enough with those two checks?"

"Those checks? Oh, I know, I know, I know I'll salt 'em down. Yes, in
the Illinois Trust. I won't touch 'em--not those. But just a little tip
now, hey?"

"Not a word. Not a word. Take him along, Kinzie."

One week after this Jadwin sold, through his agents in Paris, a
tremendous line of "cash" wheat at a dollar and sixty cents the bushel.
By now the foreign demand was a thing almost insensate. There was no
question as to the price. It was, "Give us the wheat, at whatever cost,
at whatever figure, a