e me of my
dear boy." With that she turns to Vincent and kisses him impetuous. "He
does give promise of being a brilliant business man, doesn't he?" she
demands.

"Yes, madam," says Old Hickory, indulgin' in one of them grim smiles of
his, "I rather think he does."

"Ah-h-h!" says she. Another quick hug for Vincent, a happy smile tossed
at Old Hickory, and she has tripped out.

For a minute or so all you could hear in the private office was Piddie's
heart beatin' on his ribs, or maybe it was his knees knockin' together.
He hasn't the temperament to sit in on deep emotional scenes, Piddie. As
for Old Hickory, he clips the end off a six-inch brunette cigar, lights
up careful, and then turns slow to Vincent.

"Well, young man," says he, "so you did know about that motion to pass
the dividend, after all, eh!"

Vincent nods, his head still down.

"Took a look at the letter book, did you!" asks Old Hickory.

Another weak nod.

"And 'phoned a code message to someone in Broad Street, I suppose?"
suggests Old Hickory.

"No, sir," says Vincent. "He--he was waiting in the Arcade. I slipped
out and handed him a copy of the motion--as carried. But not until after
the full board had reversed it."

"Oh!" says Old Hickory. "Gave your friend the double cross, as I believe
you would state it?"

"He wasn't a friend," protests Vincent. "It was Izzy Goldheimer, who
used to work in the bond room before I came. He's with a Curb firm now
and has been trying for months to work me for tips on Corrugated
holdings. Promised me a percentage. But he was a welcher, and I knew it.
So when I did give him a tip it--it was that kind."

"Hm-m-m!" says Old Hickory, wrinklin' his bushy eyebrows. "Still, I fail
to see just where you would have time to take advantage of such
conditions."

"I had put up my margins on G. L. T. the day before," explains Vincent.
"Taking the short end, sir. If the dividend had gone through at first I
would have 'phoned in to change my trade to a buying order before Izzy
could get down with the news. As it didn't, I let it stand. Of course, I
knew the market would break next morning and I closed out the deal for a
15-point gain."

"Fairly clever manipulation," comments Old Hickory. "Then you cleared
about----"

"Fifteen hundred," says Vincent. "I could have made more by pyramiding,
but I thought it best to pull out while I was sure."

"What every plunger knows--but forgets," says Old Hickory. "And you
still