CHAPTER XXII
A FOOL
The big day came for which Rimrock had waited, the day when he couldstrike his first blow. In his room at the Waldorf he had installedspecial telephone connections, with a clerk to answer his calls; andclose by the table, where he could follow his campaign, a stock tickerstamped away at its tape. It was the morning of the twenty-third ofDecember, and he had wired L. W. for his money. All was ready now forthe first raid on Navajoa and he went down to see Buckbee, the broker.
"Mr. Buckbee," he said when he had him by himself, "I just want to findwhere you're at. You introduced me to Stoddard and, as it turned out,we all of us made on the deal. But here's the question--if it came toa show-down, would you be for Stoddard, or me?"
"Why, my dear friend Rimrock," answered Buckbee jovially, "I'm afraidyou don't get me right. That little deal with Stoddard was strictly onthe side--my business is to buy and sell stock. An order from you willlook just as good to me as one from Whitney H. Stoddard, and it will beexecuted just as carefully. But if it's Navajoa you have on your mindmy advice is positively to lay off. I'll buy or sell as much Navajoaas you want for the regular brokerage fee, but get this straight--whenyou go up against Stoddard you stand to lose your whole roll. Nowshoot, and I give you my word of honor to execute your orders to theletter."
"All right," said Rimrock, "sell ten thousand shares short. Dump 'emover--I want Navajoa to go down."
"It'll go down," answered Buckbee as he scribbled out the order. "Atwhat point do you want me to buy?"
"Don't want to buy," replied Rimrock grimly and Buckbee shook his head.
"All right, my boy," he said debonairly, "there'll be wild doings thisday in Navajoa. But it's people like you that makes the likes of merich, so divvel another word will I say."
Rimrock returned to his room and sat watching the tape as the tickerchamped it out and soon he saw Navajoa. It had been quoted atthirty-two and a half, but this sale was made at thirty. He watched itdecline to twenty-eight, and twenty-five, and soon it was down totwenty. He called up Buckbee.
"Sell ten thousand more," he ordered and Buckbee went on with theslaughter. Navajoa went down to eighteen and sixteen and then itjumped back to twenty. Big buying developed, but still Rimrock soldshort and again Navajoa slumped. At the end of the day it stood attwenty and he prepared for the next step in his campaign. He hadbeaten Navajoa down to nearly half its former price and without partingwith a single share. He had at that moment, in stock bought and paidfor, enough to cover all his short selling--this raid was to call outmore. When stock is going up the people cling to it, but when it dropsthey rush to sell. Already he could see the small sales of the pikersas they were shaken down for their shares. The next thing to do, as hehad learned the game, was to buy in; and then hammer it again.
On the twenty-fourth, the day before Christmas, he bought till he couldbuy no more; and still the price stayed down. It was the holidaysslump, so the brokers said, but it suited him to a nicety. The nextday was Christmas and he wired once more for his money, for L. W. hadnot answered his first telegram; and then he went out with the boys.Since his break with Mrs. Hardesty he had taken to dodging into thebar, where he could be safe from her subtle advances; but on Christmaseve he went too far. They all went too far, in the matter of drinking,but Rimrock went too far with Buckbee. He told him just exactly whathe intended to do to Stoddard; which was indiscreet, to say the least.But Buckbee, who was likewise in an expansive mood, told in turneverything he knew; and the following day, as Rimrock thought it over,he wondered if he had not been wrong.
Buckbee had assured him that the stock on the market represented lessthan half of the Navajoa capitalization; and if that was the case itwas hopeless, of course, to try to break Stoddard's control. But,strictly as a friend and for old time's sake, Buckbee had offered tosell Rimrock's stock at a profit; he had even gone further and promisedto pass it on to Stoddard, who was in the market to protect hisholdings. At twenty-four, which was where it was selling, Rimrockwould clean up a tidy sum; and every cent of that absolute velvet wouldcome out of Stoddard's pocket. It was a great temptation, but asRimrock sobered he remembered that it was a fight to a finish. He hadset out to break Whitney Stoddard.
The next morning at ten he sat at his desk waiting expectantly for theStock Exchange to open. It was to have been his big day when, withover a million dollars from his dividends, he had intended to buy inNavajoa. But there was one thing that left him uneasy--his money hadnot come. If it had been sent by registered mail the Christmas glutwould easily account for the delay, but three telegrams had remainedalso unanswered. He pondered for a moment, whether to wire to Mary ornot, and then the telephone rang.
"Hello?" said a voice, "this is Buckbee speaking. What do you thinkabout the proposition I made?"
"What proposition?" demanded Rimrock and then he grunted intolerantlyas Buckbee renewed his offer for the stocks. "You must be drunk!" hesaid at the end and a merry laugh came back over the 'phone.
"No, all joking aside--I'm sober now. What do you say to twenty-four?"
"Too little!" bluffed Rimrock. "I want at least thirty."
"Will you take that?"
"No!" replied Rimrock, "nor thirty-five. I'm in the market to buy!"
"Well, how much do you want, then?" began Buckbee eagerly, "it's allthe same to me. As long as it moves and I get my commission I don'tcare who buys the stock. But I'll tell you one thing--you'll have toput up more margin if you start to bidding it up. Twenty per cent., atthe least, and if it goes above thirty I'll demand a full fifty percent. You want to remember, Old Scout, that every time you buy on amargin the bank puts up the rest; and if that stock goes down they'llcall your loan and you're legally liable for the loss. You'll have tostep lively if you buck Whitney H. Stoddard--he's liable to smash theprice down to nothing."
"I'll show him!" gritted Rimrock, "but I'll call up that bank first andfind out just how far I can go. A man like me, worth fifty millions atleast----"
"Ye-es!" jeered Buckbee, and as the broker hung up Rimrock called thepresident of the bank. It took time to get him, but when Rimrockstated his case he promised an immediate report. The answer camewithin half en hour--he could borrow up to five hundred thousand.
"All right," said Rimrock, and calling up Buckbee he told him to goahead and buy.
"How much?" enquired Buckbee.
"Buy all you can get," answered Rimrock briefly and hurried off to thebank.
"Now about this loan," said the president pleasantly, "I find we havealready given you money on your note up to nearly the entire fivehundred thousand. Of course there's no question of your ability topay, but wouldn't it be more businesslike if you could put up a littlecollateral?",
"For instance?" said Rimrock and at the note of antagonism thepresident was quick to explain.
"Of course you understand," he went on cordially, "you are good, as faras I'm concerned. But we have such troublesome things as bankexaminers, and the law is very strict. In fact, a loan of half amillion dollars on the unendorsed note of one man----"
"How much do you want?" asked Rimrock and fetched out a great sheaf ofNavajoa.
"Well--not Navajoa," said the banker uneasily, "we have quite a lot ofthat already, on brokers' loans. Mr. Buckbee, you know. But if youwould just put up, say two thousand shares of Tecolote----"
"No!"
"We could loan you up to two million."
The president paused and glanced at him mildly, but Rimrock had throwndown his stock.
"No," he said, "you can take this Navajoa or I'll quit and go somewhereelse. I wouldn't put up a single share of Tecolote if you'd give meyour whole, danged bank."
"Very well," said the president with a fleeting smile, "we'll acceptyour Navajoa. My secretary will arrange it--but mind this is on a callloan! Give him credit for five hundred more," he added and the clerkshowed Rimrock out.
There are certain formalities that the rich
est must observe before theycan borrow half a million and it was nearly noon before Rimrock wasfree and on his way to the hotel. He was just leaping out of histaxicab when he saw Mrs. Hardesty reeling towards him.
"Oh, Rimrock!" she gasped, "I've had such a blow--won't you take meback to my rooms? Oh, I can't explain it, but Whitney H. Stoddard istrying to force me to give up my stock! That Tecolote stock----"
"Here, get into this taxi!" said Rimrock on the instant, "now where doyou want to go?"
"To the St. Cyngia on Ninety-fifth Street--and hurry!" she commanded;and the chauffeur slammed the door.
"Now what's the matter?" demanded Rimrock hurriedly. "I haven't got aminute to spare. Did you notice Navajoa? Well, I've got a buy orderin----"
"Oh, no! I've seen nothing--not since he sent me that message! Itseems he's back in town."
"Who? Whitney Stoddard? Well, let me get out then--I've got to getback to that tape!"
"Oh, no!" she murmured sinking against him with a shudder, "don't goand leave me alone. I need your help, Rimrock! My whole fortune isinvolved. It's either that or give back the stock."
"What stock?" asked Rimrock, "that two thousand Tecolote? Well, youjust give that to me! Have you really got it, or are you juststalling? Let me look at it and I'll see you through hell!"
"It's in my apartment," she answered weakly. "I'll show it to you whenwe are there. Ah, Rimrock, something told me you would come to saveme. But--oh, I'm ready to fall."
She dropped against him and the startled Rimrock took her quicklywithin his arm. They rode on swiftly and as she lay panting on hisbreast she told him the story of her misfortune.
"I don't deserve it," she said, "to have you help me, because I startedto do you a wrong. I didn't know you then, nor your generousheart--and so I made the agreement with Stoddard. I was to go toGunsight and get acquainted with you and get you to come back to NewYork--and for that I was to receive two thousand shares of Tecolotestock. Oh, not as a present--I'd never think of that--but far belowwhat they are worth. It would take all the money I had in the worldjust to make a part payment on the stock. But I knew how wonderfullyvaluable they were and so I took the chance."
She sighed and leaned against him closer while Rimrock listened eagerlyfor the rest.
"Can you understand now why I've seemed worried, and anxious and whyI've concealed my affairs? I went there and met you, but when Irefused to betray you I found I was caught in a trap. Whitney Stoddardis hounding you in every possible way to make you give up your mine,and after I refused to give back my stock he set out deliberately toruin me!"
She shuddered and lay silent and Rimrock moved uneasily.
"What was it he wanted you to do?" he asked at last and she toreherself swiftly away.
"I can't tell you--here. But come up to my rooms. I defied him, but Idid it for you."
She fell quickly to rearranging her hair and hat in preparation for theshort dash past the doorman and at the end she looked at him and smiled.
"I knew you would come," she said; and as he helped her out he thrilledto the touch of her hand. At odd times before she had seemed old andblase, but now she was young and all-alive. He dismissed the taxiwithout a thought of his business and they hurried up to herapartments. She let herself in and as she locked the door behind themshe reached up and took his big hat.
"You must stay a while," she said. "The servants are gone and I haveno one to protect me if they come to serve the papers. Just start thefire--and if anyone knocks don't let them break down the door."
She smiled again and a sudden giddiness seemed to blind Rimrock andmake him doubt where he was. He looked about at the silken rugs andthe luxurious hangings on the walls and wondered if it was the sameplace as before. Even when he lit the laid fire and sank down on adivan he still felt the sweet confusion of a dream; and then she cameback, suddenly transformed by a soft house-gown, and looked himquestioningly in the face.
"Can you guess," she asked as she sat down beside him, "what it wasthat he wanted me to do? No, not to betray you or get possession ofyour stock--all he asked was that I should marry you."
"Marry me!" exclaimed Rimrock and his keen, staring eyes suddenlynarrowed as she bowed her head.
"Yes, marry you," she said. "That was what made it so hard. Did younotice, when I stopped inviting you here? I was afraid, my Rimrock; Iwas afraid I might forget and--marry you. That was the one spot whereStoddard's plan failed, he forgot that I might fall in love. I lovedyou, Rimrock, loved you too much to marry you, and so I broke up allhis plans. If I had married you, don't you see how easy it would havebeen for me to get hold of your stock? And that girl out there--theone I don't like--she would have thrown her vote to Stoddard. Thatalone would give him control, they would have fifty per cent. of thestock."
"No they wouldn't," corrected Rimrock, "not if you've got that twothousand. That would give us fifty-one per cent!"
A shadow of annoyance passed over her face, as if some part of her planhad gone wrong, and then her eyes took on a fire.
"'_Us_?'" she said. "Would you have married me, Rimrock? But surely,not for the stock! Oh, I wish sometimes----" She stopped abruptly andlooked at him strangely and then she hurried on. "Ah, no," she sighed,"that can never be--you are in love with that other woman--out there.When you met her at the opera, you forgot all about me. You went offand left me alone. If Whitney H. Stoddard had called me up then!" Hereyes flashed dangerously and she looked away, at which Rimrock glancedquickly at his watch.
"By--grab!" he exclaimed half-rising to his feet, "do you know it'shalf-past twelve? Say, where's your telephone? I've got a deal on inNavajoa and I've just got to find out where I am!"
She rose up suddenly and turned to face him with a look of queenlyscorn.
"I have no telephone!" she answered evenly, "and if I did have I wouldnot lend it to you. You're just like the rest of these men, I see; youthink in terms of stocks. I should have done as Stoddard said, andpaid you back for your rudeness. Do you know, Mr. Jones, that youthink more of money than of anything else in the world? Are you awareof the fact that all the love and devotion that any poor woman mightbestow would be wholly wasted, and worse than wasted, on a miserablestock-gambler like you! Ah, I was a fool!" she burst out, stamping herfoot in a passion; and then she sank back on the divan and wept.
Rimrock stood and gazed at her, then glanced absently at his watch andlooked about, shamefaced, for a 'phone. But in that elegant apartment,with its rich furnishings and tapestries there was no place for acrude, commercial telephone, and the door to the inner room was closed.He turned towards the outer door, for his business was urgent, but shehad carried off the key. He stirred uneasily, and a shrewd doubtassailed him for her weeping seemed all at once sophisticated andforced; and at the moment she raised her head. One look and she hadcast herself upon him and twined her arms about his neck.
"I can't help it! I can't help it!" she sobbed convulsively and drewdown his head and kissed him. "I can't help it!" she whispered. "Ilove you, Rimrock; I can't bear to let you go!"
She clung to him passionately and with tremulous laughter tugged todraw him back to the divan, but Rimrock stood upright and stubborn.Some strange influence, some memory, seemed to sweep into his brain andmake him immune to her charm. It was the memory of a kiss, but notlike her kisses; a kiss that was impulsive and shy. He ponderedlaboriously, while he took hold of her hands and slowly drew them away,and then his strong grip tightened. It was the kiss that Mary hadgiven him in prison, when she had laid her cheek against the bars!That kiss had haunted him through the long months of waiting, and itrose in his memory now, when perhaps it were better forgotten. He putaway the hands that still clung and petted and gazed fiercely into hereyes. And the woman faced him--without a tear on her cheek for all thefalse weeping she had done.
"How's this?" he said and as she sensed his suspicion she jerked backin sudden defiance.
"A stock-jobber!" she
mocked. "All you think of is money. The love ofa woman is nothing to you!"
"Aw, cut out that talk!" commanded Rimrock brutally. "Some women arestock-jobbers, too. And speaking of stock, just give me a look atthose two thousand shares of Tecolote."
A sullen, sulky pout distorted her mouth and she made a face like awilful girl.
"You'd snatch them," she said, "and run away and leave me. And thenwhat would I say to Stoddard?"
"Are you working for him?" he asked directly and she threw out her armsin a pet.
"No! I wish I were, but it's too late now. I might have made money,but as it is I stand to lose everything."
"Oh, you stand to lose everything, do you? Well say, that reminds me,I guess I stand about the same!"
He picked up his hat and started for the door, but she caught him bythe arm.
"You're going to that woman!" she hissed vindictively, "perhaps I cantell you something about her. Well, I can!" she declared, "and I canprove it, too. I can prove it by my Tecolote stock."
"You haven't got any stock," answered Rimrock roughly. But he stoppedand she drew back and smiled.
"Oh!" she said as she noted his interest, "you're beginning to believeme now. Well, I can show you by the endorsement where she sold out toStoddard over a month before I came. She sold him two thousand sharesof Tecolote for exactly two million dollars--and that's why she leftwhen I came. She was afraid you would find her out. But you, you poorfool, you thought she was perfect; and had left because her feelingswere hurt! But she couldn't fool me, I could read her like a book, andI'll tell you what she has done."
"You'll do nothing of the kind!" broke in Rimrock savagely, "you'll goand get me that stock. I won't believe a word you say----"
"What will you give me if I do?" she demanded coquettishly at the sametime backing away.
"I'll give you a nice, sweet kiss!" answered Rimrock, twisting hismouth to a sinister smile. "And if you don't----"
"Ah, will you?" she cried as she started towards him and then shedanced mockingly away.
"You can keep it for her!" she flung back bitterly and passed outthrough the inner door.
Like a lion held in leash Rimrock paced up and down and then helistened through the door. All was silent and with a suddenpremonition he laid a quick hand on the knob. The door was lockedagainst him! He listened again, then spoke through the keyhole, thenraised his voice to a roar. The next moment he set his great shoulderto the panel, then drew back and listened again. A distant sound, likea door softly closing, caught his ear and all was still. He hurledhimself with desperate vehemence against the door so treacherouslylocked and with a crash it leapt from its hinges and he stumbled intothe room. From where he stood Rimrock looked about in a daze, for theroom was stripped and bare. The table, the furnishings, all that hadmade it so intimate when he had dined with the tiger lady before; allwere gone and with the bareness there came a chill and the certaintythat he had been betrayed. He turned and rushed to the outer entrance,but as he laid violent hands on that door it opened of itself and withsuch unexpected suddenness that he fell backwards on the floor. Herose up cursing, for something told him whose hand had unlocked thedoor; but she was gone and all that remained was a scribbled card inthe hall.
"Kiss your money good-bye," was written on its face and on the back:
"I hate a fool."