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After weighing the matter in every way they decided to increase the amount and sell 30,000 shares. The offer was taken, the money paid, and the contract to deliver the 30,000 shares in three months was signed by Jenvie, Hamlin & Co. Then each, unknown to the other, sold 10,000 shares more short. The fact was wired to Sedgwick at once.
He knocked me senseless while he was yet a mere boy. And now he has given me a harder blow. He has stolen Rose from under my spectacles, married her, pauper that he is, and gone to housekeeping." "What shall we do?" asked Hamlin. "Look here," said Jenvie, "this move is that American's who has married your daughter. He is more subtle than Jack. He has engineered this business.
"I think he has gone for as much of that as may be left, and that before a month he will return, and will back Jack in a suit to recover from us Jack's money." "Why, what can they hope to recover by a suit?" asked Jenvie. "If mining stocks are offered to a man and he buys them, and they do not turn out well, whose loss ought it to be? Then we sold nothing. It was Stetson who did the business."
I went home and told my governor the whole story, and wasn't he mad! Jenvie was his closest friend, you know, and so he ordered me to go and apologize to the old barrister. I told him flatly I would not. Then he ordered me out of the house, and, first bidding mother and sister Grace good-bye, I left. I had four pounds six, and with it I went down to an old aunt's of mine in Cornwall.
"I feared that man Sedgwick from the first," said Jenvie. "Our first account of him, that 'he must be a prize-fighter, was true. He has knocked us out, and he has made no more noise about it than does a bull-dog when he takes a pig by the ear." "What are we to do?" asked Hamlin.
This was eagerly run over by the three. "Why," said Jenvie, as he completed reading it, "this is but a rehash of the statement of a year ago; the same depth is given, all the details just as they were. Jack must be making a desperate play for money." "One pound per share!" said Hamlin. "Why, the man must be after some other Nevada miner who has more money than judgment."
A day or two later Hamlin met Mrs. Browning face to face on the street. He rushed up to her with a joyful cry of "O Rose!" whereupon she drew her skirts around her so that they would not touch him, and walked by. Not long after, Jenvie met Browning and addressed him joyously. Jack looked him steadily in the face for a moment and then walked on. These were unhappy days for the old men.
Soon after their return, one of the morning papers had an announcement that the banking house of Campbell & Co. The same day Emanuel dropped into the house of Jenvie, Hamlin & Stetson. He was seedy-looking, and seemed a good deal run down both in purse and spirits. "What do you think of the 'Wedge of Gold' announcement?" asked Jenvie. "What is it?" asked Emanuel. He was shown the paper.
"If we were to sell to you, would you work the property?" asked Jenvie. "Most certainly," he replied; "I would work it as I did before on ze paper." "We have sold the control," said Hamlin, "and have only left some shares of stock." "I understand," said the man; "Mr. Browning has the control and is unloading the stock cheap. He three days ago tendered me some stock for one shilling per share.
"How much could you afford to give for the property?" asked Hamlin. "I sell him for £2,000. I would, for one speculation, buy him back if you could sell, and would give £1,000." "But you always said it was a good mine," said Jenvie. "Of course," he answered, "an excellent mine, but on ze best of ze mines there vos always one selling and then one buying price."
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