The little financier had not been mistaken. His last card was his own evil reputation! He had reserved it for the end. On the wide-spread fear that followed his broker’s artistic “indiscretion” he was able to “scoop” 32,000 shares more at low figures. Such is the value of fame!
He now held 110,600 shares, or one third of the Iowa Midland Railroad Company’s entire capital stock—enough to coerce Willetts into making very profitable arrangements with Mr. Greener’s Keokuk & Northern Railway Company. Of course the absolute control of the Iowa Midland was best of all, if it only could be secured. But of this the sallow-faced little man with the high forehead and the shifty eyes was doubtful. He confessed as much to Brown, ending with: “It’s a shame, too. I could make so much out of that property!”
He estimated—it had cost him $11,000 to secure the necessary data—that Willetts and his clique held 105,000 shares, so that there were still 122,000 shares unaccounted for—probably scattered among small investors throughout the country, who did not care who managed the road so long as they received pleasant promises of dividends, and also among banking houses and anti-Greener men, who, though they did not approve of Willetts, disapproved even more emphatically and vehemently of Greener and his methods.
If he could not buy the stock itself he must try to secure proxies.
He knew that some of the trust companies held a fair amount of the longed-for stock. He laid siege to them. He bombarded them with promises and poured an enfilading fire of pledges so honorable, so eminently sound and business-like, as to pierce the armor of their distrust. In the end they actually grew to believe that they were acting wisely when they pledged their support to Mr. Greener. The guarantee he gave them seemed ironclad, and they agreed to give him their proxies whenever he should send for them.
He called his clerk Rock and told him: “Go to the Rural Trust Company and to the Commercial Loan & Trust Company. See Mr. Roberts and Mr. Morgan. They will give you some Iowa Midland proxies made out to Frederick Rock or John F. Greener.”
Rock was a good-looking, quiet chap, with a very well-shaped head and a resolute chin. His manners were pleasing. He had a habit of looking one straight in the eyes, but did not always succeed thereby in conveying an impression of straightforwardness. But he certainly impressed one as being bold and keen. His fellow-clerks used to say that Rock spent his spare time in studying the financial operations of the Napoleon of the Street with the same care and minuteness that military students go over the campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte—which was the truth.
“Mr. Greener,” said Rock, “you are carrying 110,000 shares of stock, are you not?”
“Eh?” squeaked Greener, innocently.
“I figure that, unless you are doing something outside this office, you will need proxies for 50,000 shares more to give you absolute control and elect your own board of directors and carry out your plans in connection with Keokuk & Northern.”