—"Say yes!" broke in the smaller man across the table. "But it looks like you've got the Ark of the Covenant concealed, you keep it so close. None of the stock seems to get out. You haven't listed anything, and nobody can guess within a million dollars what a share is worth."
"No," said John Rawn sententiously, "you couldn't. I couldn't, myself. I couldn't yet guess large enough."
"But they tell me it's reviving commerce all up and down the river—in the old towns."
Mr. Rawn nodded assentingly, smiling.
"Newspaper story was that there was going to be some fly-by-night, over-all, free-for-all wireless transmission, and all that! I say, that was deuced good market work, wasn't it! We all want in on that killing when it comes. But how are we going to get in on the killing if there isn't any stock to be had, and if it isn't listed so the public can be got in?"
"Standley and Ackerman got the lion's share," grumbled the large man, explanatorily.
"Did they?" smiled John Rawn, showing his teeth a trifle.
"Well, of course that's the talk—I don't know anything about how the facts are. But when the time comes, let us in."
"Certainly," said Rawn easily. "But we're not saying much just yet, of course. Just beginning."
"But now, was there anything in that crazy fool's newspaper story?"