“Oh, you haven’t seen the morning paper, I guess.”
“No, sir, I don’t read the papers much.”
“Well, you get to-day’s and you’ll find something that ought to interest you. I’m sure it would me if I were in your place,” laughed Payson. “Don’t forget to report to me next Spring.”
With a smile and a nod he passed on, leaving Gerald consumed with curiosity. He hurried over to Oxford and sought the library, but the morning papers had not yet been placed on file. But there still remained a quarter of an hour before his next recitation, and so he went on down to the station and bought a New York Herald. A glance at the first page explained Payson’s meaning. One of the columns was headed:
BIG MERGER OF
TRANSATLANTIC
STEAMSHIP LINES
LARGE INTERESTS IN BRITISH AND FRENCH
COMPANIES NOW CONTROLLED BY
JOHN T. PENNIMORE
BLUE CRESCENT, GLASGOW, AND FRANCO-AMERICAN
LINES TO BE CONSOLIDATED
WITH STEAMSHIP KING’S
PRESENT HOLDINGS