CHAPTER VIII—AN IMPENDING CHANGE
TO borrow money at any time is difficult; to borrow during a panic is impossible. John Steele spent the first half of the second day of the crisis in attempting the impossible. Every man to whom he applied seemed to be in the same position as himself. All stocks had come down in sympathy with the Rockervelt slump, and it seemed as if every person supposed to be rich was then engaged in a frantic endeavour to prevent ruin by putting up all the ready money in hand, or else trying, like John himself, to borrow.
About half past twelve he gave up the quest, and made a second call on his brokers. It was the junior partner again who received him.
“Ah, Mr. Steele,” cried the broker, “here you are, eh? They say all things come to him who waits.”
“That isn’t true in my case,” replied John. “I’ve been waiting all day for money and couldn’t get it. It didn’t come.”
“Well, I’ve been waiting for you,” rejoined the broker. “I have had messengers after you all over town. Called at your rooms, at your office, at your club; found any number of people who had just seen you, but not one of the searchers caught sight of you.”
“What’s the news?” asked John, without much hope.
“We hung on to your stock till ten minutes to twelve, and then we had to let it go. We were lucky enough to get a purchaser for the whole block at a price that just cleared us, but I can tell you I spent a bad quarter of an hour before I got into touch with him.”