At this stage of the fight there was a pause. On one hand Halloran's countermove was practically ended; on the other, the Bigelow forces appeared as determined as ever to keep down prices and force Higginson out of business. Rumours were floating now and then, to be sure, that there was trouble in Kentucky Coal, but there was nothing at all definite. .
One morning in the office—a nearly idle morning, as came about frequently now—Crosman remarked casually over his paper:
“There's a big fight on in corn on the Board of Trade.”
“Something new, eh?”
“Yes. It seems the secret has just leaked out. A man named Le Duc———”
“Le Duc!”
“Yes—Appleton Le Duc—sounds like a Frenchman, doesn't it?”
Halloran left his chair and came over to Cros-man's side.
“Excuse me,” he said. “May I see it?”
“Certainly; take it, if you like. I'm through with it. It's a queer story.” He went on talking while Halloran was reading. “It seems he's a new man at the business, but they're calling him the new Com King already. They say he shows a regular genius for it. It looks as if he was going to corner the market. The paper says he used to be an actor.”