CHAPTER XV.
IN THE GRASP OF THE MARKET.
“Mr. Atherton, do you know if Mr. George Warren has any D. & G. stock?” asked Jack of his employer that afternoon.
It was a rather cheeky thing for the boy to do, but then he was something of a privileged character with the boss.
“I believe he has. At least, we bought a block of it for him some time ago. There’s been an advance in it yesterday and to-day, but I don’t fancy it will go any higher. Anybody ask you for the information?” asked Mr. Atherton, pointedly.
“No, sir; I was thinking of buying a few shares myself on margin.”
“Well, I guess Warren will let you have what he has at sixty-two, if you would like to buy it outright. It’ll cost you about three hundred and ten thousand dollars cash,” said Mr. Atherton, with an amused smile.
“I don’t think my bank account would stand for that,” answered Jack, with a grin.
“Seriously, Jack,” said his boss, “I wouldn’t advise you to buy any stock on margins. I don’t want you to catch the fever. It’s dangerous. You’ve no idea of the money engaged in productive industry, money earned by hard years of labor and economy, money held in trust for widows and orphans, money stolen from banks and corporations, money abstracted by clerks and office boys, is carried into Wall Street, in the vain hope of acquiring a sudden fortune, and there remains.”
Mr. Atherton turned to his desk, and Jack went back to his duties, satisfied he had learned something, at any rate.