The Moneychangers eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 264 pages of information about The Moneychangers.

The Moneychangers eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 264 pages of information about The Moneychangers.

“Lower,” said Montague, as he drew in his head, and once more Bates paid out.

“Now,” he whispered, and Montague looked again.  Rodney had cleverly pushed himself by the corner of the cornice, and kept himself at one side of the window, so that he would not be visible from the inside of the room.  He made a frantic signal with his hand, and Montague drew back and whispered, “Lower!”

The next time he looked out, Rodney was standing upon the sill of the window, leaning to one side.

“Now, make fast,” muttered Bates.  And while he held the rope, Montague took it and wound it again around the bureau, and then carried it over and made it fast to the leg of the bath-tub.

“I guess that will hold all right,” said Bates; and he went to the window and picked up the ball of cord, the other end of which was tied around Rodney’s wrist.

“This is for signals,” he said.  “Morse telegraph.”

“Good heavens!” gasped Montague.  “You didn’t leave much to chance.”

“Couldn’t afford to,” said Bates.  “Keep still!”

Montague saw that the hand which held the cord was being jerked.

“W-i-n-d-o-w o-p-e-n,” said Bates; and added, “By the Lord! we’ve got them!”

CHAPTER XIX

Montague brought a couple of chairs, and the two seated themselves at the window for a long wait.

“How did you learn about this conference?” asked Montague.

“Be careful,” whispered the other in his ear.  “We mustn’t make a noise, because Rodney will need quiet to hear them.”

Montague saw that the cord was jerking again.  Bates spelled out the letters one by one.

“W-a-t-e-r-m-a-n.  D-u-v-a-l.  He’s telling us who’s there.  David Ward.  Hegan.  Prentice.”

“Prentice!” whispered Montague.  “Why, he’s up in the Adirondacks!”

“He came down on a special train to-day,” whispered the other.  “Ward telegraphed him—­I think that’s where we got our tip.  Henry Patterson.  He’s the real head of the Oil Trust now.  Bascom of the Empire Bank.  He’s Waterman’s man.”

“You can imagine from that list that there’s something big going on,” Bates muttered; and he spelled the names of several other bankers, heads of the most important institutions in Wall Street.

“Talking about Stewart,” spelled out Rodney.

“That’s ancient history,” muttered Bates.  “He’s a dead one.”

“P-r-i-c-e,” spelled Rodney.

“Price!” exclaimed Montague.

“Yes,” said the other.  “I saw him down in the lobby.  I rather thought he’d come.”

“But to a conference with Waterman!” exclaimed Montague.

“That’s all right,” said Bates.  “Why not?”

“But they are deadly enemies!”

“Oh,” said the other, “you don’t want to let yourself believe things like that.”

“What do you mean?” protested Montague.  “Do you suppose they’re not enemies?”

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Project Gutenberg
The Moneychangers from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.