paper they found the explanation of the calamity--old Henry Lockman
had dropped dead of apoplexy at the climax of his career, and the
bears had played havoc with "Glass Bottle Securities."

Their three thousand dollars was gone. It took them three days to
realize it--it was so utterly beyond belief, that they had to write to
the brokers and receive another letter in which it was stated in black
and white and beyond all misunderstanding that there was not a dollar
of their money left. Adam raged and swore like a madman, and Dan vowed
savagely that he would go down to the city and kill Manning. As for
the father, he wrote a letter of agonized reproach, to which Mr.
Manning replied with patient courtesy, explaining that he had had
nothing to do with the matter; that he was a broker and had bought as
ordered, and that he had been powerless to foresee the death of
Lockman. "You will remember," he said, "that I warned you of the
uncertainties of the market, and of the chances that you took."
Ephraim did not remember anything of the sort, but he realized that
there was nothing to be gained by saying so.

Samuel did not care much about the loss of his share of the money; but
he did care about the grief of his father, which was terrible to see.
The blow really killed him; he looked ten years older after that week
and he failed all through the winter. And then late in the spring he
caught a cold, and took to his bed; and it turned to pneumonia, and
almost before anyone had had time to realize it, he was gone.

He went to join Samuel's mother. He had whispered this as he clutched
the boy's hand; and Samuel knew that it was true, and that therefore
there was no occasion for grief. So he was ashamed for the awful waves
of loneliness and terror which swept over him; and he gulped back his