Boy Broker; Or, Among the Kings of Wall Street

  CHAPTER XXI.

  TWO YOUNG CAPITALISTS.

  "Is that you, Bob Hunter?" said Tom Flannery, his eyes opened wide withsurprise.

  "I should think it is," laughed the young detective.

  "Say, Bob, where did you get 'em?" continued Tom, somewhat in doubt ofhis own senses.

  "Why, I bought 'em, of course. How does anybody get new clothes?"

  "They are slick, though, ain't they, Bob?" said young Flannery,admiringly, "and they fit stunnin', too. You must er struck a snapsomewhere, Bob."

  "I should think I did," replied the latter; "the best snap any er theboys ever struck."

  "Bob, you was always lucky. I wish I was as lucky as what you are. Inever strike no snaps, Bob."

  "Don't you?" said young Hunter, meditatively.

  "No, they don't never come my way," responded Tom, dolefully.

  Bob turned the lapels of his coat back and threw out his chestponderously.

  "Tom," said he, with the air of a Wall Street banker, "here's a five foryou," taking a new, crisp bill from his vest pocket.

  "For me, Bob!" exclaimed Tom, incredulously.

  "Why, yes, of course it's for you. Why not?"

  "I don't understand it, Bob," said young Flannery, completely upset.

  "Why, it's one of them snaps. You said you never had any luck like me,so I thought I'd just give you some."

  "Bob, you're a dandy. I never see any feller do things the way you do."

  "Well, I do try to throw a little style into 'em, when it's handy to doit."

  "I should think you do."

  "You see, Tom, it don't cost no more to do things as they ought to be. Ibelieve in doing 'em right, that's what I say."

  "TOM," SAID BOB, "HERE'S A FIVE FOR YOU."]

  "But, you see, Bob, believing in 'em and knowing how to do 'em is twodifferent things. Now I believe in 'em just the same as what you do,but I can't do 'em the same way."

  "Well, you ain't so old, Tom."

  "I know I ain't, but that don't make no difference, for when you was noolder than what I am, why you done things in a awful grand way."

  Bob here explained to Tom that the five dollar bill was a present to himfrom Richard Goldwin, the banker, and told him also about his own goodluck.

  "And he gave you all that money to buy these new clothes with! He is abully old fellow, ain't he, Bob?" said Tom Flannery, greatly astonished.

  "I should say so," responded Bob. "But I didn't spend it all, though."

  "How much did you put up for 'em, Bob?"

  "Fifteen dollars, that's all."

  "They are swell, though, I tell you, Bob, and you look like kind of amasher," said Tom, criticising them carefully.

  "Well, I ain't no masher, but I think myself they do look kinder slick."

  "And you got five dollars left, too?"

  "Yes, jest the same as what you have, Tom."

  "What you goin' to do with it, Bob?"

  "I hain't thought about that yet. What you goin' to do with yourn?"

  "I guess I'll keep it, Bob, till next summer, and put it up on theraces."

  "What do you want to do that for, Tom Flannery?" returned Bob, withdisgust.

  "Why, to make some money, of course."

  "Are you sure you will make it?"

  "Of course I am, Bob. Nobody what knows anything at all can't lose whenhe has so much as five dollars to back him. It's them that don't havenothin' what gets broke on racin'."

  "You know all about it, I suppose?"

  "Why, of course I do, Bob; I've made a stake lots of times."

  "And lost lots of times, too, I s'pose."

  "Well, that's because I didn't have enough capital."

  "But answer me this, Tom Flannery," said Bob, pointedly: "You admit youdid get wiped out at bettin', do you?"

  "Well, yes, I s'pose I did, Bob."

  "And you'll get broke again, if you go at it. I tell you, Tom, they allget left, them that bets on horse racing."

  "But don't some of them make slats of money? Answer me that."

  "They don't make no money what sticks to 'em."

  "What do you mean by that, Bob? I don't understand."

  "I mean that they lose it the same way they make it, so it don't stickto 'em. Do you see?"

  "Yes, I see. But how's a feller like me goin' to make any money, Bob, ifhe don't bet any?"

  "Now, Tom, you're gettin' to somethin' I've been thinkin' about, andI'll let you into the secret. You see, Tom, I don't believe in horsebettin' the way you do, but I ain't afraid to take chances all thesame."

  "What is it, Bob?" interrupted Tom, eager to get into the secret.

  "Wall Street," replied Bob, striking the attitude of a money king.

  "Do you mean it, Bob?" asked young Flannery, incredulously.

  "Of course I mean it, Tom. There's piles of money down there."

  "I know there is, Bob, but how are fellers like you 'n' me going to getit?"

  "Why, by speculatin', of course. How does any of 'em make it?"

  "Them fellers are all rich, Bob. They didn't go down there the same aswhat we would go, with only five dollars," replied Tom.

  "They didn't, did they? Well, tell me if Jay Gould, and the old manSage, and half a dozen more of them big fellers, didn't go into WallStreet without a cent?"

  "I can't tell you, Bob; I never heard anybody say," answered Tom,humbly.

  "Well, Tom Flannery, I should think you would find out such things.Don't you never want to know anything?"

  "I ain't been thinkin' about Wall Street, and them fellers you speakabout, Bob," apologized Tom. "But I wish you'd tell me about 'em, forI'd like to know how they made their money."

  "Well, I'll tell you some other time," said Bob, with assumed ease. As amatter of fact, however, he did not know himself, but was not willing toadmit so much to Tom. He therefore decided to change the subject at oncebefore getting cornered.

  "Now, Tom," he continued, "I'll tell you what it is. I've jest thoughtwhat we'll do, you 'n' me and Herbert."

  "What is it, Bob?"

  "Well, you see we got knocked out of our breakfast this morning, Tom, soI think the best thing we can do is to have a big dinner tonight."

  "I think so too, Bob," said Tom, eagerly.

  "You see, 'twould be a celebration of the way we worked the detectivebusiness."

  "So 'twould, Bob. That's a good idea, I think."

  "I think so, too, Tom, and we'll have a regular first class lay out."

  "It will be immense, Bob, I know 'twill," said Tom, with enthusiasm. "Inever had a big dinner, Bob."

  "No, I should think you never did, but you won't be hungry, Tom, whenyou get done with the one we will have tonight."

  "I hope I won't, Bob."

  "So do I," answered Bob, comically.

  "When will Herbert be here?" asked Tom, looking at the large _Tribune_clock.

  "It's time for him to show up now."

  "I should think so, too," replied Tom, with an expression of doubt.

  He was thinking about that morning's experience when Herbert failed toappear till after he had breakfasted.

  In a little time young Randolph joined them. He was as much surprised asTom had been at the change made in Bob's personal appearance by hishandsome new suit.

  "You must go down and let Mr. Goldwin see you with it on," said he.

  "When shall we start, Bob?" put in Tom Flannery, who couldn't see thepropriety in delaying dinner simply to discuss new clothes.

  "Are you so very hungry?" laughed Bob, good naturedly.

  "I should think I am, for I haven't had no dinner."

  "It don't make no difference, Tom, whether you did or not. You'd bestarvin' all the same."

  "Well, I can't help it; I think it's time to eat, don't you, Herbert?"

  "Yes, it is about time for dinner," replied our hero. "Are you ready togo, Bob?"

  "Yes, but we won't go up to the Boss Tweed tonight," replied the youngdetective, somewhat pompously.

&n
bsp; "Bob is goin' to ask us up town for a big lay out," said Tom.

  Herbert looked doubtful.

  "That's so," said Bob. "We will have kind of a blow out all byourselves."

  "And shall we do the town afterwards, as the bloods say?" asked Tom.

  "What does 'doing the town' mean?" asked Herbert. The expression was newto him.

  "It's goin' round and seeing the sights," replied Bob. "But come, let'sbe movin'. We can talk about doin' the town while we are at dinner."

  "So I say," said Tom, with characteristic hunger.