The Pit [157]
Gretry-Converse & Co. should suspend, Burbank would go with a crash sure. And there's that bank in Keokuk; they can't stand much more. Their depositors would run 'em quick as how-do-you-do, if there was a smash here in Chicago."
"Oh, Jadwin will pull through."
"Well, I hope so--by Jingo! I hope so. Say, by the way, how did you come out?"
"Me! Hoh! Say my boy, the next time I get into a wheat trade you'll know it. I was one of the merry paretics who believed that Crookes was the Great Lum- tum. I tailed on to his clique. Lord love you! Jadwin put the knife into me to the tune of twelve thousand dollars. But, say, look here; aren't we ever going to get up to that blame gallery? We ain't going to see any of this, and I--_hark!--by God! there goes the gong._ They've begun. Say, say, _hear 'em, will you!_ Holy Moses! say--listen to that! Did you ever hear-- Lord! I wish we could see--could get somewhere where we could see something."
His friend turned to him and spoke a sentence that was drowned in the sudden vast volume of sound that all at once shook the building.
"Hey--what?"
The other shouted into his ear. But even then his friend could not hear. Nor did he listen. The crowd upon the staircases had surged irresistibly forward and upward. There was a sudden outburst of cries. Women's voices were raised in expostulation, and even fear.
"Oh, oh--don't push so!"
"My arm! oh!--oh, I shall faint ... please."
But the men, their escorts, held back furiously; their faces purple, they shouted imprecations over their shoulders.
"Here, here, you damn fools, what you doing?"
"Don't crowd so!"
"Get back, back!"
"There's a lady fainted here. Get back you! We'll all have a chance to see. Good Lord! ain't there a policeman anywheres?"
"Say, say! It's going down--the price. It broke three cents, just then, at the opening, they say."
"This is the worst I ever saw or heard of."
"My God! if Jadwin can only _hold_ 'em.
"You bet he'll hold 'em."
"Hold nothing!--Oh! say my friend, it don't do you any good to crowd like that."
"It's the people behind: I'm not doing it. Say, do you know where they're at on the floor? The wheat, I mean, is it going up or down?"
"Up, they tell me. There was a rally; I don't know. How can we tell here? We--Hi! there they go again. Lord! that must have been a smash. I guess the Board of Trade won't forget this day in a hurry. Heavens, you can't hear yourself think!
"Glad I ain't down there in the Pit."
But, at last, a group of policemen appeared. By main strength they shouldered their way to the top of the stairs, and then began pushing the crowd back. At every instant they shouted:
"Move on now, clear the stairway. No seats left!"
But at this Page, who, by the rush of the crowd had been carried almost to the top of the stairs, managed to extricate an arm from the press, and hold Landry's card in the air. She even hazarded a little deception:
"I have a pass. Will you let me through, please?"
Luckily one of the officers heard her. He bore down heavily with all the mass of his two hundred pounds and the majesty of the law he represented, to the rescue and succour of this very pretty girl.
"Let the lady through," he roared, forcing a passage with both elbows. "Come right along, Miss. Stand back you, now. Can't you see the lady has a pass? Now then, Miss, and be quick about it, I can't keep 'em back forever."
Jostled and hustled. her dress crumpled, her hat awry, Page made her way forward, till the officer caught her by the arm, and pulled her out of the press. With a long breath she gained the landing of the gallery.
The guide, an old fellow in a uniform of blue, with brass buttons and a visored cap, stood near by, and to him she presented Landry's card.
"Oh, yes, oh, yes," he shouted in her ear, after he had glanced it over. "You were the party Mr. Court spoke about. You just came in time. I wouldn't 'a dared hold your seat a minute longer."
He led her down the crowded aisle between rows
"Oh, Jadwin will pull through."
"Well, I hope so--by Jingo! I hope so. Say, by the way, how did you come out?"
"Me! Hoh! Say my boy, the next time I get into a wheat trade you'll know it. I was one of the merry paretics who believed that Crookes was the Great Lum- tum. I tailed on to his clique. Lord love you! Jadwin put the knife into me to the tune of twelve thousand dollars. But, say, look here; aren't we ever going to get up to that blame gallery? We ain't going to see any of this, and I--_hark!--by God! there goes the gong._ They've begun. Say, say, _hear 'em, will you!_ Holy Moses! say--listen to that! Did you ever hear-- Lord! I wish we could see--could get somewhere where we could see something."
His friend turned to him and spoke a sentence that was drowned in the sudden vast volume of sound that all at once shook the building.
"Hey--what?"
The other shouted into his ear. But even then his friend could not hear. Nor did he listen. The crowd upon the staircases had surged irresistibly forward and upward. There was a sudden outburst of cries. Women's voices were raised in expostulation, and even fear.
"Oh, oh--don't push so!"
"My arm! oh!--oh, I shall faint ... please."
But the men, their escorts, held back furiously; their faces purple, they shouted imprecations over their shoulders.
"Here, here, you damn fools, what you doing?"
"Don't crowd so!"
"Get back, back!"
"There's a lady fainted here. Get back you! We'll all have a chance to see. Good Lord! ain't there a policeman anywheres?"
"Say, say! It's going down--the price. It broke three cents, just then, at the opening, they say."
"This is the worst I ever saw or heard of."
"My God! if Jadwin can only _hold_ 'em.
"You bet he'll hold 'em."
"Hold nothing!--Oh! say my friend, it don't do you any good to crowd like that."
"It's the people behind: I'm not doing it. Say, do you know where they're at on the floor? The wheat, I mean, is it going up or down?"
"Up, they tell me. There was a rally; I don't know. How can we tell here? We--Hi! there they go again. Lord! that must have been a smash. I guess the Board of Trade won't forget this day in a hurry. Heavens, you can't hear yourself think!
"Glad I ain't down there in the Pit."
But, at last, a group of policemen appeared. By main strength they shouldered their way to the top of the stairs, and then began pushing the crowd back. At every instant they shouted:
"Move on now, clear the stairway. No seats left!"
But at this Page, who, by the rush of the crowd had been carried almost to the top of the stairs, managed to extricate an arm from the press, and hold Landry's card in the air. She even hazarded a little deception:
"I have a pass. Will you let me through, please?"
Luckily one of the officers heard her. He bore down heavily with all the mass of his two hundred pounds and the majesty of the law he represented, to the rescue and succour of this very pretty girl.
"Let the lady through," he roared, forcing a passage with both elbows. "Come right along, Miss. Stand back you, now. Can't you see the lady has a pass? Now then, Miss, and be quick about it, I can't keep 'em back forever."
Jostled and hustled. her dress crumpled, her hat awry, Page made her way forward, till the officer caught her by the arm, and pulled her out of the press. With a long breath she gained the landing of the gallery.
The guide, an old fellow in a uniform of blue, with brass buttons and a visored cap, stood near by, and to him she presented Landry's card.
"Oh, yes, oh, yes," he shouted in her ear, after he had glanced it over. "You were the party Mr. Court spoke about. You just came in time. I wouldn't 'a dared hold your seat a minute longer."
He led her down the crowded aisle between rows