"Oh, yes. You can have the money."

"All right. We can't call it fleece at all. Mr. Allison, one-half is yours. Shake, old man."

Allison jumped as though he had been shot.

"Do you mean that, Bob?" he asked.

"Of course I do."

"And you--is it all right?" he asked of Fred.

"Of course it is. You saved us $10,000, didn't you?"

"Well, that was my duty. I've been thirty-three years in Wall Street and never had so much consideration shown me before," and his eyes became moist and his voice husky.

"I say, boys!" called out another broker, "let's all go and dine together and have a bottle for each plate. I like these two boys and think we can learn something from them. Come on, every one of you."

They all laughed, shook hands with Bob, Fred and Allison and went downstairs and farther down the street to a well-known restaurant. There they had a royal feast for an hour. Dean became quite merry over his bottle and admitted that he knew Allison was one of the best posted men in the street, and was glad that he was to have one-half the amount he had lost. At that dinner the brokers became acquainted with Halsey & Company, and found that, though they were boys, they knew a good deal about taking care of Number One.

CHAPTER X.--Fred Buys a Seat in the Stock Exchange.

The accident in the banking house of Halsey & Company, by which a man lost his life, created a good deal of excitement in Wall Street. The prompt discovery of the forgery had the effect of convincing the Street that they were not to be victimized even if they were a couple of boys not yet out of their teens. The janitor of the building very promptly removed the blood stains and a glazier put up another gla.s.s in place of the one that was broken. The bank bad not been open an hour ere a carriage drove up in front and a tall, gray-haired man alighted and went in.

"Ah, you are Mr. Gaines!" said Fred, on seeing him. "Come into the little office and sit down. I am very glad to see you out again."

"Thank you, my young friend," said the old gentleman, following him into a little office and seating himself in a comfortable arm-chair. "I have called to thank you in person for the kind service you rendered me in the Stock Exchange that day. You saved my life!"

"Mr. Gaines, I am glad I was able to do as I did," said Fred. "You sent me a watch and chain, which I prize very highly. I am sure I don't deserve any more credit than what you have already given me."

"Well, I want to show my grat.i.tude, for it is a pleasure to do so. Who is your broker in the Exchange now?"

"We have no regular broker. We have engaged a different one for each deal we have made."

"Would you like to have a seat there yourself?"

"Yes, sir, but I am too young, I guess."

"There is no limit as to age. If you are able to buy a seat you can have one."

"But a seat is worth $30,000."

"Yes. I have a seat. I am never going to use it again. I was badly squeezed that day in the Exchange, and lost many thousands of dollars.

But I have enough to live and die on, and so intend to sell my seat. If you can pay $5,000 cash you can pay the balance in five years--$5,000 a year."

"I'll take it," said Fred.

"Very well. I can get $30,000 in cold cash for it, but don't care to let the man have it at any price."

Fred gave him the money and the seat was duly transferred.

"I wish you all the success in the world, my good friend," said the old man, rising and extending his hand to Fred.

"Thank you, sir. I am deeply grateful to you for this favor. May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, as many as you please," replied the old man, resuming his seat.

"What is it?"

"Is Mrs. Bryant a relative of yours?"

"Yes. She is my niece. Why?"

"Mr. Bryant and I don't love each other much, and I heard the other day of your relationship to his wife. I didn't believe it."

"Yes, it's true. I heard you had some wool hung up and labeled 'Bryant's fleece.' Is it true?"

"Yes," and Fred laughed. "I'll show it to you," and he did.

"Bryant has been very sore over it, and so has his wife. I would advise you to take it down."

"I shall advise Bob to do so. It is his fight, you know."

"Yes, so I heard. Well, good-by. I shall drop in when I come downtown. I have no office now."

"Oh, you must make this your office!" exclaimed Fred; "we have plenty of room, for we don't do much business as yet. Our rent is paid up for one year."

"Well, I guess that's more, than any other firm in Wall Street can say,"

and he shook Fred's hand. "I shall be glad to accept your offer, though I shall not come down often."

He went out and Fred told old Allison that he had bought Gaines' seat in the Stock Exchange. The old cashier glared in astonishment, saying:

"I'm afraid that you will make a mistake in going in there."

"Why?"

"People get excited there and lose both their heads and fortunes in a very few minutes."

"Yes, I know. But I got used to that sort of thing when I was a messenger. It is not new to me."

Broker Gaines had not been gone ten minutes ere Gertie Clayton came in.

She had a frightened look in her face. Bob met her, and she said:

"Oh, I saw it in the papers about the man being killed by the broken gla.s.s. It's awful, isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed. Come to the ladies' room if you have any time to spare,"

said Bob, who saw that something had happened.

She followed him, and in the cozy little parlor said to him: