Chapter 12
CHAPTER XII. FRIENDS FROM RIVERMOUTH On the way home that afternoon, Ben told Tom how he had unexpectedly run across Percy and Oscar on Broadway, and the conversation which had passed between them. So they want to paint the town red in their little way, grinned Tom. Looks that way, laughed Ben.
A fine pair of high rollers they are, I don't think. They expect to have a wonderful story to tell of their adventures in this city when they get back to Rivermouth. They may not amount to much, but all the same, they're too swift for me, said Ben. Same here. By the way, been monkeying with the market lately, Ben?
I haven't heard you mention stocks for some time. Well, I made a little haul in X, Y, Z, responded Ben, who had not confided his late success to his chum. lest Sanders should send the intelligence on to Rivermouth, as he was very likely to do, in which event it was bound to reach his mother's ears.
Ben didn't want her to know till he was ready to surprise her himself. How much did you win? I didn't win enough to want to throw up my job, replied Ben evasively. I suppose not. I wish I could catch on to a tip, but tips don't seem to be very plentiful,
though I do work in a stockbroker's office where they're supposed to roost about. I can give you one. Can you? In some surprise. Well, let's hear what it's like.
If you've got a few dollars to spare, buy Kansas Central. Why Kansas Central? Because it's going up. How do you know it's going up? Well, just watch your ticker, and you'll know as much as I do about it.
It's been selling around thirty all this winter and spring. Today it closed at thirty-four and seven-eighths. Why don't you buy some yourself? I have. Is that a fact?
Bon or Bright? How many shares did you purchase? Oh, a thousand more or less, replied Ben with assumed carelessness. I guess it was rather less than more, snickered Tom. Well, I'll think about it. Thinking about it won't do you any good. You must buy right away if you want to make anything out of it.
I know where there's a new bucket shop. I guess I'll go along on ten shares. Better go to a regular broker, Tom. Bucket shops are risky places to invest your good money. That's no lie when you come to think of it. The boys bought evening papers and began to glance over them. Say, said Tom suddenly,
here's an article about Kansas Central now. Gold is reported to have got control of the road. A new board of directors has been elected and the old president has been turned down. I guess you're right about the stock.
It ought to go up on the strength of that. You'll find it will open above thirty-five in the morning, said Ben with quiet exultation. It's ten shares of KC for me tomorrow, all right, said Tom with a positive shake of his head. What are we thinking about? Tomorrow's decoration day. The exchange won't be open.
That's right. Well, Thursday morning, then. Now you're talking. After supper they took a stroll along Upper Broadway. As they were passing the Hotel Vendham, a lady and two girls came out of the ladies' entrance. Tom seized Ben by the arm. Look, isn't that Mrs. Cameron with Ruth and Aggie Ware?
Ben glanced eagerly in a direction as Chum indicated. By George, it is for a fact. Won't they be surprised to see us? Grinned Tom. Hurry now or they'll get away from us.
The boys rushed after the three Riverport ladies. Why, there's Ben Bradley and Tom Sanders, cried Aggie with a scream and a giggle. Mrs. Cameron and her daughter turned around with some surprise. I'm pleased to meet you, Mrs. Cameron.
Also you, Miss Ruth, and you too, Aggie, said Ben, lifting his hat. Same here, grinned Tom, flourishing his derby. Ruth and her mother smiled and gave their hands to the boys in turn, a performance imitated by Miss Ware with an exaggerated curtsy. Upon my word, said Aggie exuberantly, you boys look real swell.
Sure, why not, chuckled Tom. How was it we find you in New York? We came down to see the Decoration Day parade. said Mrs. Cameron. We called on your mother yesterday afternoon, Mr. Bailey,
said Ruth smilingly. She's getting along nicely, though, of course, she misses you. I'll have a vacation a couple of months, and then I'll have the happiness of seeing her.
I didn't expect to meet you before then, either, so this is an unexpected pleasure. Thank you, blushed Ruth. I may say the pleasure is mutual.
Where are you ladies aiming for? We are just out for a little walk, chirped Aggie. don't you want to come along? We should be glad to accompany you, replied Ben. Then you'll have to behave real good. That's one of our great failings, snickered Tom.
They started across 42nd Street in the direction of the theaters, Ruth and Ben falling a bit to the rear. In this way they proceeded for perhaps a block, when who should they run against but Percy and Oscar, smoking cigarettes and swinging dapper little canes like a pair of real bloods. "'Mrs. Cameron! Miss Ruth!' exclaimed Percy, doffing his fedora in what he considered the most approved fashion. "'Who would have expected to see you in New York? So glad, don't you know?'
Oscar bowed but didn't have anything to say. "'What a conceited little monkey Percy Norcross is!' whispered Aggie to Tom with a grimace. "'Percy tried to monopolize Ruth, but that young lady wouldn't have it. "'Let's go in to dailies,' suggested Percy after they had talked a few minutes. "'They have an orchestra there,' explained Oscar.
"'We've just been in.' Mrs. Cameron and the girls looked a bit doubtful, and glanced at Ben and Tom. "'It's quite a respectable place,' said Ben. "'Tom and I have been there. If you'd like to go in, it is worth a while.'
"'Very well,' agreed Ruth's mother. "'We might as well see what's to be seen as long as it is a proper place for us to go. It is quite the thing, don't you know? chipped in Percy. The music is simply divine. Master Norcross tried to say this with the air of a connoisseur, and the effect seemed so irresistibly funny to Aggie that she had to stuff her handkerchief into her mouth to keep from
laughing outright. Daly's was below the New Amsterdam Theater, and thither the party went. The place was well filled with ladies and gentlemen seated about polished imitation rosewood tables. A smooth-faced waiter in an Eden jacket piloted them to a table in the rear of the room, and then waited for them to say what they would eat. Percy gave the order after each had mentioned what they would like. Percy handed the waiter a ten-dollar bill with a flourish,
as if such things were as common with him as nickels, and tipped the man off to the extent of a dime. There remained about twenty minutes in dailies, and listened to two very fine orchestral selections. Percy suggested another place some blocks away. The ladies declined going there on the plea that it was time to return to their hotel, so the boys escorted them back to the Vendome and bade them good night. The four boys then walked down Broadway to the junction of
32nd Street. I guess we'll take a car down, said Ben to Tom. Oh, come off, you aren't going to quit as early as this, are you? objected Oscar. We're going down Sixth Avenue, and after a while we mean to drop into the lame duck for a bite to eat. Come on, Percy will blow the crowd. Much obliged, replied Tom, but Ben and I have a little business to transact before we turn in, so you'll have to let us off. The little business was a mere fiction on Tom's part,
as Ben had given him the wink, a sign which meant that they had better cut Percy and Oscar out. Of course, there was a stiff kick from Norcross and Updike, but it didn't carry any weight, and the two pairs separated when the next Broadway car came along. End of chapter 12
