I
assumed that I was practically its only supporter and that it would slowly
settle back as I slowly withdrew my support.
To my surprise, the stock did not yield immediately under my efforts to
depress it. I sold more heavily; Textile continued to show a tendency to
rise. I sold still more heavily; it broke a point or two, then steadied
and rose again. Instead of sending out along my secret lines for inside
information, as I should have done, and would have done had I not been in
a state of hypnotized judgment--I went to Langdon! I who had been studying
those scoundrels for twenty-odd years, and dealing directly with and for
them for ten years!
He wasn't at his office; they told me there that they didn't know whether
he was at his town house or at his place in the country--"probably in the
country," said his down-town secretary, with elaborate carelessness. "He
wouldn't be likely to stay away from the office or not to send for me, if
he were in town, would he?"
It takes an uncommon good liar to lie to me when I'm on the alert. As I was
determined to see Langdon, I was in so far on the alert. And I felt the
fellow was lying. "That's reasonable," said I. "Call me up, if you hear
from him.
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