XXXIII
A BOND OF AIR.
Troilus and Cressida; i.--3.
The stock of the Princeton Platinum Company was issued in ten-dollar
shares, it being the conviction of Erastus Snaffle, deduced from a more
or less extensive experience, that the gullible portion of the public
is more likely to buy stock of a low par value. On the morning after
the exhibition at the St. Filipe Club, the shares were quoted at two
dollars and an eighth.
Arthur Fenton read the stock reports at breakfast. He laid the paper
down calmly, drank his coffee in silence, and absently played with his
fork, while his wife attended to Caldwell's breakfast and her own. He
said nothing until the boy, whose mind was intent upon some new toy or
other, having hastily finished his meal, asked to be excused.
"Don't be in a hurry, Caldwell," his mother said, gently. "I want you
to learn to wait for older people."
"Let him go, Edith," his father interposed. "I want to talk to you."
The boy jumped down quickly and ran to give his father a hasty kiss. He
had learned to look to Fenton to help him in evading his mother's
attempts at discipline, and Edith noted with pain, as she had too often
noticed before, the knowing smile which came into the child's face at
her husband's words. Caldwell evidently regarded his father's remark
merely as a convenient excuse, and it hurt Edith to see how in subtile
ways her son was learning to distrust the honesty of his father.
Pages:
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351