He was willing
to let the widow's bribe pass to her under so plausible a disguise, and
he said to himself with a chuckle that he had far rather sell Fenton
the seven thousand shares than four.
If he were unable to sell to Fenton it appeared to Irons as on the
whole highly probable that he could dispose of the stock for the
corporation at a price which would materially lessen the amount of
their bonus to the widow; or if the market should chance to look
promising, he might find it worth while to buy it from his colleagues
with a view to realizing something on it himself.
Perhaps it was because he was doing business with a woman, perhaps it
was the consciousness of the bribe which the bargain covered and a
desire to leave as little record of it as possible, perhaps it was only
the carelessness of extreme haste, that caused Irons to send to the
widow so ambiguous and dangerous a note as the following,--
"DEAR MRS. SAMPSON,--I am suddenly called to New York, and leave to-
night. I will take all your Princeton Platinum stock at three dollars.
Please deliver it at my office to-morrow with this note as a voucher."
Yours truly, "ALFRED IRONS."
It was the misfortune of Alfred Irons that Mrs. Sampson took an extra
cup of coffee that evening and could not sleep; and in the watches of
the night, either the devil or her own soul--the inspirations of the
two being too similar for one rashly to venture to discriminate between
them--said to her, "Amanda! Now is your chance.
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