We-don't-help-put-up-any-grain-elevator-in-Chicago-these-days.

As the last click sounded, Bannon handed his message to the operator.
"Send it collect," he said. With that he strode away, over the hand rail,
this time, and down the stairs. The operator carried the message to the
superintendent.

"It seems to be for you," he said.

The superintendent read--

Div. Supt. G.&M., Blake City. Tell manager it takes better man than him to
tie us up.
MACBRIDE & COMPANY.

Bannon had nearly an hour to wait for the next train back to Ledyard, but
it was not time wasted, for as he paced the smoky waiting room, he arrived
at a fairly accurate estimate of the meaning of the general manager's
message.

It was simply a confirmaton of the cautious prediction he had made to
Peterson the night before. Why should any one want to hinder the
construction of an elevator in Chicago "these days" except to prevent its
use for the formal delivery of grain which the buyer did not wish
delivered? And why had Page & Company suddenly ordered a million bushel
annex? Why had they suddenly become anxious that the elevator should be
ready to receive grain before January first, unless they wished to deliver
a vast amount of December wheat? Before Bannon's train came in he
understood it all. A clique of speculators had decided to corner wheat, an