"Of course it was. He comes 'round every day. The clerks give him a
dollar every now and then."

"And he's not dead? And that was Hargus, that wretched,
broken--whew! I don't want to think of it, Sam!" And Jadwin, taken
all aback, sat for a moment speechless.

"Yes, sir," muttered the broker grimly, "that was Hargus."

There was a long silence. Then at last Gretry exclaimed briskly:

"Well, here's what I want to see you about."

He lowered his voice: "You know I've got a correspondent or two at
Paris--all the brokers have--and we make no secret as to who they
are. But I've had an extra man at work over there for the last six
months, very much on the quiet. I don't mind telling you this
much--that he's not the least important member of the United States
Legation. Well, now and then he is supposed to send me what the
reporters call "exclusive news"--that's what I feed him for, and I
could run a private steam yacht on what it costs me. But news I get
from him is a day or so in advance of everybody else. He hasn't sent
me anything very important till this morning. This here just came
in."

He picked up a despatch from his desk and read:

"'Utica--headquarters--modification--organic--concomitant--within
one month,' which means," he added, "this. I've just deciphered it,"
and he handed Jadwin a slip of paper on which was written: