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depends on politics for its existence； if the politicians change their minds？
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MOTHER
Did you not see that bill they're thinking of passing？' I was startled by
what Ethel told me； for the article in the paper had escaped my notice。 But
Mr。 Beverly explained it to me in a couple of minutes。 'Ha！' he jovially
exclaimed； on my entering his office on Monday morning； 'you want to
know about Petunias。 They opened at 85 I see。' He then ran the tape from
the ticker through his clean strong hands。 'Here they are again。 Five
thousand sold at 83。 Now； if they go to 70； I'll very likely take ten
thousand more for mother。 It's all Frank Smith's bluff； you know。 He wants
a jag of the water…works stock； more than they say they agreed he should
have。 So he's shaking this bill over them； which would allow the city to
build its own water…plant； and of course run the present company out of
business。 Not a thing in it！ All bluff。 He'll get the stock； I suppose。 What's
that？' he broke off to a clerk who came with a message。 'Wants 500
preferred does he？ Buyer 30？ Very well； he can't have it。 Say so from me。
Now；' he resumed to me； 'take a cigar by the way。 And don't buy any more
Petunias until I tell you the right moment。 Do you see where your
Amalgamated Electric has gone to？'〃
〃I had seen this。 It had scored a 20…point rise since my purchase of it；
and I felt very sorry that I had not taken Mr。 Beverly's advice and bought a
thousand shares。 It had been on a day when I had felt unaccountably
cautious； and I had taken only two hundred and fifty shares of
Amalgamated Electric。 There are days when one is cautious and days
when one is venturesome； and they seem to have nothing to do with
results。〃
〃'They're going to increase the dividend；' said Mr。 Beverly； as I
smoked his excellent cigar。 'It's good for twenty points higher by the end
of the week。 I had just got mother a few more shares。'〃
〃I left Mr。 Beverly's office the possessor of two thousand shares of
Amalgamated Electric； and also entirely reassured about my Petunias。 He
always made me feel happy。〃
〃His keen laughing brown eyes； and crisp well…brushed hair； and big
somewhat English way of chaffing （he had gone to Oxford； where he had
rowed on a winning crew） carried a sense of buoyant prosperity that went
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MOTHER
with his wiry figure and good smart London clothes。 His face was almost
as tawny as an Indian's with the outdoor life that he took care to lead。 I
was always flattered when he could spare any time to clap me on the
shoulder and crack a joke。〃
〃Amalgamated Electric had risen five more points before the board
closed that afternoon。 This was the first news that I told Ethel。〃
〃'Richard；' said she； 'I wish you would sell that stock to…morrow。'〃
〃But this I saw no reason for； and on Tuesday it had gained seven
points further。 Ethel still more strongly urged me to sell it。 I must freely
admit that。〃 And the narrator paused reflectively。
〃Thank you； Richard；〃 said Ethel from the sofa。 〃And I admit that I
could give you no reason for my request； except that it all seemed so
sudden。 Andyesthere was one other thing。 But that was even more
silly。〃
〃I believe I know what you mean；〃 replied Richard； 〃and I shall come
to it presently。 If any one was silly； it was not you。〃
〃I did not sell Amalgamated Electric on Wednesday； and on Thursday
a doubt about the increased dividend began to be circulated。 The stock；
nevertheless； after a forenoon of weakness； rallied。 Moreover a check for
my first dividend came from the Pollyopolis Heat； Light； Power； Paving；
Pressing； and Packing Company。〃
〃'What a number of things it does！' exclaimed Ethel； when I showed
her the company's check。〃
〃'Yes；' I replied； and quoted Browning to her： ''Twenty…nine Distinct
damnations。 One sure if the other fails。' Beverly's mother has a lot of it。'〃
〃But Ethel did not smile。 'Richard；' she said； 'I do wish you had more
investments with ordinary simple names； like New York and New Haven；
or Chicago and Northwestern。' And when I told her that I thought this was
really unreasonable； she was firm。 'Yes；' she replied； 'I don't like the
namesnot most of them； at least。 Dutchess and Columbia Traction sounds
pretty well； and besides that； of course one knows how successful these
electric railways are。 But take the Standard Egg Trust； and the Patent
Pasteurised Infant Rubber Feeder Company。'〃
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MOTHER
〃'Why； Ethel！' I exclaimed； 'those are both based upon great inventions；
Mr。 Beverly'〃
〃But she interrupted me earnestly 'I know about those inventions；
Richard； for I have procured the prospectuses。 And I wish that I could
have told you my own feeling about them before you bought any of the
stock。'〃
〃'I do not think you can fully have taken it in； Ethel。'〃
〃'I trust that it may not have fully taken you in；' she replied。 'Have you
noticed what those stocks are selling for at present？'〃
〃Of course I had noticed this。 I had paid 63 for Standard Egg； and it
was now 48； while 11 was the price of Patent Pasteurized Feeder； for
which I had paid 20。 But this； Mr。 Beverly assured me； was a normal and
even healthy course for a new stock。 'Had they gone up too soon and too
high；' he explained； 'I should have suspected some crooked manipulation
and advised selling at once。 But this indicates a healthy absorption
preliminary to a natural rise。 I should not dream of letting mother part with
hers。'〃
〃The basis of Standard Egg was not only a monopoly of all the hens in
the United States； but a machine called a Separator； for telling the age and
state of an egg by means of immersion in water。 Perfectly good eggs sank
fast and passed out through one distributor； fairly nice eggs did not reach
the bottom； and were drawn off through another sluice； and so on。 This
saved the wages of the egg twirlers； whose method of candling eggs； as it
was called； was far less rapid than the Separator。 And when I learned that
one house in St。 Louis alone twirled 50；000 eggs in a day； the possible
profits of the Egg Trust became clear to me。 But they were not so clear to
Ethel。 She said that you could not monopolise hens。 That they would
always be laying eggs and putting it in the power of competitors to hatch
them by incubators。 Nor did she have confidence in the Pasteurised Feeder。
'Even if you get the parents to adopt it；' she said； 'you cannot get the
children。 If they do not like the taste of the milk as it comes out of the
bottle through the Feeder； they will simply not take it。'〃
〃'Well；' I answered； 'old Mrs。 Beverly is holding on to hers。'〃
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MOTHER
〃When I said this； Ethel sat with her mouth tight。 Then she opened it
and said： 'I hate that woman。'〃
〃'Hate her？ Why； you have never so much as laid eyes on her。'〃
〃'That is not at all necessary。 I consider it indecent for a grey haired
woman with grandchildren to be speculating in the stock market every
week like a regular bull or bear。'〃
〃Every point in this outburst of Ethel's seemed to me so unwarrantable
that I was quite dazed。 I sat looking at her； and her eyes filled with tears。
'Oh Richard！' she exclaimed； 'she will ruin you； and I hate her！'〃
〃'My dear Ethel；' I replied； 'she will not。 And only see how you are
making it all up out of your head。 You have never seen her； but you speak
of her as a grey…haired grandmother。'〃
〃'She must be； Richard。 You have told me that Mr。 Beverly is a married
man and about forty…five。 No doubt he has older sisters and brothers。 But
if he