STill up--and up--and up! Five points above cost--then ten--fifteen--twenty! Twenty points cold profit on the vast venture, now, and Aleck's imaginary brokers were shouting frantically by imaginary long-distance, "Sell! sell! for Heaven's sake SELL!" She broke the splendid news to Sally, and he, too, said, "Sell! sell--oh, don't make a blunder, now, you own the earth!--sell, sell!" But she set her iron will and lashed it amidships, and said she would hold on for five points more if she died for it.
It was a fatal resolve.

The very next day came the historic crash, the record crash, the devastating crash, when the bottom fell out of Wall Street, and the whole body of gilt-edged stocks dropped ninety-five points in five hours, and the multimillionaire was seen begging his bread in the Bowery.

Aleck sternly held her grip and "put up" as long as she could, but at last there came a call which she was powerless to meet, and her imaginary brokers sold her out.

Then, and not till then, the man in her was vanished, and the woman in her resumed sway.

She put her arms about her husband's neck and wept, saying: "I am to blame, do not forgive me, I cannot bear it.