'I am Gretry, the musician.'

It was in April that he decided that better times and higher prices were coming for wheat, and announced his intentions to Sam Gretry, his broker.

" "They'll slaughter you," said Gretry; "slaughter you in cold blood.

Hitherto he had been a bear; now, after the talk with Gretry, he had secretly "turned bull" with the suddenness of a strategist.

Even when you are not going over papers and reports, or talking by the hour to Mr. Gretry in the library, your mind seems to be away from me.

It was very late in the afternoon of a lugubrious March day when Jadwin and Gretry, in the broker's private room, sat studying the latest Government reports as to the supply of wheat, and Jadwin observed, "Why, Sam, there's less than 100,000,000 bushels in the farmers' hands.

" "It ain't, as you might say, colossal," admitted Gretry.

Say, where are they going to get it? Come on, now, tell me, where are they going to get it?" Gretry laid down his pencil, and stared at Jadwin.

In June the preliminary returns showed 4,000,000 more acres under wheat in the two states of Dakota alone, and in spite of all Gretry's remonstrances, Jadwin still held on, determined to keep up prices to July.

It was then that he told Gretry he was going to buy in the July crops.

"' J,' listen to me," said Gretry.

" "Here's another point," went on Gretry.

"The price broke to a dollar and twenty yesterday," said Gretry.

And from Liverpool and Paris cables had come in to Gretry declining to buy wheat, though he had offered it cheaper than he had ever done before.

On the morning of June 13, Gretry gave his orders to young Landry Court and his other agents in the Pit, to do their best to keep the market up.

Landry caught one of the Gretry traders by the arm.

" In Gretry's office Jadwin stood hatless and pale.

"It's the end of the game," Gretry exclaimed, "you've got no more money!

He threw off Gretry's hand.

Gretry implored, still holding him by the arm.

"Then God curse you, Sam Gretry, for the man who failed me in a crisis!"

Gretry staggered back from the blow.

"It's the end," Gretry said simply.

"All trades with Gretry & Co. must be closed at once!"

The painters, the sculptors, and the architects of France were sufficient for her glory; only Gretry and Monsigny upheld the honor of that French music which was attacked by Grimm and by Jean Jacques Rousseau; but it was at Paris that the great quarrel went on between the Italians and the Germans; Piccini and Gluck divided society, wherein their rivalry excited violent passions.