E Phillips Oppenheim

Jacob's Ladder E Phillips Oppenheim

Book Excerpt: ... Jacob glanced at the speaker with the air of one moved to admiration."Mr. Groome, sir," he pronounced, "you are a wizard! You must have seen right through into the breast pocket of my coat. Allow me to read you a couple of letters."He produced these amazing documents, leisurely unfolding the first. There was no question of newspapers now."You will remember," he said, "that I came to grief because I stood bondsman to my brother, who was out prospecting for oil lands in America. 'Disgraceful speculation' Mr. Bultiwell called it, I think. Well, this letter is from Sam: "Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New York. My dear Jacob, I cabled you this morning to prepare for good news, so don't get heart failure when you receive this letter. We've struck it rich, as I always told you we should. I sold the worse half of our holdings in Arizona for four million dollars last week, and Lord knows what we'll get for the rest. I've cabled you a hundred thousand pounds, to be going on with, t.