In a position to help him were now as bad off as himself.

“You had better go on out to the house, father, and I’ll There were many unfavorable points in the whole situation.

send some telegrams.” (The telephone had not yet been in-Drexel & Co. had been booming railway stocks—loaning vented.) “I’ll be right out and we’ll go into this thing to-heavily on them. Jay Cooke & Co. had been backing North-gether. It looks like black weather to me. Don’t say anything ern Pacific—were practically doing their best to build that to any one until after we have had our talk; then we can immense transcontinental system alone. Naturally, they were decide what to do.”

long on that and hence in a ticklish position. At the first Cowperwood, Sr., was already plucking at his side-whis-word they would throw over their surest securities—govern-kers in a confused and troubled way. He was cogitating as to ment bonds, and the like —in order to protect their more what might happen to him in case his son failed, for he was speculative holdings. The bears would see the point. They deeply involved with him. He was a little gray in his com-would hammer and hammer, selling short all along the line.

plexion now, frightened, for he had already strained many But he did not dare to do that. He would be breaking his points in his affairs to accommodate his son. If Frank should own back quickly, and what he needed was time. If he could not be able promptly on the morrow to meet the call which only get time—three days, a week, ten days—this storm 160

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would surely blow over.

lowed by the politicians. They knew better than that.

The thing that was troubling him most was the matter of There was another phase to this situation, however, that the half-million invested with him by Stener. A fall election encouraged him, and that was his knowledge of how city was drawing near. Stener, although he had served two terms, politics were going in general. It was useless for any politi-was slated for reelection. A scandal in connection with the cian, however loftly, to take a high and mighty tone in a city treasury would be a very bad thing. It would end Stener’s crisis like this. All of them, great and small, were profiting in career as an official—would very likely send him to the peni-one way and another through city privileges. Butler, tentiary. It might wreck the Republican party’s chances to Mollenhauer, and Simpson, he knew, made money out of win. It would certainly involve himself as having much to contracts—legal enough, though they might be looked upon do with it. If that happened, he would have the politicians as rank favoritism—and also out of vast sums of money col-to reckon with. For, if he were hard pressed, as he would be, lected in the shape of taxes—land taxes, water taxes, etc.—

and failed, the fact that he had been trying to invade the city which were deposited in the various banks designated by street-railway preserves which they held sacred to themselves, these men and others as legal depositories for city money.

with borrowed city money, and that this borrowing was li-The banks supposedly carried the city’s money in their vaults able to cost them the city election, would all come out. They as a favor, without paying interest of any kind, and then would not view all that with a kindly eye. It would be useless reinvested it—for whom? Cowperwood had no complaint to say, as he could, that he had borrowed the money at two to make, for he was being well treated, but these men could per cent. (most of it, to save himself, had been covered by a scarcely expect to monopolize all the city’s benefits. He did protective clause of that kind), or that he had merely acted not know either Mollenhauer or Simpson personally—but as an agent for Stener. That might go down with the unso-he knew they as well as Butler had made money out of his phisticated of the outer world, but it would never be swal-own manipulation of city loan. Also, Butler was most friendly 161

The Financier

to him. It was not unreasonable for him to think, in a crisis some small town. Cowperwood sent an urgent wire to the like this, that if worst came to worst, he could make a clean nearest point and then, to make assurance doubly sure, to breast of it to Butler and receive aid. In case he could not get several other points in the same neighborhood, asking him through secretly with Stener’s help, Cowperwood made up to return immediately. He was not at all sure, however, that his mind that he would do this.

Stener would return in time and was greatly nonplussed and His first move, he decided, would be to go at once to Stener’s uncertain for the moment as to what his next step would be.

house and demand the loan of an additional three or four Aid must be forthcoming from somewhere and at once.

hundred thousand dollars. Stener had always been very trac-Suddenly a helpful thought occurred to him. Butler and table, and in this instance would see how important it was Mollenhauer and Simpson were long on local street-railways.

that his shortage of half a million should not be made pub-They must combine to support the situation and protect lic. Then he must get as much more as possible. But where their interests. They could see the big bankers, Drexel & Co.

to get it? Presidents of banks and trust companies, large stock and Cooke & Co., and others and urge them to sustain the jobbers, and the like, would have to be seen. Then there was market. They could strengthen things generally by organiza loan of one hundred thousand dollars he was carrying for ing a buying ring, and under cover of their support, if they Butler. The old contractor might be induced to leave that.

would, he might sell enough to let him out, and even permit He hurried to his home, secured his runabout, and drove him to go short and make something—a whole lot. It was a rapidly to Stener’s.

brilliant thought, worthy of a greater situation, and its only As it turned out, however, much to his distress and confu-weakness was that it was not absolutely certain of fulfillment.

sion, Stener was out of town—down on the Chesapeake with He decided to go to Butler at once, the only disturbing several friends shooting ducks and fishing, and was not ex-thought being that he would now be compelled to reveal his pected back for several days. He was in the marshes back of own and Stener’s affairs. So reentering his runabout he drove 162

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swiftly to the Butler home.

he could not tell how things would eventuate. He meditated When he arrived there the famous contractor was at din-on this desperately, but he was not panic-stricken. His natu-ner. He had not heard the calling of the extras, and of course, rally even-molded face was set in fine, classic lines; his eyes did not understand as yet the significance of the fire. The were as hard as chilled steel.

servant’s announcement of Cowperwood brought him smil-

“Well, now,” exclaimed Butler, returning, his countenance ing to the door.

manifesting a decidedly comfortable relationship with the

“Won’t you come in and join us? We’re just havin’ a light world as at present constituted. “What’s up with you to-night?

supper. Have a cup of coffee or tea, now—do.” Nawthin’ wrong, I hope. It’s been too fine a day.”

“I can’t,” replied Cowperwood. “Not to-night, I’m in too

“Nothing very serious, I hope myself,” replied much of a hurry. I want to see you for just a few moments, Cowperwood, “But I want to talk with you a few minutes, and then I’ll be off again. I won’t keep you very long.” anyhow. Don’t you think we had better go up to your room?”

“Why, if that’s the case, I’ll come right out.” And Butler

“I was just going to say that,” replied Butler—”the cigars returned to the dining-room to put down his napkin. Aileen, are up there.”

who was also dining, had heard Cowperwood’s voice, and They started from the reception-room to the stairs, Butler was on the qui vive to see him. She wondered what it was preceding and as the contractor mounted, Aileen came out that brought him at this time of night to see her father. She from the dining-room in a frou-frou of silk. Her splendid could not leave the table at once, but hoped to before he hair was drawn up from the base of the neck and the line of went. Cowperwood was thinking of her, even in the face of the forehead into some quaint convolutions which consti-this impending storm, as he was of his wife, and many other tuted a reddish-gold crown. Her complexion was glowing, things. If his affairs came down in a heap it would go hard and her bare arms and shoulders shone white against the with those attached to him. In this first clouding of disaster, dark red of her evening gown. She realized there was some-163

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thing wrong.

would have Mrs. Cowperwood. But she was worried, never-

“Oh, Mr. Cowperwood, how do you do?” she exclaimed, theless, because it was her Frank, and because she was bound coming forward and holding out her hand as her father went to him by what to her seemed indissoluble ties.

on upstairs. She was delaying him deliberately in order to Literature, outside of the masters, has given us but one have a word with him and this bold acting was for the ben-idea of the mistress, the subtle, calculating siren who de-efit of the others.

lights to prey on the souls of men. The journalism and the

“What’s the trouble, honey?” she whispered, as soon as her moral pamphleteering of the time seem to foster it with al-father was out of hearing. “You look worried.” most partisan zeal. It would seem that a censorship of life

“Nothing much, I hope, sweet,” he said. “Chicago is burn-had been established by divinity, and the care of its execu-ing up and there’s going to be trouble to-morrow. I have to tion given into the hands of the utterly conservative. Yet there talk to your father.”

is that other form of liaison which has nothing to do with She had time only for a sympathetic, distressed “Oh,” be-conscious calculation. In the vast majority of cases it is with-fore he withdrew his hand and followed Butler upstairs. She out design or guile. The average woman, controlled by her squeezed his arm, and went through the reception-room to affections and deeply in love, is no more capable than a child the parlor. She sat down, thinking, for never before had she of anything save sacrificial thought—the desire to give; and seen Cowperwood’s face wearing such an expression of stern, so long as this state endures, she can only do this. She may disturbed calculation. It was placid, like fine, white wax, and change—Hell hath no fury, etc.—but the sacrificial, yield-quite as cold; and those deep, vague, inscrutable eyes! So ing, solicitous attitude is more often the outstanding charac-Chicago was burning. What would happen to him? Was he teristic of the mistress; and it is this very attitude in contra-very much involved? He had never told her in detail of his distinction to the grasping legality of established matrimony affairs. She would not have understood fully any more than that has caused so many wounds in the defenses of the latter.

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The temperament of man, either male or female, cannot help

“Oh,” replied Butler, still not gathering the significance of it.

falling down before and worshiping this nonseeking, sacrifi-

“It’s burning down the business section there, Mr. Butler,” cial note. It approaches vast distinction in life. It appears to went on Cowperwood ominously, “and I fancy it’s going to be related to that last word in art, that largeness of spirit disturb financial conditions here to-morrow. That is what I which is the first characteristic of the great picture, the great have come to see you about. How are your investments? Pretty building, the great sculpture, the great decoration—namely, well drawn in?”

a giving, freely and without stint, of itself, of beauty. Hence Butler suddenly gathered from Cowperwood’s expression the significance of this particular mood in Aileen.

that there was something very wrong. He put up his large All the subtleties of the present combination were troubling hand as he leaned back in his big leather chair, and covered Cowperwood as he followed Butler into the room upstairs.

his mouth and chin with it. Over those big knuckles, and

“Sit down, sit down. You won’t take a little somethin’? You bigger nose, thick and cartilaginous, his large, shaggy-never do. I remember now. Well, have a cigar, anyhow. Now, eyebrowed eyes gleamed. His gray, bristly hair stood up stiffly what’s this that’s troublin’ you to-night?” in a short, even growth all over his head.