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CHAPTER XXIX
But time was not a thing to be had in this emergency. With
the seventy-fi ve thousand dollars his friends had extended to him,
and sixty thousand dollars secured from Stires, Cowperwood met
the Girard call and placed the balance, thirty-fi ve thousand dollars, in a private safe in his own home. He then made a fi nal appeal to
the bankers and fi nanciers, but they refused to help him. He did not,
however, commiserate himself in this hour. He looked out of his offi ce window into the little court, and sighed. What more could he
do? He sent a note to his father, asking him to call for lunch. He sent
a note to his lawyer, Harper Steger, a man of his own age whom he
liked very much, and asked him to call also. He evolved in his own
mind various plans of delay, addresses to creditors and the like, but
alas! he was going to fail. And the worst of it was that this matter of
the city treasurer’s loans was bound to become a public, and more
than a public, a political, scandal. And the charge of conniving, if
not illegally, at least morally, at the misuse of the city’s money was
the one thing that would hurt him most.
How industriously his rivals would advertise this fact! He might
get on his feet again if he failed; but it would be uphill work. And
his father! His father would be pulled down with him. It was probable that he would be forced out of the presidency of his bank. With
these thoughts Cowperwood sat there waiting. As he did so Aileen
Butler was announced by his offi ce-boy, and at the same time Albert Stires.
261
THEODORE DREISER
«Show in Miss Butler», he said, getting up. «Tell Mr. Stires to
wait». Aileen came briskly, vigorously in, her beautiful body clothed
as decoratively as ever. The street suit that she wore was of a light
golden-brown broadcloth, faceted with small, dark-red buttons. Her
head was decorated with a brownish-red shake of a type she had
learned was becoming to her, brimless and with a trailing plume,
and her throat was graced by a three-strand necklace of gold beads.
Her hands were smoothly gloved as usual, and her little feet daintily
shod. There was a look of girlish distress in her eyes, which, however, she was trying hard to conceal.
«Honey», she exclaimed, on seeing him, her arms extended –»what is the trouble? I wanted so much to ask you the other
night. You’re not going to fail, are you? I heard father and Owen
talking about you last night».
«What did they say?» he inquired, putting his arm around her
and looking quietly into her nervous eyes.
«Oh, you know, I think papa is very angry with you. He suspects.
Some one sent him an anonymous letter. He tried to get it out of me
last night, but he didn’t succeed. I denied everything. I was in here
twice this morning to see you, but you were out. I was so afraid that
he might see you fi rst, and that you might say something».
«Me, Aileen?»
«Well, no, not exactly. I didn’t think that. I don’t know what
I thought. Oh, honey, I’ve been so worried. You know, I didn’t
sleep at all. I thought I was stronger than that; but I was so worried
about you. You know, he put me in a strong light by his desk, where
he could see my face, and then he showed me the letter. I was so astonished for a moment I hardly know what I said or how I looked».
«What did you say?»
«Why, I said: ‘What a shame! It isn’t so!’ But I didn’t say it right
away. My heart was going like a trip-hammer. I’m afraid he must
have been able to tell something from my face. I could hardly get
my breath».
«He’s a shrewd man, your father», he commented. «He knows
something about life. Now you see how diffi cult these situations are.
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THE FINANCIER
It’s a blessing he decided to show you the letter instead of watching
the house. I suppose he felt too bad to do that. He can’t prove anything now. But he knows. You can’t deceive him».
«How do you know he knows?»
«I saw him yesterday».
«Did he talk to you about it?»
«No; I saw his face. He simply looked at me».
«Honey! I’m so sorry for him!»
«I know you are. So am I. But it can’t be helped now. We should
have thought of that in the fi rst place».
«But I love you so. Oh, honey, he will never forgive me. He loves
me so. He mustn’t know. I won’t admit anything. But, oh, dear!»
She put her hands tightly together on his bosom, and he looked
consolingly into her eyes. Her eyelids, were trembling, and her lips.
She was sorry for her father, herself, Cowperwood. Through her he
could sense the force of Butler’s parental affection; the volume and
danger of his rage. There were so many, many things as he saw it
now converging to make a dramatic denouement.
«Never mind», he replied; «it can’t be helped now. Where is my
strong, determined Aileen? I thought you were going to be so brave?
Aren’t you going to be? I need to have you that way now».
«Do you?»
«Yes».
«Are you in trouble?»
«I think I am going to fail, dear».
«Oh, no!»
«Yes, honey. I’m at the end of my rope. I don’t see any way out
just at present. I’ve sent for my father and my lawyer. You mustn’t
stay here, sweet. Your father may come in here at any time. We must
meet somewhere – to-morrow, say – to-morrow afternoon. You remember Indian Rock, out on the Wissahickon?»
«Yes».
«Could you be there at four?»
«Yes».
263
THEODORE DREISER
«Look out for who’s following. If I’m not there by four-thirty,
don’t wait. You know why. It will be because I think some one is
watching. There won’t be, though, if we work it right. And now you
must run, sweet. We can’t use Nine-thirty-one any more. I’ll have to
rent another place somewhere else».
«Oh, honey, I’m so sorry».
«Aren’t you going to be strong and brave? You see, I need
you to be».
He was almost, for the fi rst time, a little sad in his mood.
«Yes, dear, yes», she declared, slipping her arms under his and
pulling him tight. «Oh, yes! You can depend on me. Oh, Frank, I love
you so! I’m so sorry. Oh, I do hope you don’t fail! But it doesn’t make
any difference, dear, between you and me, whatever happens, does
it? We will love each other just the same. I’ll do anything for you,
honey! I’ll do anything you say. You can trust me. They sha’n’t know
anything from me».
She looked at his still, pale face, and a sudden strong determination to fi ght for him welled up in her heart. Her love was unjust,
illegal, outlawed; but it was love, just the same, and had much of
the fi ery daring of the outcast from justice.
«I love you! I love you! I love you, Frank!» she declared. He unloosed her hands.
«Run, sweet. To-morrow at four. Don’t fail. And don’t talk. And
don’t admit anything, whatever you do».
«I won’t».
«And don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right».
He barely had time to straighten his tie, to assume a nonchalant
attitude by the window, when in hurried Stener’s chief clerk – pale,
disturbed, obviously out of key with himself.
«Mr. Cowperwood! You know that check I gave you last night?
Mr. Stener says it’s illegal, that I shouldn’t have given it to you, that
he will hold me responsible. He says I can be arrested for compounding a felony, and that he will discharge me and have me
sent to prison if I don’t get it back. Oh, Mr. Cowperwood, I am only
a young man! I’m just really starting out in life. I’ve got my wife and
264
THE FINANCIER
little boy to look after. You won’t let him do that to me? You’ll give
me that check back, won’t you? I can’t go back to the offi ce without
it. He says you’re going to fail, and that you knew it, and that you
haven’t any right to it».
Cowperwood looked at him curiously. He was surprised at
the variety and character of these emissaries of disaster. Surely,
when troubles chose to multiply they had great skill in presenting
themselves in rapid order. Stener had no right to make any such
statement. The transaction was not illegal. The man had gone wild.
True, he, Cowperwood, had received an order after these securities
were bought not to buy or sell any more city loan, but that did not
invalidate previous purchases. Stener was browbeating and frightening his poor underling, a better man than himself, in order to get
back this sixty-thousand-dollar check. What a petty creature he was!
How true it was, as somebody had remarked, that you could not possibly measure the petty meannesses to which a fool could stoop!
«You go back to Mr. Stener, Albert, and tell him that it can’t
be done. The certifi cates of loan were purchased before his order
arrived, and the records of the exchange will prove it. There is no
illegality here. I am entitled to that check and could have collected
it in any qualifi ed court of law. The man has gone out of his head.
I haven’t failed yet. You are not in any danger of any legal proceedings; and if you are, I’ll help defend you. I can’t give you the check
back because I haven’t it to give; and if I had, I wouldn’t. That would
be allowing a fool to make a fool of me. I’m sorry, very, but I can’t do
anything for you».
«Oh, Mr. Cowperwood!» Tears were in Stires’s eyes. «He’ll discharge me! He’ll forfeit my sureties. I’ll be turned out into the street.
I have only a little property of my own – outside of my salary!»
He wrung his hands, and Cowperwood shook his head sadly.
«This isn’t as bad as you think, Albert. He won’t do what he says.
He can’t. It’s unfair and illegal. You can bring suit and recover your
salary. I’ll help you in that as much as I’m able. But I can’t give you
back this sixty-thousand-dollar check, because I haven’t it to give.
I couldn’t if I wanted to. It isn’t here any more. I’ve paid for the se-
265
THEODORE DREISER
curities I bought with it. The securities are not here. They’re in
the sinking-fund, or will be».
He paused, wishing he had not mentioned that fact. It was
a slip of the tongue, one of the few he ever made, due to the peculiar pressure of the situation. Stires pleaded longer. It was no use,
Cowperwood told him. Finally he went away, crestfallen, fearsome,
broken. There were tears of suffering in his eyes. Cowperwood was
very sorry. And then his father was announced.
The elder Cowperwood brought a haggard face. He and Frank
had had a long conversation the evening before, lasting until early
morning, but it had not been productive of much save uncertainty.
«Hello, father!» exclaimed Cowperwood, cheerfully, noting his
father’s gloom. He was satisfi ed that there was scarcely a coal of
hope to be raked out of these ashes of despair, but there was no
use admitting it.
«Well?» said his father, lifting his sad eyes in a peculiar way.
«Well, it looks like stormy weather, doesn’t it? I’ve decided to
call a meeting of my creditors, father, and ask for time. There isn’t
anything else to do. I can’t realize enough on anything to make it
worth while talking about. I thought Stener might change his mind,
but he’s worse rather than better. His head bookkeeper just went
out of here».
«What did he want?» asked Henry Cowperwood.
«He wanted me to give him back a check for sixty thousand that
he paid me for some city loan I bought yesterday morning». Frank
did not explain to his father, however, that he had hypothecated
the certifi cates this check had paid for, and used the check itself to
raise money enough to pay the Girard National Bank and to give
himself thirty-fi ve thousand in cash besides.
«Well, I declare!» replied the old man. «You’d think he’d have
better sense than that. That’s a perfectly legitimate transaction.
When did you say he notifi ed you not to buy city loan?»
«Yesterday noon».
«He’s out of his mind», Cowperwood, Sr., commented, laconically.
266
THE FINANCIER
«It’s Mollenhauer and Simpson and Butler, I know. They want
my street-railway lines. Well, they won’t get them. They’ll get them
through a receivership, and after the panic’s all over. Our creditors
will have fi rst chance at these. If they buy, they’ll buy from them.
If it weren’t for that fi ve-hundred-thousand-dollar loan I wouldn’t
think a thing of this. My creditors would sustain me nicely. But
the moment that gets noised around!... And this election! I hypothecated those city loan certifi cates because I didn’t want to get on
the wrong side of Davison. I expected to take in enough by now to
take them up. They ought to be in the sinking-fund, really».
The old gentleman saw the point at once, and winced.
«They might cause you trouble, there, Frank».
«It’s a technical question», replied his son. «I might have been
intending to take them up. As a matter of fact, I will if I can before
three. I’ve been taking eight and ten days to deposit them in the past.
In a storm like this I’m entitled to move my pawns as best I can».
Cowperwood, the father, put his hand over his mouth again.
He felt very disturbed about this. He saw no way out, however.
He was at the end of his own resources. He felt the side-whiskers on
his left cheek. He looked out of the window into the little green
court. Possibly it was a technical question, who should say. The fi nancial relations of the city treasury with other brokers before
Frank had been very lax. Every banker knew that. Perhaps precedent
would or should govern in this case. He could not say. Still, it was
dangerous – not straight. If Frank could get them out and deposit
them it would be so much better.
«I’d take them up if I were you and I could», he added.
«I will if I can».
«How much money have you?»
«Oh, twenty thousand, all told. If I suspend, though, I’ll have to
have a little ready cash».
«I have eight or ten thousand, or will have by night, I hope».
He was thinking of some one who would give him a second
mortgage on his house.
267
THEODORE DREISER
Cowperwood looked quietly at him. There was nothing more to
be said to his father. «I’m going to make one more appeal to Stener
after you leave here», he said. «I’m going over there with Harper
Steger when he comes. If he won’t change I’ll send out notice to my
creditors, and notify the secretary of the exchange. I want you to
keep a stiff upper lip, whatever happens. I know you will, though.
I’m going into the thing head down. If Stener had any sense –»
He paused. «But what’s the use talking about a damn fool?»
He turned to the window, thinking of how easy it would have
been, if Aileen and he had not been exposed by this anonymous
note, to have arranged all with Butler. Rather than injure the party,
Butler, in extremis, would have assisted him. Now...!
His father got up to go. He was as stiff with despair as though he
were suffering from cold.
«Well», he said, wearily.
Cowperwood suffered intensely for him. What a shame! His
father! He felt a great surge of sorrow sweep over him but a moment later mastered it, and settled to his quick, defi ant thinking.
As the old man went out, Harper Steger was brought in. They shook
hands, and at once started for Stener’s offi ce. But Stener had sunk in
on himself like an empty gas-bag, and no efforts were suffi cient to
infl ate him. They went out, fi nally, defeated.
«I tell you, Frank», said Steger, «I wouldn’t worry. We can tie this
thing up legally until election and after, and that will give all this
row a chance to die down. Then you can get your people together
and talk sense to them. They’re not going to give up good properties
like this, even if Stener does go to jail».
Steger did not know of the sixty thousand dollars’ worth of hypothecated securities as yet. Neither did he know of Aileen Butler
and her father’s boundless rage.
CHAPTER XXX
There was one development in connection with all of this of
which Cowperwood was as yet unaware. The same day that brought
Edward Butler the anonymous communication in regard to his
daughter, brought almost a duplicate of it to Mrs. Frank Algernon
Cowperwood, only in this case the name of Aileen Butler had curiously been omitted.
Perhaps you don’t know that your husband is running with another woman. If you don’t believe it, watch the house at 931 North
Tenth Street.
Mrs. Cowperwood was in the conservatory watering some
plants when this letter was brought by her maid Monday morning.
She was most placid in her thoughts, for she did not know what all
the conferring of the night before meant. Frank was occasionally
troubled by fi nancial storms, but they did not see to harm him.
«Lay it on the table in the library, Annie. I’ll get it».
She thought it was some social note.
In a little while (such was her deliberate way), she put down
her sprinkling-pot and went into the library. There it was lying on
the green leather sheepskin which constituted a part of the ornamentation of the large library table. She picked it up, glanced at it
curiously because it was on cheap pa per, and then opened it. Her
face paled slightly as she read it; and then her hand trembled – not
much. Hers was not a soul that ever loved passionately, hence she
could not suffer passionately. She was hurt, disgusted, enraged for
the moment, and frightened; but she was not broken in spirit en-
269
THEODORE DREISER
tirely. Thirteen years of life with Frank Cowperwood had taught her
a number of things. He was selfi sh, she knew now, self-centered, and
not as much charmed by her as he had been. The fear she had originally felt as to the effect of her preponderance of years had been to
some extent justifi ed by the lapse of time. Frank did not love her as
he had – he had not for some time; she had felt it. What was it? –
she had asked herself at times – almost, who was it? Business was
engrossing him so.
Finance was his master. Did this mean the end of her regime, she
queried. Would he cast her off? Where would she go? What would
she do? She was not helpless, of course, for she had money of her
own which he was manipulating for her. Who was this other woman? Was she young, beautiful, of any social position? Was it – ? Suddenly she stopped. Was it? Could it be, by any chance – her mouth
opened – Aileen Butler?
She stood still, staring at this letter, for she could scarcely countenance her own thought. She had observed often, in spite of all their
caution, how friendly Aileen had been to him and he to her. He liked
her; he never lost a chance to defend her. Lillian had thought of
them at times as being curiously suited to each other temperamentally. He liked young people. But, of course, he was married, and
Aileen was infi nitely beneath him socially, and he had two children
and herself. And his social and fi nancial position was so fi xed and
stable that he did not dare trifl e with it. Still she paused; for forty
years and two children, and some slight wrinkles, and the suspicion
that we may be no longer loved as we once were, is apt to make any
woman pause, even in the face of the most signifi cant fi nancial position. Where would she go if she left him? What would people think?
What about the children? Could she prove this liaison? Could she
entrap him in a compromising situation? Did she want to?
She saw now that she did not love him as some women love their
husbands. She was not wild about him. In a way she had been taking him for granted all these years, had thought that he loved her
enough not to be unfaithful to her; at least fancied that he was so
270
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