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　now　came　forward　to　Stener　with　an　idea　of　his　own。　　All　were　certain　to　make　money　through　Cowperwoodhe　and　Stener；　especially。　　What　was　amiss；　therefore；　with　himself　and　Stener　and　with　Cowperwood　as　their　or　rather　Stener's　secret　representative；　since　Strobik　did　not　dare　to　appear　in　the　matterbuying　now　sufficient　street…railway　shares　in　some　one　line　to　control　it；　and　then；　if　he；　Strobik；　could；　by　efforts　of　his　own；　get　the　city　council　to　set　aside　certain　streets　for　its　extension；　why；　there　you　werethey　would　own　it。　　Only；　later；　he　proposed　to　shake　Stener　out　if　he　could。　But　this　preliminary　work　had　to　be　done　by　some　one；　and　it　might　as　well　be　Stener。　　At　the　same　time；　as　he　saw；　this　work　had　to　be　done　very　carefully；　because　naturally　his　superiors　were　watchful；　and　if　they　found　him　dabbling　in　affairs　of　this　kind　to　his　own　advantage；　they　might　make　it　impossible　for　him　to　continue　politically　in　a　position　where　he　could　help　himself　just　the　same。　　Any　outside　organization　such　as　a　street…railway　company　already　in　existence　had　a　right　to　appeal　to　the　city　council　for　privileges　which　would　naturally　further　its　and　the　city's　growth；　and；　other　things　being　equal；　these　could　not　be　refused。　　It　would　not　do　for　him　to　appear；　however；　both　as　a　shareholder　and　president　of　the　council。　　But　with　Cowperwood　acting　privately　for　Stener　it　would　be　another　thing。

The　interesting　thing　about　this　proposition　as　finally　presented　by　Stener　for　Strobik　to　Cowperwood；　was　that　it　raised；　without　appearing　to　do　so；　the　whole　question　of　Cowperwood's　attitude　toward　the　city　administration。　　Although　he　was　dealing　privately　for　Edward　Butler　as　an　agent；　and　with　this　same　plan　in　mind；　and　although　he　had　never　met　either　Mollenhauer　or　Simpson；　he　nevertheless　felt　that　in　so　far　as　the　manipulation　of　the　city　loan　was　concerned　he　was　acting　for　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　in　this　matter　of　the　private　street…railway　purchase　which　Stener　now　brought　to　him；　he　realized　from　the　very　beginning；　by　Stener's　attitude；　that　there　was　something　untoward　in　it；　that　Stener　felt　he　was　doing　something　which　he　ought　not　to　do。

〃Cowperwood；〃　he　said　to　him　the　first　morning　he　ever　broached　this　matterit　was　in　Stener's　office；　at　the　old　city　hall　at　Sixth　and　Chestnut；　and　Stener；　in　view　of　his　oncoming　prosperity；　was　feeling　very　good　indeed〃isn't　there　some　street…railway　property　around　town　here　that　a　man　could　buy　in　on　and　get　control　of　if　he　had　sufficient　money？〃

Cowperwood　knew　that　there　were　such　properties。　　His　very　alert　mind　had　long　since　sensed　the　general　opportunities　here。　　The　omnibuses　were　slowly　disappearing。　　The　best　routes　were　already　preempted。　　Still；　there　were　other　streets；　and　the　city　was　growing。　　The　incoming　population　would　make　great　business　in　the　future。　　One　could　afford　to　pay　almost　any　price　for　the　short　lines　already　built　if　one　could　wait　and　extend　the　lines　into　larger　and　better　areas　later。　　And　already　he　had　conceived　in　his　own　mind　the　theory　of　the　〃endless　chain；〃　or　〃argeeable　formula；〃　as　it　was　later　termed；　of　buying　a　certain　property　on　a　long…time　payment　and　issuing　stocks　or　bonds　sufficient　not　only　to　pay　your　seller；　but　to　reimburse　you　for　your　trouble；　to　say　nothing　of　giving　you　a　margin　wherewith　to　invest　in　other　things　allied　properties；　for　instance；　against　which　more　bonds　could　be　issued；　and　so　on；　ad　infinitum。　　It　became　an　old　story　later；　but　it　was　new　at　that　time；　and　he　kept　the　thought　closely　to　himself。　　None　the　less　he　was　glad　to　have　Stener　speak　of　this；　since　street…railways　were　his　hobby；　and　he　was　convinced　that　he　would　be　a　great　master　of　them　if　he　ever　had　an　opportunity　to　control　them。

〃Why；　yes；　George；〃　he　said；　noncommittally；　there　are　two　or　three　that　offer　a　good　chance　if　a　man　had　money　enough。　　I　notice　blocks　of　stock　being　offered　on　'change　now　and　then　by　one　person　and　another。　　It　would　be　good　policy　to　pick　these　things　up　as　they're　offered；　and　then　to　see　later　if　some　of　the　other　stockholders　won't　want　to　sell　out。　　Green　and　Coates；　now；　looks　like　a　good　proposition　to　me。　　If　I　had　three　or　four　hundred　thousand　dollars　that　I　thought　I　could　put　into　that　by　degrees　I　would　follow　it　up。　　It　only　takes　about　thirty　per　cent。　of　the　stock　of　any　railroad　to　control　it。　　Most　of　the　shares　are　scattered　around　so　far　and　wide　that　they　never　vote；　and　I　think　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　would　control　that　road。〃　He　mentioned　one　other　line　that　might　be　secured　in　the　same　way　in　the　course　of　time。

Stener　meditated。　　〃That's　a　good　deal　of　money；〃　he　said；　thoughtfully。　　〃I'll　talk　to　you　about　that　some　more　later。〃　And　he　was　off　to　see　Strobik　none　the　less。

Cowperwood　knew　that　Stener　did　not　have　any　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　to　invest　in　anything。　　There　was　only　one　way　that　he　could　get　itand　that　was　to　borrow　it　out　of　the　city　treasury　and　forego　the　interest。　　But　he　would　not　do　that　on　his　own　initiative。　　Some　one　else　must　be　behind　him　and　who　else　other　than　Mollenhauer；　or　Simpson；　or　possibly　even　Butler；　though　he　doubted　that；　unless　the　triumvirate　were　secretly　working　together。　　But　what　of　it？　The　larger　politicians　were　always　using　the　treasury；　and　he　was　thinking　now；　only；　of　his　own　attitude　in　regard　to　the　use　of　this　money。　　No　harm　could　come　to　him；　if　Stener's　ventures　were　successful；　and　there　was　no　reason　why　they　should　not　be。　　Even　if　they　were　not　he　would　be　merely　acting　as　an　agent。　　In　addition；　he　saw　how　in　the　manipulation　of　this　money　for　Stener　he　could　probably　eventually　control　certain　lines　for　himself。

There　was　one　line　being　laid　out　to　within　a　few　blocks　of　his　new　homethe　Seventeenth　and　Nineteenth　Street　line　it　was　called　which　interested　him　greatly。　　He　rode　on　it　occasionally　when　he　was　delayed　or　did　not　wish　to　trouble　about　a　vehicle。　　It　ran　through　two　thriving　streets　of　red…brick　houses；　and　was　destined　to　have　a　great　future　once　the　city　grew　large　enough。　　As　yet　it　was　really　not　long　enough。　　If　he　could　get　that；　for　instance；　and　combine　it　with　Butler's　lines；　once　they　were　securedor　Mollenhauer's；　or　Simpson's；　the　legislature　could　be　induced　to　give　them　additional　franchises。　　He　even　dreamed　of　a　combination　between　Butler；　Mollenhauer；　Simpson；　and　himself。　　Between　them；　politically；　they　could　get　anything。　　But　Butler　was　not　a　philanthropist。　　He　would　have　to　be　approached　with　a　very　sizable　bird　in　hand。　　The　combination　must　be　obviously　advisable。　Besides；　he　was　dealing　for　Butler　in　street…railway　stocks；　and　if　this　particular　line　were　such　a　good　thing　Butler　might　wonder　why　it　had　not　been　brought　to　him　in　the　first　place。　　It　would　be　better；　Frank　thought；　to　wait　until　he　actually　had　it　as　his　own；　in　which　case　it　would　be　a　different　matter。　　Then　he　could　talk　as　a　capitalist。　　He　began　to　dream　of　a　city…wide　street…railway　system　controlled　by　a　few　men；　or　preferably　himself　alone。





Chapter　XVII




The　days　that　had　been　passing　brought　Frank　Cowperwood　and　Aileen　Butler　somewhat　closer　together　in　spirit。　　Because　of　the　pressure　of　his　growing　affairs　he　had　not　paid　so　much　attention　to　her　as　he　might　have；　but　he　had　seen　her　often　this　past　year。　　She　was　now　nineteen　and　had　grown　into　some　subtle　thoughts　of　her　own。　　For　one　thing；　she　was　beginning　to　see　the　difference　between　good　taste　and　bad　taste　in　houses　and　furnishings。

〃Papa；　why　do　we　stay　in　this　old　barn？〃　she　asked　her　father　one　evening　at　dinner；　when　the　usual　family　group　was　seated　at　the　table。

〃What's　the　matter　with　this　house；　I'd　like　to　know？〃　demanded　Butler；　who　was　drawn　up　close　to　the　table；　his　napkin　tucked　comfortably　under　his　chin；　for　he　insisted　on　this　when　company　was　not　present。　　〃I　don't　see　anything　the　matter　with　this　house。　Your　mother　and　I　manage　to　live　in　it　well　enough。〃

〃Oh；　it's　terrible；　papa。　　You　know　it；〃　supplemented　Norah；　who　was　seventeen　and　quite　as　bright　as　her　sister；　though　a　little　less　experienced。　　〃Everybody　says　so。　　Look　at　all　the　nice　houses　that　are　being　built　everywhere　about　here。〃

〃Everybody！　Everybody！　Who　is　'everybody；'　I'd　like　to　know？〃　demanded　Butler；　with　the　faintest　touch　of　choler　and　much　humor。　〃I'm　somebody；　and　I　like　it。　　Those　that　don't　like　it　don't　have　to　live　in　it。　　Who　are　they？　What's　the　matter　with　it；　I'd　like　to　know？〃

The　question　in　just　this　form　had　been　up　a　number　of　times　before；　and　had　been　handled　in　just　this　manner；　or　passed　over　entirely　with　a　healthy　Irish　grin。　　To…night；　however；　it　was　destined　for　a　little　more　extended　thought。

〃You　know　it's　bad；　papa；〃　corrected　Aileen；　firmly。　　〃Now　what's　the　use　getting　mad　about　it？　It's　old　and　cheap　and　dingy。　　The　furniture　is　all　worn　out。　　That　old　piano　in　there　ought　to　be　given　away。　　I　won't　play　on　it　any　more。　　The　Cowperwoods〃

〃Old　is　it！〃　exclaimed　Butler；　his　accent　sharpening　somewhat　with　his　self…induced　rage。　　He　almost　pronounced　it　〃owled。〃　　〃Dingy；　hi！　Where　do　you　get　that？　At　your　convent；　I　suppose。　　And　where　is　it　worn？　Show　me　where　it's　worn。〃

He　was　coming　to　her　reference　to　Cowperwood；　but　he　hadn't　reached　that　when　Mrs。　Butler　interfered。　　She　was　a　stout；　broad…faced　woman；　smiling…mouthed　most　of　the　time；　with　blurry；　gray　Irish　eyes；　and　a　touch　of　red　in　her　hair；　now　modified　by　grayness。　Her　cheek；　below　the　mouth；　on　the　left　side；　was　sharply　accented　by　a　large　wen。

〃Children！　children！〃　（Mr。　Butler；　for　all　his　commercial　and　political　responsibility；　was　as　much　a　child　to　her　as　any。）　〃Youse　mustn't　quarrel　now。　　Come　now。　　Give　your　father　the　tomatoes。〃

There　was　an　Irish　maid　serving　at　table；　but　plates　were　passed　from　one　to　the　other　just　the　same。　　A　heavily　ornamented　chandelier；　holding　sixteen　imitation　candles　in　white　porcelain；　hung　low　over　the　table　and　was　brightly　lighted；　another　offense　to　Aileen。

〃Mama；　how　often　have　I　told　you　not　to　say　'youse'？〃　pleaded　Norah；　very　much　disheartened　by　her　mother's　grammatical　errors。　〃You　know　you　said　you　wouldn't。〃

〃And