the financier-第41部分

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〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Senator　Simpson；　with　true　political　sagacity　and　feeling。

〃I'll　have　that　one　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　the　mornin'；〃　said　Butler；　〃and　never　fear。〃

〃I　think；〃　said　Simpson；　〃if　anything　comes　of　this　matter　that　we　will　have　to　do　our　best　to　hush　it　up　until　after　the　election。　The　newspapers　can　just　as　well　keep　silent　on　that　score　as　not。　There's　one　thing　I　would　suggest〃and　he　was　now　thinking　of　the　street…railway　properties　which　Cowperwood　had　so　judiciously　collected〃and　that　is　that　the　city　treasurer　be　cautioned　against　advancing　any　more　money　in　a　situation　of　this　kind。　　He　might　readily　be　compromised　into　advancing　much　more。　　I　suppose　a　word　from　you；　Henry；　would　prevent　that。〃

〃Yes；　I　can　do　that；〃　said　Mollenhauer；　solemnly。

〃My　judgement　would　be；〃　said　Butler；　in　a　rather　obscure　manner；　thinking　of　Cowperwood's　mistake　in　appealing　to　these　noble　protectors　of　the　public；　〃that　it's　best　to　let　sleepin'　dogs　run　be　thimselves。〃

Thus　ended　Frank　Cowperwood's　dreams　of　what　Butler　and　his　political　associates　might　do　for　him　in　his　hour　of　distress。

The　energies　of　Cowperwood　after　leaving　Butler　were　devoted　to　the　task　of　seeing　others　who　might　be　of　some　assistance　to　him。　He　had　left　word　with　Mrs。　Stener　that　if　any　message　came　from　her　husband　he　was　to　be　notified　at　once。　　He　hunted　up　Walter　Leigh；　of　Drexel　&　Co。；　Avery　Stone　of　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。；　and　President　Davison　of　the　Girard　National　Bank。　　He　wanted　to　see　what　they　thought　of　the　situation　and　to　negotiate　a　loan　with　President　Davison　covering　all　his　real　and　personal　property。

〃I　can't　tell　you；　Frank；〃　Walter　Leigh　insisted；　〃I　don't　know　how　things　will　be　running　by　to…morrow　noon。　　I'm　glad　to　know　how　you　stand。　　I'm　glad　you're　doing　what　you're　doinggetting　all　your　affairs　in　shape。　　It　will　help　a　lot。　　I'll　favor　you　all　I　possibly　can。　　But　if　the　chief　decides　on　a　certain　group　of　loans　to　be　called；　they'll　have　to　be　called；　that's　all。　I'll　do　my　best　to　make　things　look　better。　　If　the　whole　of　Chicago　is　wiped　out；　the　insurance　companiessome　of　them；　anyhoware　sure　to　go；　and　then　look　out。　　I　suppose　you'll　call　in　all　your　loans？〃

〃Not　any　more　than　I　have　to。〃

〃Well；　that's　just　the　way　it　is　hereor　will　be。〃

The　two　men　shook　hands。　　They　liked　each　other。　　Leigh　was　of　the　city's　fashionable　coterie；　a　society　man　to　the　manner　born；　but　with　a　wealth　of　common　sense　and　a　great　deal　of　worldly　experience。

〃I'll　tell　you；　Frank；〃　he　observed　at　parting；　〃I've　always　thought　you　were　carrying　too　much　street…railway。　　It's　great　stuff　if　you　can　get　away　with　it；　but　it's　just　in　a　pinch　like　this　that　you're　apt　to　get　hurt。　　You've　been　making　money　pretty　fast　out　of　that　and　city　loans。〃

He　looked　directly　into　his　long…time　friend's　eyes；　and　they　smiled。

It　was　the　same　with　Avery　Stone；　President　Davison；　and　others。　They　had　all　already　heard　rumors　of　disaster　when　he　arrived。　They　were　not　sure　what　the　morrow　would　bring　forth。　　It　looked　very　unpromising。

Cowperwood　decided　to　stop　and　see　Butler　again　for　he　felt　certain　his　interview　with　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　was　now　over。　　Butler；　who　had　been　meditating　what　he　should　say　to　Cowperwood；　was　not　unfriendly　in　his　manner。　　〃So　you're　back；〃　he　said；　when　Cowperwood　appeared。

〃Yes；　Mr。　Butler。〃

〃Well；　I'm　not　sure　that　I've　been　able　to　do　anything　for　you。　I'm　afraid　not；〃　Butler　said；　cautiously。　　〃It's　a　hard　job　you　set　me。　　Mollenhauer　seems　to　think　that　he'll　support　the　market；　on　his　own　account。　　I　think　he　will。　　Simpson　has　interests　which　he　has　to　protect。　　I'm　going　to　buy　for　myself；　of　course。〃

He　paused　to　reflect。

〃I　couldn't　get　them　to　call　a　conference　with　any　of　the　big　moneyed　men　as　yet；〃　he　added；　warily。　　〃They'd　rather　wait　and　see　what　happens　in　the　mornin'。　　Still；　I　wouldn't　be　down…hearted　if　I　were　you。　　If　things　turn　out　very　bad　they　may　change　their　minds。　　I　had　to　tell　them　about　Stener。　　It's　pretty　bad；　but　they're　hopin'　you'll　come　through　and　straighten　that　out。　　I　hope　so。　　About　my　own　loanwell；　I'll　see　how　things　are　in　the　mornin'。　　If　I　raisonably　can　I'll　lave　it　with　you。　　You'd　better　see　me　again　about　it。　　I　wouldn't　try　to　get　any　more　money　out　of　Stener　if　I　were　you。　　It's　pretty　bad　as　it　is。〃

Cowperwood　saw　at　once　that　he　was　to　get　no　aid　from　the　politicians。　The　one　thing　that　disturbed　him　was　this　reference　to　Stener。　Had　they　already　communicated　with　himwarned　him？　If　so；　his　own　coming　to　Butler　had　been　a　bad　move；　and　yet　from　the　point　of　view　of　his　possible　failure　on　the　morrow　it　had　been　advisable。　At　least　now　the　politicians　knew　where　he　stood。　　If　he　got　in　a　very　tight　corner　he　would　come　to　Butler　againthe　politicians　could　assist　him　or　not；　as　they　chose。　　If　they　did　not　help　him　and　he　failed；　and　the　election　were　lost；　it　was　their　own　fault。　Anyhow；　if　he　could　see　Stener　first　the　latter　would　not　be　such　a　fool　as　to　stand　in　his　own　light　in　a　crisis　like　this。

〃Things　look　rather　dark　to…night；　Mr。　Butler；〃　he　said；　smartly；　〃but　I　still　think　I'll　come　through。　　I　hope　so；　anyhow。　　I'm　sorry　to　have　put　you　to　so　much　trouble。　　I　wish；　of　course；　that　you　gentlemen　could　see　your　way　clear　to　assist　me；　but　if　you　can't；　you　can't。　　I　have　a　number　of　things　that　I　can　do。　　I　hope　that　you　will　leave　your　loan　as　long　as　you　can。〃

He　went　briskly　out；　and　Butler　meditated。　　〃A　clever　young　chap　that；〃　he　said。　　〃It's　too　bad。　　But　he　may　come　out　all　right　at　that。〃

Cowperwood　hurried　to　his　own　home　only　to　find　his　father　awake　and　brooding。　　To　him　he　talked　with　that　strong　vein　of　sympathy　and　understanding　which　is　usually　characteristic　of　those　drawn　by　ties　of　flesh　and　blood。　　He　liked　his　father。　　He　sympathized　with　his　painstaking　effort　to　get　up　in　the　world。　　He　could　not　forget　that　as　a　boy　he　had　had　the　loving　sympathy　and　interest　of　his　father。　　The　loan　which　he　had　from　the　Third　National；　on　somewhat　weak　Union　Street　Railway　shares　he　could　probably　replace　if　stocks　did　not　drop　too　tremendously。　　He　must　replace　this　at　all　costs。　　But　his　father's　investments　in　street…railways；　which　had　risen　with　his　own　ventures；　and　which　now　involved　an　additional　two　hundred　thousandhow　could　he　protect　those？　The　shares　were　hypothecated　and　the　money　was　used　for　other　things。　Additional　collateral　would　have　to　be　furnished　the　several　banks　carrying　them。　　It　was　nothing　except　loans；　loans；　loans；　and　the　need　of　protecting　them。　　If　he　could　only　get　an　additional　deposit　of　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　from　Stener。　　But　that；　in　the　face　of　possible　financial　difficulties；　was　rank　criminality。　All　depended　on　the　morrow。

Monday；　the　ninth；　dawned　gray　and　cheerless。　　He　was　up　with　the　first　ray　of　light；　shaved　and　dressed；　and　went　over；　under　the　gray…green　pergola；　to　his　father's　house。　　He　was　up；　also；　and　stirring　about；　for　he　had　not　been　able　to　sleep。　　His　gray　eyebrows　and　gray　hair　looked　rather　shaggy　and　disheveled；　and　his　side…whiskers　anything　but　decorative。　　The　old　gentleman's　eyes　were　tired；　and　his　face　was　gray。　　Cowperwood　could　see　that　he　was　worrying。　　He　looked　up　from　a　small；　ornate　escritoire　of　buhl；　which　Ellsworth　had　found　somewhere；　and　where　he　was　quietly　tabulating　a　list　of　his　resources　and　liabilities。　　Cowperwood　winced。　　He　hated　to　see　his　father　worried；　but　he　could　not　help　it。　　He　had　hoped　sincerely；　when　they　built　their　houses　together；　that　the　days　of　worry　for　his　father　had　gone　forever。

〃Counting　up？〃　he　asked；　familiarly；　with　a　smile。　　He　wanted　to　hearten　the　old　gentleman　as　much　as　possible。

〃I　was　just　running　over　my　affairs　again　to　see　where　I　stood　in　case〃　He　looked　quizzically　at　his　son；　and　Frank　smiled　again。

〃I　wouldn't　worry；　father。　　I　told　you　how　I　fixed　it　so　that　Butler　and　that　crowd　will　support　the　market。　　I　have　Rivers　and　Targool　and　Harry　Eltinge　on　'change　helping　me　sell　out；　and　they　are　the　best　men　there。　　They'll　handle　the　situation　carefully。　　I　couldn't　trust　Ed　or　Joe　in　this　case；　for　the　moment　they　began　to　sell　everybody　would　know　what　was　going　on　with　me。　　This　way　my　men　will　seem　like　bears　hammering　the　market；　but　not　hammering　too　hard。　　I　ought　to　be　able　to　unload　enough　at　ten　points　off　to　raise　five　hundred　thousand。　　The　market　may　not　go　lower　than　that。　　You　can't　tell。　　It　isn't　going　to　sink　indefinitely。　　If　I　just　knew　what　the　big　insurance　companies　were　going　to　do！　The　morning　paper　hasn't　come　yet；　has　it？〃

He　was　going　to　pull　a　bell；　but　remembered　that　the　servants　would　scarcely　be　up　as　yet。　　He　went　to　the　front　door　himself。　There　were　the　Press　and　the　Public　Ledger　lying　damp　from　the　presses。　　He　picked　them　up　and　glanced　at　the　front　pages。　　His　countenance　fell。　　On　one；　the　Press；　was　spread　a　great　black　map　of　Chicago；　a　most　funereal…looking　thing；　the　black　portion　indicating　the　burned　section。　　He　had　never　seen　a　map　of　Chicago　before　in　just　this　clear；　definite　way。　　That　white　portion　was　Lake　Michigan；　and　there　was　the　Chicago　River　dividing　the　city　into　three　almost　equal　portionsthe　north　side；　the　west　side；　the　south　side。　　He　saw　at　once　that　the　city　was　curiously　arranged；　somewhat　like　Philadelphia；　and　that　the　business　section　was　probably　an　area　of　two　or　three　miles　square；　set　at　the　juncture　of　the　three　sides；　and　lying　south　of　the　main　stem　of　the　river；　where　it　flowed　into　the　lake　after　the　southwest　and　northwest　branches　had　united　to　form　it。　　This　was　a　significant　central　area；　but；　according　to　this　map；　it　was　all　burned　out。　　〃Chicago　in　Ashes〃　ran　a　great　side…heading　set　in　heavily　leaded　black　type。　　It　went　on　to　detail　the　sufferings　of　the　homeless；　the　number　of　the　dead；　the　number　of　those　whose　fortunes　had　been　destroyed。　　Then　it　descanted　upon　the　probable　effect　in　the　East。　Insurance　companies　and　manufacturers　might　not　be　able　to　meet　the　great　strain　of　all　this。

〃Damn！〃　said　Cowperwood　gloomily。　　〃I　wish　I　were　out　of　this　stock…jobbing　business。　　I　wish　I　had　never　gotten　into　it。〃　　He　returned　to　his　drawing…roo