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gia　Du　Coindo　I　need　to　say　any　more？　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　a　number　of　your　letters　in　my　possession。〃

〃Saw　that　ees　it！〃　exclaimed　Sohlberg；　while　Cowperwood　eyed　him　fixedly。　　〃You　have　been　running　around　weeth　my　wife？　Eet　ees　true；　then。　　A　fine　situation！　And　you　come　here　now　weeth　these　threats；　these　lies　to　booldoze　me。　　Haw！　We　weel　see　about　them。　We　weel　see　what　I　can　do。　　Wait　teel　I　can　consult　a　lawyer　first。　Then　we　weel　see！〃

Cowperwood　surveyed　him　coldly；　angrily。　　〃What　an　ass！〃　he　thought。

〃See　here；〃　he　said；　urging　Sohlberg；　for　privacy's　sake；　to　come　down　into　the　lower　hall；　and　then　into　the　street　before　the　sanitarium；　where　two　gas…lamps　were　fluttering　fitfully　in　the　dark　and　wind；　〃I　see　very　plainly　that　you　are　bent　on　making　trouble。　　It　is　not　enough　that　I　have　assured　you　that　there　is　nothing　in　thisthat　I　have　given　you　my　word。　　You　insist　on　going　further。　　Very　well；　then。　　Supposing　for　argument's　sake　that　Mrs。　Cowperwood　was　not　insane；　that　every　word　she　said　was　true；　that　I　had　been　misconducting　myself　with　your　wife？　What　of　it？　What　will　you　do？〃

He　looked　at　Sohlberg　smoothly；　ironically；　while　the　latter　flared　up。

〃Haw！〃　he　shouted；　melodramatically。　　〃Why；　I　would　keel　you；　that's　what　I　would　do。　　I　would　keel　her。　　I　weel　make　a　terrible　scene。　　Just　let　me　knaw　that　this　is　so；　and　then　see！〃

〃Exactly；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　grimly。　　〃I　thought　so。　　I　believe　you。　　For　that　reason　I　have　come　prepared　to　serve　you　in　just　the　way　you　wish。〃　He　reached　in　his　coat　and　took　out　two　small　revolvers；　which　he　had　taken　from　a　drawer　at　home　for　this　very　purpose。　　They　gleamed　in　the　dark。　　〃Do　you　see　these？〃　he　continued。　　〃I　am　going　to　save　you　the　trouble　of　further　investigation；　Mr。　Sohlberg。　　Every　word　that　Mrs。　Cowperwood　said　to…nightand　I　am　saying　this　with　a　full　understanding　of　what　this　means　to　you　and　to　meis　true。　　She　is　no　more　insane　than　I　am。　　Your　wife　has　been　living　in　an　apartment　with　me　on　the　North　Side　for　months；　though　you　cannot　prove　that。　　She　does　not　love　you；　but　me。　　Now　if　you　want　to　kill　me　here　is　a　gun。〃　He　extended　his　hand。　　〃Take　your　choice。　　If　I　am　to　die　you　might　as　well　die　with　me。〃

He　said　it　so　coolly；　so　firmly；　that　Sohlberg；　who　was　an　innate　coward；　and　who　had　no　more　desire　to　die　than　any　other　healthy　animal；　paled。　　The　look　of　cold　steel　was　too　much。　　The　hand　that　pressed　them　on　him　was　hard　and　firm。　　He　took　hold　of　one；　but　his　fingers　trembled。　　The　steely；　metallic　voice　in　his　ear　was　undermining　the　little　courage　that　he　had。　　Cowperwood　by　now　had　taken　on　the　proportions　of　a　dangerous　manthe　lineaments　of　a　demon。　　He　turned　away　mortally　terrified。

〃My　God！〃　he　exclaimed；　shaking　like　a　leaf。　　〃You　want　to　keel　me；　do　you？　I　weel　not　have　anything　to　do　with　you！　I　weel　not　talk　to　you！　I　weel　see　my　lawyer。　　I　weel　talk　to　my　wife　first。〃

〃Oh；　no　you　won't；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　intercepting　him　as　he　turned　to　go　and　seizing　him　firmly　by　the　arm。　　〃I　am　not　going　to　have　you　do　anything　of　the　sort。　　I　am　not　going　to　kill　you　if　you　are　not　going　to　kill　me；　but　I　am　going　to　make　you　listen　to　reason　for　once。　　Now　here　is　what　else　I　have　to　say；　and　then　I　am　through。　　I　am　not　unfriendly　to　you。　　I　want　to　do　you　a　good　turn；　little　as　I　care　for　you。　　To　begin　with；　there　is　nothing　in　those　charges　my　wife　made；　not　a　thing。　　I　merely　said　what　I　did　just　now　to　see　if　you　were　in　earnest。　　You　do　not　love　your　wife　any　more。　　She　doesn't　love　you。　　You　are　no　good　to　her。　　Now；　I　have　a　very　friendly　proposition　to　make　to　you。　　If　you　want　to　leave　Chicago　and　stay　away　three　years　or　more；　I　will　see　that　you　are　paid　five　thousand　dollars　every　year　on　January　firston　the　nailfive　thousand　dollars！　Do　you　hear？　Or　you　can　stay　here　in　Chicago　and　hold　your　tongue　and　I　will　make　it　three　thousandmonthly　or　yearly；　just　as　you　please。　　Butand　this　is　what　I　want　you　to　rememberif　you　don't　get　out　of　town　or　hold　your　tongue；　if　you　make　one　single　rash　move　against　me；　I　will　kill　you；　and　I　will　kill　you　on　sight。　　Now；　I　want　you　to　go　away　from　here　and　behave　yourself。　　Leave　your　wife　alone。　　Come　and　see　me　in　a　day　or　twothe　money　is　ready　for　you　any　time。　　He　paused　while　Sohlberg　staredhis　eyes　round　and　glassy。　　This　was　the　most　astonishing　experience　of　his　life。　This　man　was　either　devil　or　prince；　or　both。　　〃Good　God！〃　he　thought。　　〃He　will　do　that；　too。　　He　will　really　kill　me。〃　Then　the　astounding　alternativefive　thousand　dollars　a　yearcame　to　his　mind。　　Well；　why　not？　His　silence　gave　consent。

〃If　I　were　you　I　wouldn't　go　up…stairs　again　to…night；〃　continued　Cowperwood；　sternly。　　〃Don't　disturb　her。　　She　needs　rest。　　Go　on　down…town　and　come　and　see　me　to…morrowor　if　you　want　to　go　back　I　will　go　with　you。　　I　want　to　say　to　Mrs。　Sohlberg　what　I　have　said　to　you。　　But　remember　what　I've　told　you。〃

〃Nau；　thank　you；〃　replied　Sohlberg；　feebly。　　〃I　will　go　down…town。　Good　night。〃　And　he　hurried　away。

〃I'm　sorry；〃　said　Cowperwood　to　himself；　defensively。　　〃It　is　too　bad；　but　it　was　the　only　way。〃




Chapter　XXI



A　Matter　of　Tunnels

The　question　of　Sohlberg　adjusted　thus　simply；　if　brutally；　Cowperwood　turned　his　attention　to　Mrs。　Sohlberg。　　But　there　was　nothing　much　to　be　done。　　He　explained　that　he　had　now　completely　subdued　Aileen　and　Sohlberg；　that　the　latter　would　make　no　more　trouble；　that　he　was　going　to　pension　him；　that　Aileen　would　remain　permanently　quiescent。　　He　expressed　the　greatest　solicitude　for　her；　but　Rita　was　now　sickened　of　this　tangle。　　She　had　loved　him；　as　she　thought；　but　through　the　rage　of　Aileen　she　saw　him　in　a　different　light；　and　she　wanted　to　get　away。　　His　money；　plentiful　as　it　was；　did　not　mean　as　much　to　her　as　it　might　have　meant　to　some　women；　it　simply　spelled　luxuries；　without　which　she　could　exist　if　she　must。　　His　charm　for　her　had；　perhaps；　consisted　mostly　in　the　atmosphere　of　flawless　security；　which　seemed　to　surround　hima　glittering　bubble　of　romance。　　That；　by　one　fell　attack；　was　now　burst。　　He　was　seen　to　be　quite　as　other　men；　subject　to　the　same　storms；　the　same　danger　of　shipwreck。　　Only　he　was　a　better　sailor　than　most。　　She　recuperated　gradually；　left　for　home；　left　for　Europe；　details　too　long　to　be　narrated。　　Sohlberg；　after　much　meditating　and　fuming；　finally　accepted　the　offer　of　Cowperwood　and　returned　to　Denmark。　　Aileen；　after　a　few　days　of　quarreling；　in　which　he　agreed　to　dispense　with　Antoinette　Nowak；　returned　home。

Cowperwood　was　in　no　wise　pleased　by　this　rough　denouement。　　Aileen　had　not　raised　her　own　attractions　in　his　estimation；　and　yet；　strange　to　relate；　he　was　not　unsympathetic　with　her。　　He　had　no　desire　to　desert　her　as　yet；　though　for　some　time　he　had　been　growing　in　the　feeling　that　Rita　would　have　been　a　much　better　type　of　wife　for　him。　　But　what　he　could　not　have；　he　could　not　have。　　He　turned　his　attention　with　renewed　force　to　his　business；　but　it　was　with　many　a　backward　glance　at　those　radiant　hours　when；　with　Rita　in　his　presence　or　enfolded　by　his　arms；　he　had　seen　life　from　a　new　and　poetic　angle。　　She　was　so　charming；　so　naivebut　what　could　he　do？

For　several　years　thereafter　Cowperwood　was　busy　following　the　Chicago　street…railway　situation　with　increasing　interest。　　He　knew　it　was　useless　to　brood　over　Rita　Sohlbergshe　would　not　returnand　yet　he　could　not　help　it；　but　he　could　work　hard；　and　that　was　something。　　His　natural　aptitude　and　affection　for　street…railway　work　had　long　since　been　demonstrated；　and　it　was　now　making　him　restless。　　One　might　have　said　of　him　quite　truly　that　the　tinkle　of　car…bells　and　the　plop　of　plodding　horses'　feet　was　in　his　blood。　　He　surveyed　these　extending　lines；　with　their　jingling　cars；　as　he　went　about　the　city；　with　an　almost　hungry　eye。　　Chicago　was　growing　fast；　and　these　little　horse…cars　on　certain　streets　were　crowded　night　and　morningfairly　bulging　with　people　at　the　rush…hours。　　If　he　could　only　secure　an　octopus…grip　on　one　or　all　of　them；　if　he　could　combine　and　control　them　all！　What　a　fortune！　That；　if　nothing　else；　might　salve　him　for　some　of　his　woesa　tremendous　fortunenothing　less。　　He　forever　busied　himself　with　various　aspects　of　the　scene　quite　as　a　poet　might　have　concerned　himself　with　rocks　and　rills。　　To　own　these　street…railways！　To　own　these　street…railways！　So　rang　the　song　of　his　mind。

Like　the　gas　situation；　the　Chicago　street…railway　situation　was　divided　into　three　partsthree　companies　representing　and　corresponding　with　the　three　different　sides　or　divisions　of　the　city。　　The　Chicago　City　Railway　Company；　occupying　the　South　Side　and　extending　as　far　south　as　Thirty…ninth　Street；　had　been　organized　in　1859；　and　represented　in　itself　a　mine　of　wealth。　　Already　it　controlled　some　seventy　miles　of　track；　and　was　annually　being　added　to　on　Indiana　Avenue；　on　Wabash　Avenue；　on　State　Street；　and　on　Archer　Avenue。　　It　owned　over　one　hundred　and　fifty　cars　of　the　old…fashioned；　straw…strewn；　no…stove　type；　and　over　one　thousand　horses；　it　employed　one　hundred　and　seventy　conductors；　one　hundred　and　sixty　drivers；　a　hundred　stablemen；　and　blacksmiths；　harness…makers；　and　repairers　in　interesting　numbers。　　Its　snow…plows　were　busy　on　the　street　in　winter；　its　sprinkling…cars　in　summer。　　Cowperwood　calculated　its　shares；　bonds；　rolling…stock；　and　other　physical　properties　as　totaling　in　the　vicinity　of　over　two　million　dollars。　The　trouble　with　this　company　was　that　its　outstanding　stock　was　principally　controlled　by　Norman　Schryhart；　who　was　now　decidedly　inimical　to　Cowperwood；　or　anything　he　might　wish　to　do；　and　by　Anson　Merrill；　who　had　never　manifested　any　signs　of　friendship。　　He　did　not　see　how　he　was　to　get　control　of　this　property。　　Its　shares　were　selling　around　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars。

The　North　Chicago　City　Railway　was　a　corporation　which　had　been　organized　at　the　same　time　as　the　South　Side　company；　but　by　a　different　group　of　men。　　Its　management　was　old；　indifferent；　and　incompetent；　its　equipment　about　the　same。　　The　Chicago　West　Division　Railway　had　originally　been　owned　by　the　Chicago　City　or　South　Side　Railway；　but　was　now　a　separate　corp