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cipal　creditors　of　American　Match　are　our　local　banks　and　some　private　individuals　who　have　loaned　money　on　the　stock。　　I　have　a　list　of　them　here；　along　with　the　amounts　for　which　they　are　responsible。　It　is　in　the　neighborhood　of　ten　millions　of　dollars。〃

Mr。　Arneel；　with　the　unconscious　arrogance　of　wealth　and　power；　did　not　trouble　to　explain　how　he　got　the　list；　neither　did　he　show　the　slightest　perturbation。　　He　merely　fished　down　in　one　pocket　in　a　heavy　way　and　produced　it；　spreading　it　out　on　the　table　before　him。　　The　company　wondered　whose　names　and　what　amounts　were　down；　and　whether　it　was　his　intention　to　read　it。

〃Now；〃　resumed　Mr。　Arneel；　seriously；　〃I　want　to　say　here　that　Mr。　Stackpole；　Mr。　Merrill；　Mr。　Hand；　and　myself　have　been　to　a　certain　extent　investors　in　this　stock；　and　up　to　this　afternoon　we　felt　it　to　be　our　duty；　not　so　much　to　ourselves　as　to　the　various　banks　which　have　accepted　this　stock　as　collateral　and　to　the　city　at　large；　to　sustain　it　as　much　as　possible。　　We　believed　in　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole。　　We　might　have　gone　still　further　if　there　had　been　any　hope　that　a　number　of　others　could　carry　the　stock　without　seriously　injuring　themselves；　but　in　view　of　recent　developments　we　know　that　this　can't　be　done。　　For　some　time　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole　and　the　various　bank　officers　have　had　reason　to　think　that　some　one　has　been　cutting　the　ground　from　under　them；　and　now　they　know　it。　　It　is　because　of　this；　and　because　only　concerted　action　on　the　part　of　banks　and　individuals　can　save　the　financial　credit　of　the　city　at　this　time；　that　this　meeting　is　called。　Stocks　are　going　to　continue　to　be　thrown　on　the　market。　　It　is　possible　that　Hull　&　Stackpole　may　have　to　liquidate　in　some　way。　One　thing　is　certain：　unless　a　large　sum　of　money　is　gathered　to　meet　the　claim　against　them　in　the　morning；　they　will　fail。　　The　trouble　is　due　indirectly；　of　course；　to　this　silver　agitation；　but　it　is　due　a　great　deal　more；　we　believe；　to　a　piece　of　local　sharp　dealing　which　has　just　come　to　light；　and　which　has　really　been　the　cause　of　putting　the　financial　community　in　the　tight　place　where　it　stands　to…night。　　I　might　as　well　speak　plainly　as　to　this　matter。　　It　is　the　work　of　one　manMr。　Cowperwood。　　American　Match　might　have　pulled　through　and　the　city　been　have　spared　the　danger　which　now　confronts　it　if　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole　had　not　made　the　mistake　of　going　to　this　man。〃

Mr。　Arneel　paused；　and　Mr。　Norrie　Simms；　more　excitable　than　most　by　temperament；　chose　to　exclaim；　bitterly：　〃The　wrecker！〃　A　stir　of　interest　passed　over　the　others　accompanied　by　murmurs　of　disapproval。

〃The　moment　he　got　the　stock　in　his　hands　as　collateral；〃　continued　Mr。　Arneel；　solemnly；　〃and　in　the　face　of　an　agreement　not　to　throw　a　share　on　the　market；　he　has　been　unloading　steadily。　　That　is　what　has　been　happening　yesterday　and　to…day。　　Over　fifteen　thousand　shares　of　this　stock；　which　cannot　very　well　be　traced　to　outside　sources；　have　been　thrown　on　the　market；　and　we　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　all　of　it　comes　from　the　same　place。　　The　result　is　that　American　Match；　and　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole；　are　on　the　verge　of　collapse。〃

〃The　scoundrel！〃　repeated　Mr。　Norrie　Simms；　bitterly；　almost　rising　to　his　feet。　　The　Douglas　Trust　Company　was　heavily　interested　in　American　Match。

〃What　an　outrage！〃　commented　Mr。　Lawrence；　of　the　Prairie　National；　which　stood　to　lose　at　least　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　shrinkage　of　values　on　hypothecated　stock　alone。　　To　this　bank　that　Cowperwood　owed　at　least　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　on　call。

〃Depend　on　it　to　find　his　devil's　hoof　in　it　somewhere；〃　observed　Jordan　Jules；　who　had　never　been　able　to　make　any　satisfactory　progress　in　his　fight　on　Cowperwood　in　connection　with　the　city　council　and　the　development　of　the　Chicago　General　Company。　　The　Chicago　Central；　of　which　he　was　now　a　director；　was　one　of　the　banks　from　which　Cowperwood　had　judiciously　borrowed。

〃It's　a　pity　he　should　be　allowed　to　go　on　bedeviling　the　town　in　this　fashion；〃　observed　Mr。　Sunderland　Sledd　to　his　neighbor；　Mr。　Duane　Kingsland；　who　was　a　director　in　a　bank　controlled　by　Mr。　Hand。

The　latter；　as　well　as　Schryhart；　observed　with　satisfaction　the　effect　of　Mr。　Arneel's　words　on　the　company。

Mr。　Arneel　now　again　fished　in　his　pocket　laboriously；　and　drew　forth　a　second　slip　of　paper　which　he　spread　out　before　him。　　〃This　is　a　time　when　frankness　must　prevail；〃　he　went　on；　solemnly；　〃if　anything　is　to　be　done；　and　I　am　in　hopes　that　we　can　do　something。　I　have　here　a　memorandum　of　some　of　the　loans　which　the　local　banks　have　made　to　Mr。　Cowperwood　and　which　are　still　standing　on　their　books。　　I　want　to　know　if　there　are　any　further　loans　of　which　any　of　you　happen　to　know　and　which　you　are　willing　to　mention　at　this　time。〃

He　looked　solemnly　around。

Immediately　several　loans　were　mentioned　by　Mr。　Cotton　and　Mr。　Osgood　which　had　not　been　heard　of　previously。　　The　company　was　now　very　well　aware；　in　a　general　way；　of　what　was　coming。

〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　continued　Mr。　Arneel；　〃I　have；　previous　to　this　meeting；　consulted　with　a　number　of　our　leading　men。　　They　agree　with　me　that；　since　so　many　banks　are　in　need　of　funds　to　carry　this　situation；　and　since　there　is　no　particular　obligation　on　anybody's　part　to　look　after　the　interests　of　Mr。　Cowperwood；　it　might　be　just　as　well　if　these　loans　of　his；　which　are　outstanding；　were　called　and　the　money　used　to　aid　the　banks　and　the　men　who　have　been　behind　Mr。　Hull　and　Mr。　Stackpole。　　I　have　no　personal　feeling　against　Mr。　Cowperwoodthat　is；　he　has　never　done　me　any　direct　injurybut　naturally　I　cannot　approve　of　the　course　he　has　seen　fit　to　take　in　this　case。　　Now；　if　there　isn't　money　available　from　some　source　to　enable　you　gentlemen　to　turn　around；　there　will　be　a　number　of　other　failures。　　Runs　may　be　started　on　a　half…dozen　banks。　　Time　is　the　essence　of　a　situation　like　this；　and　we　haven't　any　time。〃

Mr。　Arneel　paused　and　looked　around。　　A　slight　buzz　of　conversation　sprang　up；　mostly　bitter　and　destructive　criticism　of　Cowperwood。

〃It　would　be　only　just　if　he　could　be　made　to　pay　for　this；〃　commented　Mr。　Blackman　to　Mr。　Sledd。　　〃He　has　been　allowed　to　play　fast　and　loose　long　enough。　　It　is　time　some　one　called　a　halt　on　him。〃

〃Well；　it　looks　to　me　as　though　it　would　be　done　tonight；〃　Mr。　Sledd　returned。

Meanwhile　Mr。　Schryhart　was　again　rising　to　his　feet。　　〃I　think；〃　he　was　saying；　〃if　there　is　no　objection　on　any　one's　part；　Mr。　Arneel；　as　chairman；　might　call　for　a　formal　expression　of　opinion　from　the　different　gentlemen　present　which　will　be　on　record　as　the　sense　of　this　meeting。〃

At　this　point　Mr。　Kingsland；　a　tall；　whiskered　gentleman；　arose　to　inquire　exactly　how　it　came　that　Cowperwood　had　secured　these　stocks；　and　whether　those　present　were　absolutely　sure　that　the　stock　has　been　coming　from　him　or　from　his　friends。　　〃I　would　not　like　to　think　we　were　doing　any　man　an　injustice；〃　he　concluded。

In　reply　to　this　Mr。　Schryhart　called　in　Mr。　Stackpole　to　corroborate　him。　　Some　of　the　stocks　had　been　positively　identified。　　Stackpole　related　the　full　story；　which　somehow　seemed　to　electrify　the　company；　so　intense　was　the　feeling　against　Cowperwood。

〃It　is　amazing　that　men　should　be　permitted　to　do　things　like　this　and　still　hold　up　their　heads　in　the　business　world；〃　said　one；　Mr。　Vasto；　president　of　the　Third　National；　to　his　neighbor。

〃I　should　think　there　would　be　no　difficulty　in　securing　united　action　in　a　case　of　this　kind；〃　said　Mr。　Lawrence；　president　of　the　Prairie　National；　who　was　very　much　beholden　to　Hand　for　past　and　present　favors。

〃Here　is　a　case；〃　put　in　Schryhart；　who　was　merely　waiting　for　an　opportunity　to　explain　further；　〃in　which　an　unexpected　political　situation　develops　an　unexpected　crisis；　and　this　man　uses　it　for　his　personal　aggrandizement　and　to　the　detriment　of　every　other　person。　　The　welfare　of　the　city　is　nothing　to　him。　　The　stability　of　the　very　banks　he　borrows　from　is　nothing。　　He　is　a　pariah；　and　if　this　opportunity　to　show　him　what　we　think　of　him　and　his　methods　is　not　used　we　will　be　doing　less　than　our　duty　to　the　city　and　to　one　another。〃

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Mr。　Arneel；　finally；　after　Cowperwood's　different　loans　had　been　carefully　tabulated；　〃don't　you　think　it　would　be　wise　to　send　for　Mr。　Cowperwood　and　state　to　him　directly　the　decision　we　have　reached　and　the　reasons　for　it？　I　presume　all　of　us　would　agree　that　he　should　be　notified。〃

〃I　think　he　should　be　notified；〃　said　Mr。　Merrill；　who　saw　behind　this　smooth　talk　the　iron　club　that　was　being　brandished。

Both　Hand　and　Schryhart　looked　at　each　other　and　Arneel　while　they　politely　waited　for　some　one　else　to　make　a　suggestion。　　When　no　one　ventured；　Hand；　who　was　hoping　this　would　prove　a　ripping　blow　to　Cowperwood；　remarked；　viciously：

〃He　might　as　well　be　toldif　we　can　reach　him。　　It's　sufficient　notice；　in　my　judgment。　　He　might　as　well　understand　that　this　is　the　united　action　of　the　leading　financial　forces　of　the　city。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　added　Mr。　Schryhart。　　〃It　is　time　he　understood；　I　think；　what　the　moneyed　men　of　this　community　think　of　him　and　his　crooked　ways。

A　murmur　of　approval　ran　around　the　room。

〃Very　well；〃　said　Mr。　Arneel。　　〃Anson；　you　know　him　better　than　some　of　the　rest　of　us。　　Perhaps　you　had　better　see　if　you　can　get　him　on　the　telephone　and　ask　him　to　call。　　Tell　him　that　we　are　here　in　executive　session。〃

〃I　think　he　might　take　it　more　seriously　if　you　spoke　to　him；　Timothy；〃　replied　Merrill。

Arneel；　being　always　a　man　of　action；　arose　and　left　the　room；　seeking　a　telephone　which　was　located　in　a　small　workroom　or　office　den　on　the　same　floor；　where　he　could　talk　without　fear　of　being　overheard。

Sitting　in　his　library　on　this　particular　evening；　and　studying　the　details　of　half　a　dozen　art…catalogues　which　had　accumulated　during　the　week；　Cowperwood　was　decidedly　conscious　of　the　probable　collapse　of　American　Match　on　the　morrow。　　Through　his　brokers　and　agents　he　was　well　aware　that　a　conference　was　on　at　this　hour　at　the　house　of　Arneel。　　More　than　once　during　the　day　he　had　seen　bankers　and　brokers　who　were　anxious　about　possible　sh