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id　as　prey。　　What　was　the　result　to　be？　What　else　could　it　be？　He　didn't　have　a　chance；〃　he　concluded　finally；　as　he　trotted　on　homeward。

The　incident　made　a　great　impression　on　him。　　It　answered　in　a　rough　way　that　riddle　which　had　been　annoying　him　so　much　in　the　past：　〃How　is　life　organized？〃　Things　lived　on　each　otherthat　was　it。　　Lobsters　lived　on　squids　and　other　things。　　What　lived　on　lobsters？　Men；　of　course！　Sure；　that　was　it！　And　what　lived　on　men？　he　asked　himself。　　Was　it　other　men？　Wild　animals　lived　on　men。　　And　there　were　Indians　and　cannibals。　　And　some　men　were　killed　by　storms　and　accidents。　　He　wasn't　so　sure　about　men　living　on　men；　but　men　did　kill　each　other。　　How　about　wars　and　street　fights　and　mobs？　He　had　seen　a　mob　once。　　It　attacked　the　Public　Ledger　building　as　he　was　coming　home　from　school。　　His　father　had　explained　why。　　It　was　about　the　slaves。　　That　was　it！　Sure；　men　lived　on　men。　　Look　at　the　slaves。　　They　were　men。　　That's　what　all　this　excitement　was　about　these　days。　　Men　killing　other　men　negroes。

He　went　on　home　quite　pleased　with　himself　at　his　solution。

〃Mother！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　entered　the　house；　〃he　finally　got　him！〃

〃Got　who？　What　got　what？〃　she　inquired　in　amazement。　　〃Go　wash　your　hands。〃

〃Why；　that　lobster　got　that　squid　I　was　telling　you　and　pa　about　the　other　day。〃

〃Well；　that's　too　bad。　　What　makes　you　take　any　interest　in　such　things？　Run；　wash　your　hands。〃

〃Well；　you　don't　often　see　anything　like　that。　　I　never　did。〃　　He　went　out　in　the　back　yard；　where　there　was　a　hydrant　and　a　post　with　a　little　table　on　it；　and　on　that　a　shining　tin…pan　and　a　bucket　of　water。　　Here　he　washed　his　face　and　hands。

〃Say；　papa；〃　he　said　to　his　father；　later；　〃you　know　that　squid？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　he's　dead。　　The　lobster　got　him。〃

His　father　continued　reading。　　〃Well；　that's　too　bad；〃　he　said；　indifferently。

But　for　days　and　weeks　Frank　thought　of　this　and　of　the　life　he　was　tossed　into；　for　he　was　already　pondering　on　what　he　should　be　in　this　world；　and　how　he　should　get　along。　　From　seeing　his　father　count　money；　he　was　sure　that　he　would　like　banking；　and　Third　Street；　where　his　father's　office　was；　seemed　to　him　the　cleanest；　most　fascinating　street　in　the　world。





Chapter　II




The　growth　of　young　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　was　through　years　of　what　might　be　called　a　comfortable　and　happy　family　existence。　Buttonwood　Street；　where　he　spent　the　first　ten　years　of　his　life；　was　a　lovely　place　for　a　boy　to　live。　　It　contained　mostly　small　two　and　three…story　red　brick　houses；　with　small　white　marble　steps　leading　up　to　the　front　door；　and　thin；　white　marble　trimmings　outlining　the　front　door　and　windows。　　There　were　trees　in　the　streetplenty　of　them。　　The　road　pavement　was　of　big；　round　cobblestones；　made　bright　and　clean　by　the　rains；　and　the　sidewalks　were　of　red　brick；　and　always　damp　and　cool。　　In　the　rear　was　a　yard；　with　trees　and　grass　and　sometimes　flowers；　for　the　lots　were　almost　always　one　hundred　feet　deep；　and　the　house…fronts；　crowding　close　to　the　pavement　in　front；　left　a　comfortable　space　in　the　rear。

The　Cowperwoods；　father　and　mother；　were　not　so　lean　and　narrow　that　they　could　not　enter　into　the　natural　tendency　to　be　happy　and　joyous　with　their　children；　and　so　this　family；　which　increased　at　the　rate　of　a　child　every　two　or　three　years　after　Frank's　birth　until　there　were　four　children；　was　quite　an　interesting　affair　when　he　was　ten　and　they　were　ready　to　move　into　the　New　Market　Street　home。　　Henry　Worthington　Cowperwood's　connections　were　increased　as　his　position　grew　more　responsible；　and　gradually　he　was　becoming　quite　a　personage。　　He　already　knew　a　number　of　the　more　prosperous　merchants　who　dealt　with　his　bank；　and　because　as　a　clerk　his　duties　necessitated　his　calling　at　other　banking…houses；　he　had　come　to　be　familiar　with　and　favorably　known　in　the　Bank　of　the　United　States；　the　Drexels；　the　Edwards；　and　others。　　The　brokers　knew　him　as　representing　a　very　sound　organization；　and　while　he　was　not　considered　brilliant　mentally；　he　was　known　as　a　most　reliable　and　trustworthy　individual。

In　this　progress　of　his　father　young　Cowperwood　definitely　shared。　He　was　quite　often　allowed　to　come　to　the　bank　on　Saturdays；　when　he　would　watch　with　great　interest　the　deft　exchange　of　bills　at　the　brokerage　end　of　the　business。　　He　wanted　to　know　where　all　the　types　of　money　came　from；　why　discounts　were　demanded　and　received；　what　the　men　did　with　all　the　money　they　received。　　His　father；　pleased　at　his　interest；　was　glad　to　explain　so　that　even　at　this　early　agefrom　ten　to　fifteenthe　boy　gained　a　wide　knowledge　of　the　condition　of　the　country　financiallywhat　a　State　bank　was　and　what　a　national　one；　what　brokers　did；　what　stocks　were；　and　why　they　fluctuated　in　value。　　He　began　to　see　clearly　what　was　meant　by　money　as　a　medium　of　exchange；　and　how　all　values　were　calculated　according　to　one　primary　value；　that　of　gold。　　He　was　a　financier　by　instinct；　and　all　the　knowledge　that　pertained　to　that　great　art　was　as　natural　to　him　as　the　emotions　and　subtleties　of　life　are　to　a　poet。　　This　medium　of　exchange；　gold；　interested　him　intensely。　　When　his　father　explained　to　him　how　it　was　mined；　he　dreamed　that　he　owned　a　gold　mine　and　waked　to　wish　that　he　did。　He　was　likewise　curious　about　stocks　and　bonds　and　he　learned　that　some　stocks　and　bonds　were　not　worth　the　paper　they　were　written　on；　and　that　others　were　worth　much　more　than　their　face　value　indicated。

〃There；　my　son；〃　said　his　father　to　him　one　day；　〃you　won't　often　see　a　bundle　of　those　around　this　neighborhood。〃　　He　referred　to　a　series　of　shares　in　the　British　East　India　Company；　deposited　as　collateral　at　two…thirds　of　their　face　value　for　a　loan　of　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　A　Philadelphia　magnate　had　hypothecated　them　for　the　use　of　the　ready　cash。　　Young　Cowperwood　looked　at　them　curiously。　　〃They　don't　look　like　much；　do　they？〃　he　commented。

〃They　are　worth　just　four　times　their　face　value；〃　said　his　father；　archly。

Frank　reexamined　them。　　〃The　British　East　India　Company；〃　he　read。　〃Ten　poundsthat's　pretty　near　fifty　dollars。〃

〃Forty…eight；　thirty…five；〃　commented　his　father；　dryly。　　〃Well；　if　we　had　a　bundle　of　those　we　wouldn't　need　to　work　very　hard。　You'll　notice　there　are　scarcely　any　pin…marks　on　them。　　They　aren't　sent　around　very　much。　　I　don't　suppose　these　have　ever　been　used　as　collateral　before。〃

Young　Cowperwood　gave　them　back　after　a　time；　but　not　without　a　keen　sense　of　the　vast　ramifications　of　finance。　　What　was　the　East　India　Company？　What　did　it　do？　His　father　told　him。

At　home　also　he　listened　to　considerable　talk　of　financial　investment　and　adventure。　　He　heard；　for　one　thing；　of　a　curious　character　by　the　name　of　Steemberger；　a　great　beef　speculator　from　Virginia；　who　was　attracted　to　Philadelphia　in　those　days　by　the　hope　of　large　and　easy　credits。　　Steemberger；　so　his　father　said；　was　close　to　Nicholas　Biddle；　Lardner；　and　others　of　the　United　States　Bank；　or　at　least　friendly　with　them；　and　seemed　to　be　able　to　obtain　from　that　organization　nearly　all　that　he　asked　for。　　His　operations　in　the　purchase　of　cattle　in　Virginia；　Ohio；　and　other　States　were　vast；　amounting；　in　fact；　to　an　entire　monopoly　of　the　business　of　supplying　beef　to　Eastern　cities。　　He　was　a　big　man；　enormous；　with　a　face；　his　father　said；　something　like　that　of　a　pig；　and　he　wore　a　high　beaver　hat　and　a　long　frock…coat　which　hung　loosely　about　his　big　chest　and　stomach。　He　had　managed　to　force　the　price　of　beef　up　to　thirty　cents　a　pound；　causing　all　the　retailers　and　consumers　to　rebel；　and　this　was　what　made　him　so　conspicuous。　　He　used　to　come　to　the　brokerage　end　of　the　elder　Cowperwood's　bank；　with　as　much　as　one　hundred　thousand　or　two　hundred　thousand　dollars；　in　twelve　months　post…notes　of　the　United　States　Bank　in　denominations　of　one　thousand；　five　thousand；　and　ten　thousand　dollars。　　These　he　would　cash　at　from　ten　to　twelve　per　cent。　under　their　face　value；　having　previously　given　the　United　States　Bank　his　own　note　at　four　months　for　the　entire　amount。　　He　would　take　his　pay　from　the　Third　National　brokerage　counter　in　packages　of　Virginia；　Ohio；　and　western　Pennsylvania　bank…notes　at　par；　because　he　made　his　disbursements　principally　in　those　States。　　The　Third　National　would　in　the　first　place　realize　a　profit　of　from　four　to　five　per　cent。　on　the　original　transaction；　and　as　it　took　the　Western　bank…notes　at　a　discount；　it　also　made　a　profit　on　those。

There　was　another　man　his　father　talked　aboutone　Francis　J。　Grund；　a　famous　newspaper　correspondent　and　lobbyist　at　Washington；　who　possessed　the　faculty　of　unearthing　secrets　of　every　kind；　especially　those　relating　to　financial　legislation。　　The　secrets　of　the　President　and　the　Cabinet；　as　well　as　of　the　Senate　and　the　House　of　Representatives；　seemed　to　be　open　to　him。　　Grund　had　been　about；　years　before；　purchasing　through　one　or　two　brokers　large　amounts　of　the　various　kinds　of　Texas　debt　certificates　and　bonds。　The　Republic　of　Texas；　in　its　struggle　for　independence　from　Mexico；　had　issued　bonds　and　certificates　in　great　variety；　amounting　in　value　to　ten　or　fifteen　million