the financier-第23节

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utsiders　at　that　figure。　　Afterward；　if；　as　it　was　certain　to　do；　it　fell　below　that；　the　politicians　could　buy　as　much　of　it　as　they　pleased；　and　eventually　have　the　city　redeem　it　at　par。

George　W。　Stener；　entering　as　city　treasurer　at　this　time；　and　bringing　no　special　financial　intelligence　to　the　proposition；　was　really　troubled。　　Henry　A。　Mollenhauer；　one　of　the　men　who　had　gathered　up　a　large　amount　of　the　old　city　warrants；　and　who　now　wanted　his　money；　in　order　to　invest　it　in　bonanza　offers　in　the　West；　called　on　Stener；　and　also　on　the　mayor。　　He　with　Simpson　and　Butler　made　up　the　Big　Three。

〃I　think　something　ought　to　be　done　about　these　warrants　that　are　outstanding；〃　he　explained。　　〃I　am　carrying　a　large　amount　of　them；　and　there　are　others。　　We　have　helped　the　city　a　long　time　by　saying　nothing；　but　now　I　think　that　something　ought　to　be　done。　　Mr。　Butler　and　Mr。　Simpson　feel　the　same　way。　　Couldn't　these　new　loan　certificates　be　listed　on　the　stock　exchange　and　the　money　raised　that　way？　Some　clever　broker　could　bring　them　to　par。〃

Stener　was　greatly　flattered　by　the　visit　from　Mollenhauer。　Rarely　did　he　trouble　to　put　in　a　personal　appearance；　and　then　only　for　the　weight　and　effect　his　presence　would　have。　　He　called　on　the　mayor　and　the　president　of　council；　much　as　he　called　on　Stener；　with　a　lofty；　distant；　inscrutable　air。　　They　were　as　office…boys　to　him。

In　order　to　understand　exactly　the　motive　for　Mollenhauer's　interest　in　Stener；　and　the　significance　of　this　visit　and　Stener's　subsequent　action　in　regard　to　it；　it　will　be　necessary　to　scan　the　political　horizon　for　some　little　distance　back。　　Although　George　W。　Stener　was　in　a　way　a　political　henchman　and　appointee　of　Mollenhauer's；　the　latter　was　only　vaguely　acquainted　with　him。　He　had　seen　him　before；　knew　of　him；　had　agreed　that　his　name　should　be　put　on　the　local　slate　largely　because　he　had　been　assured　by　those　who　were　closest　to　him　and　who　did　his　bidding　that　Stener　was　〃all　right；〃　that　he　would　do　as　he　was　told；　that　he　would　cause　no　one　any　trouble；　etc。　　In　fact；　during　several　previous　administrations；　Mollenhauer　had　maintained　a　subsurface　connection　with　the　treasury；　but　never　so　close　a　one　as　could　easily　be　traced。　　He　was　too　conspicuous　a　man　politically　and　financially　for　that。　　But　he　was　not　above　a　plan；　in　which　Simpson　if　not　Butler　shared；　of　using　political　and　commercial　stool…pigeons　to　bleed　the　city　treasury　as　much　as　possible　without　creating　a　scandal。　　In　fact；　for　some　years　previous　to　this；　various　agents　had　already　been　employedEdward　Strobik；　president　of　council；　Asa　Conklin；　the　then　incumbent　of　the　mayor's　chair；　Thomas　Wycroft；　alderman；　Jacob　Harmon；　alderman；　and　othersto　organize　dummy　companies　under　various　names；　whose　business　it　was　to　deal　in　those　things　which　the　city　neededlumber；　stone；　steel；　iron；　cementa　long　listand　of　course；　always　at　a　fat　profit　to　those　ultimately　behind　the　dummy　companies；　so　organized。　　It　saved　the　city　the　trouble　of　looking　far　and　wide　for　honest　and　reasonable　dealers。

Since　the　action　of　at　least　three　of　these　dummies　will　have　something　to　do　with　the　development　of　Cowperwood's　story；　they　may　be　briefly　described。　　Edward　Strobik；　the　chief　of　them；　and　the　one　most　useful　to　Mollenhauer；　in　a　minor　way；　was　a　very　spry　person　of　about　thirty…five　at　this　timelean　and　somewhat　forceful；　with　black　hair；　black　eyes；　and　an　inordinately　large　black　mustache。　　He　was　dapper；　inclined　to　noticeable　clothing　a　pair　of　striped　trousers；　a　white　vest；　a　black　cutaway　coat　and　a　high　silk　hat。　　His　markedly　ornamental　shoes　were　always　polished　to　perfection；　and　his　immaculate　appearance　gave　him　the　nickname　of　〃The　Dude〃　among　some。　　Nevertheless　he　was　quite　able　on　a　small　scale；　and　was　well　liked　by　many。

His　two　closest　associates；　Messrs。　Thomas　Wycroft　and　Jacob　Harmon；　were　rather　less　attractive　and　less　brilliant。　　Jacob　Harmon　was　a　thick　wit　socially；　but　no　fool　financially。　　He　was　big　and　rather　doleful　to　look　upon；　with　sandy　brown　hair　and　brown　eyes；　but　fairly　intelligent；　and　absolutely　willing　to　approve　anything　which　was　not　too　broad　in　its　crookedness　and　which　would　afford　him　sufficient　protection　to　keep　him　out　of　the　clutches　of　the　law。　　He　was　really　not　so　cunning　as　dull　and　anxious　to　get　along。

Thomas　Wycroft；　the　last　of　this　useful　but　minor　triumvirate；　was　a　tall；　lean　man；　candle…waxy；　hollow…eyed；　gaunt　of　face；　pathetic　to　look　at　physically；　but　shrewd。　　He　was　an　iron…molder　by　trade　and　had　gotten　into　politics　much　as　Stener　hadbecause　he　was　useful；　and　he　had　managed　to　make　some　moneyvia　this　triumvirate　of　which　Strobik　was　the　ringleader；　and　which　was　engaged　in　various　peculiar　businesses　which　will　now　be　indicated。

The　companies　which　these　several　henchmen　had　organized　under　previous　administrations；　and　for　Mollenhauer；　dealt　in　meat；　building　material；　lamp…posts；　highway　supplies；　anything　you　will；　which　the　city　departments　or　its　institutions　needed。　　A　city　contract　once　awarded　was　irrevocable；　but　certain　councilmen　had　to　be　fixed　in　advance　and　it　took　money　to　do　that。　　The　company　so　organized　need　not　actually　slaughter　any　cattle　or　mold　lamp…posts。　　All　it　had　to　do　was　to　organize　to　do　that；　obtain　a　charter；　secure　a　contract　for　supplying　such　material　to　the　city　from　the　city　council　（which　Strobik；　Harmon；　and　Wycroft　would　attend　to）；　and　then　sublet　this　to　some　actual　beef…slaughterer　or　iron…founder；　who　would　supply　the　material　and　allow　them　to　pocket　their　profit　which　in　turn　was　divided　or　paid　for　to　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　in　the　form　of　political　donations　to　clubs　or　organizations。　　It　was　so　easy　and　in　a　way　so　legitimate。　　The　particular　beef…slaughterer　or　iron…founder　thus　favored　could　not　hope　of　his　own　ability　thus　to　obtain　a　contract。　　Stener；　or　whoever　was　in　charge　of　the　city　treasury　at　the　time；　for　his　services　in　loaning　money　at　a　low　rate　of　interest　to　be　used　as　surety　for　the　proper　performance　of　contract；　and　to　aid　in　some　instances　the　beef…killer　or　iron…founder　to　carry　out　his　end；　was　to　be　allowed　not　only　the　one　or　two　per　cent。　which　he　might　pocket　（other　treasurers　had）；　but　a　fair　proportion　of　the　profits。　　A　complacent；　confidential　chief　clerk　who　was　all　right　would　be　recommended　to　him。　　It　did　not　concern　Stener　that　Strobik；　Harmon；　and　Wycroft；　acting　for　Mollenhauer；　were　incidentally　planning　to　use　a　little　of　the　money　loaned　for　purposes　quite　outside　those　indicated。　　It　was　his　business　to　loan　it。

However；　to　be　going　on。　　Some　time　before　he　was　even　nominated；　Stener　had　learned　from　Strobik；　who；　by　the　way；　was　one　of　his　sureties　as　treasurer　（which　suretyship　was　against　the　law；　as　were　those　of　Councilmen　Wycroft　and　Harmon；　the　law　of　Pennsylvania　stipulating　that　one　political　servant　might　not　become　surety　for　another）；　that　those　who　had　brought　about　this　nomination　and　election　would　by　no　means　ask　him　to　do　anything　which　was　not　perfectly　legal；　but　that　he　must　be　complacent　and　not　stand　in　the　way　of　big　municipal　perquisites　nor　bite　the　hands　that　fed　him。　　It　was　also　made　perfectly　plain　to　him；　that　once　he　was　well　in　office　a　little　money　for　himself　was　to　be　made。　　As　has　been　indicated；　he　had　always　been　a　poor　man。　　He　had　seen　all　those　who　had　dabbled　in　politics　to　any　extent　about　him　heretofore　do　very　well　financially　indeed；　while　he　pegged　along　as　an　insurance　and　real…estate　agent。　　He　had　worked　hard　as　a　small　political　henchman。　　Other　politicians　were　building　themselves　nice　homes　in　newer　portions　of　the　city。　　They　were　going　off　to　New　York　or　Harrisburg　or　Washington　on　jaunting　parties。　　They　were　seen　in　happy　converse　at　road…houses　or　country　hotels　in　season　with　their　wives　or　their　women　favorites；　and　he　was　not；　as　yet；　of　this　happy　throng。　　Naturally　now　that　he　was　promised　something；　he　was　interested　and　compliant。　　What　might　he　not　get？

When　it　came　to　this　visit　from　Mollenhauer；　with　its　suggestion　in　regard　to　bringing　city　loan　to　par；　although　it　bore　no　obvious　relation　to　Mollenhauer's　subsurface　connection　with　Stener；　through　Strobik　and　the　others；　Stener　did　definitely　recognize　his　own　political　subserviencehis　master's　stentorian　voiceand　immediately　thereafter　hurried　to　Strobik　for　information。

〃Just　what　would　you　do　about　this？〃　he　asked　of　Strobik；　who　knew　of　Mollenhauer's　visit　before　Stener　told　him；　and　was　waiting　for　Stener　to　speak　to　him。　　〃Mr。　Mollenhauer　talks　about　having　this　new　loan　listed　on　'change　and　brought　to　par　so　that　it　will　sell　for　one　hundred。〃

Neither　Strobik；　Harmon；　nor　Wycroft　knew　how　the　certificates　of　city　loan；　which　were　worth　only　ninety　on　the　open　market；　were　to　be　made　to　sell　for　one　hundred　on　'change；　but　Mollenhauer's　secretary；　one　Abner　Sengstack；　had　suggested　to　Strobik　that；　since　Butler　was　dealing　with　young　Cowperwood　and　Mollenhauer　did　not　care　particularly　for　his　private　broker　in　this　instance；　it　might　be　as　well　to　try　Cowperwood。


So　it　was　that　Cowperwood　was　called　to　Stener's　office。　　And　once　there；　and　not　as　yet　recognizi