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〃I　can't　promise　that；〃　replied　Butler。　　〃I'll　have　to　do　the　best　I　can。　　I　won't　lave　it　go　any　further　than　I　can　helpyou　can　depend　on　that。〃　　He　was　thinking　how　the　effect　of　Stener's　crime　could　be　overcome　if　Cowperwood　failed。

〃Owen！〃

He　stepped　to　the　door；　and；　opening　it；　called　down　over　the　banister。

〃Yes；　father。〃

〃Have　Dan　hitch　up　the　light　buggy　and　bring　it　around　to　the　door。　　And　you　get　your　hat　and　coat。　　I　want　you　to　go　along　with　me。〃

〃Yes；　father。〃

He　came　back。

〃Sure　that's　a　nice　little　storm　in　a　teapot；　now；　isn't　it？　Chicago　begins　to　burn；　and　I　have　to　worry　here　in　Philadelphia。　Well；　well〃　Cowperwood　was　up　now　and　moving　to　the　door。　　〃And　where　are　you　going？〃

〃Back　to　the　house。　　I　have　several　people　coming　there　to　see　me。　But　I'll　come　back　here　later；　if　I　may。〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　replied　Butler。　　〃To　be　sure　I'll　be　here　by　midnight；　anyhow。　　Well；　good　night。　　I'll　see　you　later；　then；　I　suppose。　I'll　tell　you　what　I　find　out。〃

He　went　back　in　his　room　for　something；　and　Cowperwood　descended　the　stair　alone。　　From　the　hangings　of　the　reception…room　entryway　Aileen　signaled　him　to　draw　near。

〃I　hope　it's　nothing　serious；　honey？〃　she　sympathized；　looking　into　his　solemn　eyes。

It　was　not　time　for　love；　and　he　felt　it。

〃No；〃　he　said；　almost　coldly；　〃I　think　not。〃

〃Frank；　don't　let　this　thing　make　you　forget　me　for　long；　please。　You　won't；　will　you？　I　love　you　so。〃

〃No；　no；　I　won't！〃　he　replied　earnestly；　quickly　and　yet　absently。

〃I　can't！　Don't　you　know　I　won't？〃　He　had　started　to　kiss　her；　but　a　noise　disturbed　him。　　〃Sh！〃

He　walked　to　the　door；　and　she　followed　him　with　eager；　sympathetic　eyes。

What　if　anything　should　happen　to　her　Frank？　What　if　anything　could？　What　would　she　do？　That　was　what　was　troubling　her。　　What　would；　what　could　she　do　to　help　him？　He　looked　so　palestrained。





Chapter　XXIV




The　condition　of　the　Republican　party　at　this　time　in　Philadelphia；　its　relationship　to　George　W。　Stener；　Edward　Malia　Butler；　Henry　A。　Mollenhauer；　Senator　Mark　Simpson；　and　others；　will　have　to　be　briefly　indicated　here；　in　order　to　foreshadow　Cowperwood's　actual　situation。　　Butler；　as　we　have　seen；　was　normally　interested　in　and　friendly　to　Cowperwood。　　Stener　was　Cowperwood's　tool。　　Mollenhauer　and　Senator　Simpson　were　strong　rivals　of　Butler　for　the　control　of　city　affairs。　　Simpson　represented　the　Republican　control　of　the　State　legislature；　which　could　dictate　to　the　city　if　necessary；　making　new　election　laws；　revising　the　city　charter；　starting　political　investigations；　and　the　like。　　He　had　many　influential　newspapers；　corporations；　banks；　at　his　beck　and　call。　　Mollenhauer　represented　the　Germans；　some　Americans；　and　some　large　stable　corporationsa　very　solid　and　respectable　man。　　All　three　were　strong；　able；　and　dangerous　politically。　　The　two　latter　counted　on　Butler's　influence；　particularly　with　the　Irish；　and　a　certain　number　of　ward　leaders　and　Catholic　politicians　and　laymen；　who　were　as　loyal　to　him　as　though　he　were　a　part　of　the　church　itself。　Butler's　return　to　these　followers　was　protection；　influence；　aid；　and　good…will　generally。　　The　city's　return　to　him；　via　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson；　was　in　the　shape　of　contractsfat　onesstreet…paving；　bridges；　viaducts；　sewers。　　And　in　order　for　him　to　get　these　contracts　the　affairs　of　the　Republican　party；　of　which　he　was　a　beneficiary　as　well　as　a　leader；　must　be　kept　reasonably　straight。　At　the　same　time　it　was　no　more　a　part　of　his　need　to　keep　the　affairs　of　the　party　straight　than　it　was　of　either　Mollenhauer's　or　Simpson's；　and　Stener　was　not　his　appointee。　　The　latter　was　more　directly　responsible　to　Mollenhauer　than　to　any　one　else。

As　Butler　stepped　into　the　buggy　with　his　son　he　was　thinking　about　this；　and　it　was　puzzling　him　greatly。

〃Cowperwood's　just　been　here；〃　he　said　to　Owen；　who　had　been　rapidly　coming　into　a　sound　financial　understanding　of　late；　and　was　already　a　shrewder　man　politically　and　socially　than　his　father；　though　he　had　not　the　latter's　magnetism。　　〃He's　been　tellin'　me　that　he's　in　a　rather　tight　place。　　You　hear　that？〃　he　continued；　as　some　voice　in　the　distance　was　calling　〃Extra！　Extra！〃　〃That's　Chicago　burnin'；　and　there's　goin'　to　be　trouble　on　the　stock　exchange　to…morrow。　　We　have　a　lot　of　our　street…railway　stocks　around　at　the　different　banks。　　If　we　don't　look　sharp　they'll　be　callin'　our　loans。　　We　have　to　'tend　to　that　the　first　thing　in　the　mornin'。　　Cowperwood　has　a　hundred　thousand　of　mine　with　him　that　he　wants　me　to　let　stay　there；　and　he　has　some　money　that　belongs　to　Stener；　he　tells　me。〃

〃Stener？〃　asked　Owen；　curiously。　　〃Has　he　been　dabbling　in　stocks？〃　Owen　had　heard　some　rumors　concerning　Stener　and　others　only　very　recently；　which　he　had　not　credited　nor　yet　communicated　to　his　father。　　〃How　much　money　of　his　has　Cowperwood？〃　he　asked。

Butler　meditated。　　〃Quite　a　bit；　I'm　afraid；〃　he　finally　said。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　it's　a　great　dealabout　five　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　If　that　should　become　known；　it　would　be　makin'　a　good　deal　of　noise；　I'm　thinkin'。〃

〃Whew！〃　exclaimed　Owen　in　astonishment。　　〃Five　hundred　thousand　dollars！　Good　Lord；　father！　Do　you　mean　to　say　Stener　has　got　away　with　five　hundred　thousand　dollars？　Why；　I　wouldn't　think　he　was　clever　enough　to　do　that。　　Five　hundred　thousand　dollars！　It　will　make　a　nice　row　if　that　comes　out。〃

〃Aisy；　now！　Aisy；　now！〃　replied　Butler；　doing　his　best　to　keep　all　phases　of　the　situation　in　mind。　　〃We　can't　tell　exactly　what　the　circumstances　were　yet。　　He　mayn't　have　meant　to　take　so　much。　It　may　all　come　out　all　right　yet。　　The　money's　invested。　　Cowperwood　hasn't　failed　yet。　　It　may　be　put　back。　　The　thing　to　be　settled　on　now　is　whether　anything　can　be　done　to　save　him。　　If　he's　tellin'　me　the　truthand　I　never　knew　him　to　liehe　can　get　out　of　this　if　street…railway　stocks　don't　break　too　heavy　in　the　mornin'。　I'm　going　over　to　see　Henry　Mollenhauer　and　Mark　Simpson。　　They're　in　on　this。　　Cowperwood　wanted　me　to　see　if　I　couldn't　get　them　to　get　the　bankers　together　and　have　them　stand　by　the　market。　　He　thought　we　might　protect　our　loans　by　comin'　on　and　buyin'　and　holdin'　up　the　price。〃

Owen　was　running　swiftly　in　his　mind　over　Cowperwood's　affairsas　much　as　he　knew　of　them。　　He　felt　keenly　that　the　banker　ought　to　be　shaken　out。　　This　dilemma　was　his　fault；　not　Stener'she　felt。　It　was　strange　to　him　that　his　father　did　not　see　it　and　resent　it。

〃You　see　what　it　is；　father；〃　he　said；　dramatically；　after　a　time。　〃Cowperwood's　been　using　this　money　of　Stener's　to　pick　up　stocks；　and　he's　in　a　hole。　　If　it　hadn't　been　for　this　fire　he'd　have　got　away　with　it；　but　now　he　wants　you　and　Simpson　and　Mollenhauer　and　the　others　to　pull　him　out。　　He's　a　nice　fellow；　and　I　like　him　fairly　well；　but　you're　a　fool　if　you　do　as　he　wants　you　to。　　He　has　more　than　belongs　to　him　already。　　I　heard　the　other　day　that　he　has　the　Front　Street　line；　and　almost　all　of　Green　and　Coates；　and　that　he　and　Stener　own　the　Seventeenth　and　Nineteenth；　but　I　didn't　believe　it。　　I've　been　intending　to　ask　you　about　it。　　I　think　Cowperwood　has　a　majority　for　himself　stowed　away　somewhere　in　every　instance。　　Stener　is　just　a　pawn。　　He　moves　him　around　where　he　pleases。〃

Owen's　eyes　gleamed　avariciously；　opposingly。　　Cowperwood　ought　to　be　punished；　sold　out；　driven　out　of　the　street…railway　business　in　which　Owen　was　anxious　to　rise。

〃Now　you　know；〃　observed　Butler；　thickly　and　solemnly；　〃I　always　thought　that　young　felly　was　clever；　but　I　hardly　thought　he　was　as　clever　as　all　that。　　So　that's　his　game。　　You're　pretty　shrewd　yourself；　aren't　you？　Well；　we　can　fix　that；　if　we　think　well　of　it。　　But　there's　more　than　that　to　all　this。　　You　don't　want　to　forget　the　Republican　party。　　Our　success　goes　with　the　success　of　that；　you　know〃and　he　paused　and　looked　at　his　son。　　〃If　Cowperwood　should　fail　and　that　money　couldn't　be　put　back〃　He　broke　off　abstractedly。　　〃The　thing　that's　troublin'　me　is　this　matter　of　Stener　and　the　city　treasury。　　If　somethin'　ain't　done　about　that；　it　may　go　hard　with　the　party　this　fall；　and　with　some　of　our　contracts。　　You　don't　want　to　forget　that　an　election　is　comin'　along　in　November。　　I'm　wonderin'　if　I　ought　to　call　in　that　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　It's　goin'　to　take　considerable　money　to　meet　my　loans　in　the　mornin'。〃

It　is　a　curious　matter　of　psychology；　but　it　was　only　now　that　the　real　difficulties　of　the　situation　were　beginning　to　dawn　on　Butler。　　In　the　presence　of　Cowperwood　he　was　so　influenced　by　that　young　man's　personality　and　his　magnetic　presentation　of　his　need　and　his　own　liking　for　him　that　he　had　not　stopped　to　consider　all　the　phases　of　his　own　relationship　to　the　situation。　　Out　here　in　the　cool　night　air；　talking　to　Owen；　who　was　ambitious　on　his　own　account　and　anything　but　sentimentally　considerate　of　Cowperwood；　he　was　beginning　to　sober　down　and　see　things　in　their　true　light。　He　had　to　admit　that　Cowperwood　had　seriously　compromised　the　city　treasury　and　the　Republican　party；　and　incidentally　Butler's　own　private　interests。　　Nevertheless；　he　liked　Cowperwood。　　He　was　in　no　way　prepared　to　desert　him。