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ties　who　were　trying　to　swing　a　national　election　were　anxious　to　discover　what　the　State　of　Pennsylvania　would　do；　so　far　as　the　Republican　party　was　concerned；　it　was　to　Senator　Simpson　that　they　appealed。　　In　the　literal　sense　of　the　word；　he　knew。　　The　Senator　had　long　since　graduated　from　State　to　national　politics；　and　was　an　interesting　figure　in　the　United　States　Senate　at　Washington；　where　his　voice　in　all　the　conservative　and　moneyed　councils　of　the　nation　was　of　great　weight。

The　house　that　he　occupied；　of　Venetian　design；　and　four　stories　in　height；　bore　many　architectural　marks　of　distinction；　such　as　the　floriated　window；　the　door　with　the　semipointed　arch；　and　medallions　of　colored　marble　set　in　the　walls。　　The　Senator　was　a　great　admirer　of　Venice。　　He　had　been　there　often；　as　he　had　to　Athens　and　Rome；　and　had　brought　back　many　artistic　objects　representative　of　the　civilizations　and　refinements　of　older　days。　He　was　fond；　for　one　thing；　of　the　stern；　sculptured　heads　of　the　Roman　emperors；　and　the　fragments　of　gods　and　goddesses　which　are　the　best　testimony　of　the　artistic　aspirations　of　Greece。　　In　the　entresol　of　this　house　was　one　of　his　finest　treasuresa　carved　and　floriated　base　bearing　a　tapering　monolith　some　four　feet　high；　crowned　by　the　head　of　a　peculiarly　goatish　Pan；　by　the　side　of　which　were　the　problematic　remains　of　a　lovely　nude　nymphjust　the　little　feet　broken　off　at　the　ankles。　　The　base　on　which　the　feet　of　the　nymph　and　the　monolith　stood　was　ornamented　with　carved　ox…skulls　intertwined　with　roses。　　In　his　reception　hall　were　replicas　of　Caligula；　Nero；　and　other　Roman　emperors；　and　on　his　stair…walls　reliefs　of　dancing　nymphs　in　procession；　and　priests　bearing　offerings　of　sheep　and　swine　to　the　sacrificial　altars。　There　was　a　clock　in　some　corner　of　the　house　which　chimed　the　quarter；　the　half；　the　three…quarters；　and　the　hour　in　strange；　euphonious；　and　pathetic　notes。　　On　the　walls　of　the　rooms　were　tapestries　of　Flemish　origin；　and　in　the　reception…hall；　the　library；　the　living…room；　and　the　drawing…room；　richly　carved　furniture　after　the　standards　of　the　Italian　Renaissance。　　The　Senator's　taste　in　the　matter　of　paintings　was　inadequate；　and　he　mistrusted　it；　but　such　as　he　had　were　of　distinguished　origin　and　authentic。　　He　cared　more　for　his　curio…cases　filled　with　smaller　imported　bronzes；　Venetian　glass；　and　Chinese　jade。　　He　was　not　a　collector　of　these　in　any　notable　sensemerely　a　lover　of　a　few　choice　examples。　　Handsome　tiger　and　leopard　skin　rugs；　the　fur　of　a　musk…ox　for　his　divan；　and　tanned　and　brown…stained　goat　and　kid　skins　for　his　tables；　gave　a　sense　of　elegance　and　reserved　profusion。　　In　addition　the　Senator　had　a　dining…room　done　after　the　Jacobean　idea　of　artistic　excellence；　and　a　wine…cellar　which　the　best　of　the　local　vintners　looked　after　with　extreme　care。　　He　was　a　man　who　loved　to　entertain　lavishly；　and　when　his　residence　was　thrown　open　for　a　dinner；　a　reception；　or　a　ball；　the　best　of　local　society　was　to　be　found　there。

The　conference　was　in　the　Senator's　library；　and　he　received　his　colleagues　with　the　genial　air　of　one　who　has　much　to　gain　and　little　to　lose。　　There　were　whiskies；　wines；　cigars　on　the　table；　and　while　Mollenhauer　and　Simpson　exchanged　the　commonplaces　of　the　day　awaiting　the　arrival　of　Butler；　they　lighted　cigars　and　kept　their　inmost　thoughts　to　themselves。

It　so　happened　that　upon　the　previous　afternoon　Butler　had　learned　from　Mr。　David　Pettie；　the　district　attorney；　of　the　sixty…thousand…dollar…check　transaction。　　At　the　same　time　the　matter　had　been　brought　to　Mollenhauer's　attention　by　Stener　himself。　It　was　Mollenhauer；　not　Butler　who　saw　that　by　taking　advantage　of　Cowperwood's　situation；　he　might　save　the　local　party　from　blame；　and　at　the　same　time　most　likely　fleece　Cowperwood　out　of　his　street…railway　shares　without　letting　Butler　or　Simpson　know　anything　about　it。　　The　thing　to　do　was　to　terrorize　him　with　a　private　threat　of　prosecution。

Butler　was　not　long　in　arriving；　and　apologized　for　the　delay。　Concealing　his　recent　grief　behind　as　jaunty　an　air　as　possible；　he　began　with：

〃It's　a　lively　life　I'm　leadin'；　what　with　every　bank　in　the　city　wantin'　to　know　how　their　loans　are　goin'　to　be　taken　care　of。〃　　He　took　a　cigar　and　struck　a　match。

〃It　does　look　a　little　threatening；〃　said　Senator　Simpson；　smiling。　〃Sit　down。　　I　have　just　been　talking　with　Avery　Stone；　of　Jay　Cooke　&　Company；　and　he　tells　me　that　the　talk　in　Third　Street　about　Stener's　connection　with　this　Cowperwood　failure　is　growing　very　strong；　and　that　the　newspapers　are　bound　to　take　up　the　matter　shortly；　unless　something　is　done　about　it。　　I　am　sure　that　the　news　will　also　reach　Mr。　Wheat；　of　the　Citizens'　Reform　Association；　very　shortly。　　We　ought　to　decide　now；　gentlemen；　what　we　propose　to　do。　　One　thing；　I　am　sure；　is　to　eliminate　Stener　from　the　ticket　as　quietly　as　possible。　　This　really　looks　to　me　as　if　it　might　become　a　very　serious　issue；　and　we　ought　to　be　doing　what　we　can　now　to　offset　its　effect　later。〃

Mollenhauer　pulled　a　long　breath　through　his　cigar；　and　blew　it　out　in　a　rolling　steel…blue　cloud。　　He　studied　the　tapestry　on　the　opposite　wall　but　said　nothing。

〃There　is　one　thing　sure；〃　continued　Senator　Simpson；　after　a　time；　seeing　that　no　one　else　spoke；　〃and　that　is；　if　we　do　not　begin　a　prosecution　on　our　own　account　within　a　reasonable　time；　some　one　else　is　apt　to；　and　that　would　put　rather　a　bad　face　on　the　matter。　My　own　opinion　would　be　that　we　wait　until　it　is　very　plain　that　prosecution　is　going　to　be　undertaken　by　some　one　elsepossibly　the　Municipal　Reform　Associationbut　that　we　stand　ready　to　step　in　and　act　in　such　a　way　as　to　make　it　look　as　though　we　had　been　planning　to　do　it　all　the　time。　　The　thing　to　do　is　to　gain　time；　and　so　I　would　suggest　that　it　be　made　as　difficult　as　possible　to　get　at　the　treasurer's　books。　　An　investigation　there；　if　it　begins　at　allas　I　think　is　very　likelyshould　be　very　slow　in　producing　the　facts。〃

The　Senator　was　not　at　all　for　mincing　words　with　his　important　confreres；　when　it　came　to　vital　issues。　　He　preferred；　in　his　grandiloquent　way；　to　call　a　spade　a　spade。

〃Now　that　sounds　like　very　good　sense　to　me；〃　said　Butler；　sinking　a　little　lower　in　his　chair　for　comfort's　sake；　and　concealing　his　true　mood　in　regard　to　all　this。　　〃The　boys　could　easily　make　that　investigation　last　three　weeks；　I　should　think。　　They're　slow　enough　with　everything　else；　if　me　memory　doesn't　fail　me。〃　　At　the　same　time　he　was　cogitating　as　to　how　to　inject　the　personality　of　Cowperwood　and　his　speedy　prosecution　without　appearing　to　be　neglecting　the　general　welfare　of　the　local　party　too　much。

〃Yes；　that　isn't　a　bad　idea；〃　said　Mollenhauer；　solemnly；　blowing　a　ring　of　smoke；　and　thinking　how　to　keep　Cowperwood's　especial　offense　from　coming　up　at　this　conference　and　until　after　he　had　seen　him。

〃We　ought　to　map　out　our　program　very　carefully；〃　continued　Senator　Simpson；　〃so　that　if　we　are　compelled　to　act　we　can　do　so　very　quickly。　　I　believe　myself　that　this　thing　is　certain　to　come　to　an　issue　within　a　week；　if　not　sooner；　and　we　have　no　time　to　lose。　　If　my　advice　were　followed　now；　I　should　have　the　mayor　write　the　treasurer　a　letter　asking　for　information；　and　the　treasurer　write　the　mayor　his　answer；　and　also　have　the　mayor；　with　the　authority　of　the　common　council；　suspend　the　treasurer　for　the　time　beingI　think　we　have　the　authority　to　do　thator；　at　least；　take　over　his　principal　duties　but　without　for　the　time　being；　anyhow；　making　any　of　these　transactions　publicuntil　we　have　to；　of　course。　　We　ought　to　be　ready　with　these　letters　to　show　to　the　newspapers　at　once；　in　case　this　action　is　forced　upon　us。〃

〃I　could　have　those　letters　prepared；　if　you　gentlemen　have　no　objection；〃　put　in　Mollenhauer；　quietly；　but　quickly。

〃Well；　that　strikes　me　as　sinsible；〃　said　Butler；　easily。　　〃It's　about　the　only　thing　we　can　do　under　the　circumstances；　unless　we　could　find　some　one　else　to　blame　it　on；　and　I　have　a　suggestion　to　make　in　that　direction。　　Maybe　we're　not　as　helpless　as　we　might　be；　all　things　considered。〃

There　was　a　slight　gleam　of　triumph　in　his　eye　as　he　said　this；　at　the　same　time　that　there　was　a　slight　shadow　of　disappointment　in　Mollenhauer's。　　So　Butler　knew；　and　probably　Simpson；　too。

〃Just　what　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　Senator；　looking　at　Butler　interestedly。　　He　knew　nothing　of　the　sixty…thousand…dollar　check　transaction。　　He　had　not　followed　the　local　treasury　dealings　very　closely；　nor　had　he　talked　to　either　of　his　confreres　since　the　original　conference　between　them。　　〃There　haven't　been　any　outside　parties　mixed　up　with　this；　have　there？〃　　His　own　shrewd；　political　mind　was　working。

〃No…o。　　I　wouldn't　call　him　an　outside　party；　exactly；　Senator；〃　went　on　Butler　suavely。　　〃It's　Cowperwood　himself　I'm　thinkin'　of。　There's　somethin'　that　has　come　up　since　I　saw　you　gentlemen　last　that　makes　me　think　that　perhaps　that　young　man　isn't　as　innocent　as　he　might　be。　　It　looks　to　me　as　though　he　was　the　ringleader　in　this　business；　as　though　he　had　been　leadin'　Stener　on　against　his　will。　　I've　been　lookin'　into　the　matter　on　me　own　account；　and　as　f