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ve　Philadelphia　if　he　was　getting　along　so　well。　People　don't　usually　do　that。〃

Simms　was　envious　already　of　the　financial　showing　Cowperwood　was　making　in　Chicago。　　Besides；　Cowperwood's　manner　bespoke　supreme　intelligence　and　courage；　and　that　is　always　resented　by　all　save　the　suppliants　or　the　triumphant　masters　of　other　walks　in　life。　Simms　was　really　interested　at　last　to　know　something　more　about　Cowperwood；　something　definite。

Before　this　social　situation　had　time　to　adjust　itself　one　way　or　the　other；　however；　a　matter　arose　which　in　its　way　was　far　more　vital；　though　Aileen　might　not　have　thought　so。　　The　feeling　between　the　new　and　old　gas　companies　was　becoming　strained；　the　stockholders　of　the　older　organization　were　getting　uneasy。　　They　were　eager　to　find　out　who　was　back　of　these　new　gas　companies　which　were　threatening　to　poach　on　their　exclusive　preserves。　　Finally　one　of　the　lawyers　who　had　been　employed　by　the　North　Chicago　Gas　Illuminating　Company　to　fight　the　machinations　of　De　Soto　Sippens　and　old　General　Van　Sickle；　finding　that　the　Lake　View　Council　had　finally　granted　the　franchise　to　the　new　company　and　that　the　Appellate　Court　was　about　to　sustain　it；　hit　upon　the　idea　of　charging　conspiracy　and　wholesale　bribery　of　councilmen。　　Considerable　evidence　had　accumulated　that　Duniway；　Jacob　Gerecht；　and　others　on　the　North　Side　had　been　influenced　by　cash；　and　to　bring　legal　action　would　delay　final　approval　of　the　franchises　and　give　the　old　company　time　to　think　what　else　to　do。　　This　North　Side　company　lawyer；　a　man　by　the　name　of　Parsons；　had　been　following　up　the　movements　of　Sippens　and　old　General　Van　Sickle；　and　had　finally　concluded　that　they　were　mere　dummies　and　pawns；　and　that　the　real　instigator　in　all　this　excitement　was　Cowperwood；　or；　if　not　he；　then　men　whom　he　represented。　　Parsons　visited　Cowperwood's　office　one　day　in　order　to　see　him；　getting　no　satisfaction；　he　proceeded　to　look　up　his　record　and　connections。　　These　various　investigations　and　counter…schemings　came　to　a　head　in　a　court　proceeding　filed　in　the　United　States　Circuit　Court　late　in　November；　charging　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood；　Henry　De　Soto　Sippens；　Judson　P。　Van　Sickle；　and　others　with　conspiracy；　this　again　was　followed　almost　immediately　by　suits　begun　by　the　West　and　South　Side　companies　charging　the　same　thing。　　In　each　case　Cowperwood's　name　was　mentioned　as　the　secret　power　behind　the　new　companies；　conspiring　to　force　the　old　companies　to　buy　him　out。　　His　Philadelphia　history　was　published；　but　only　in　parta　highly　modified　account　he　had　furnished　the　newspapers　some　time　before。　　Though　conspiracy　and　bribery　are　ugly　words；　still　lawyers'　charges　prove　nothing。　　But　a　penitentiary　record；　for　whatever　reason　served；　coupled　with　previous　failure；　divorce；　and　scandal　（though　the　newspapers　made　only　the　most　guarded　reference　to　all　this）；　served　to　whet　public　interest　and　to　fix　Cowperwood　and　his　wife　in　the　public　eye。

Cowperwood　himself　was　solicited　for　an　interview；　but　his　answer　was　that　he　was　merely　a　financial　agent　for　the　three　new　companies；　not　an　investor；　and　that　the　charges；　in　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　were　untrue；　mere　legal　fol…de…rol　trumped　up　to　make　the　situation　as　annoying　as　possible。　　He　threatened　to　sue　for　libel。　　Nevertheless；　although　these　suits　eventually　did　come　to　nothing　（for　he　had　fixed　it　so　that　he　could　not　be　traced　save　as　a　financial　agent　in　each　case）；　yet　the　charges　had　been　made；　and　he　was　now　revealed　as　a　shrewd；　manipulative　factor；　with　a　record　that　was　certainly　spectacular。

〃I　see；〃　said　Anson　Merrill　to　his　wife；　one　morning　at　breakfast；　〃that　this　man　Cowperwood　is　beginning　to　get　his　name　in　the　papers。〃　He　had　the　Times　on　the　table　before　him；　and　was　looking　at　a　headline　which；　after　the　old…fashioned　pyramids　then　in　vogue；　read：　〃Conspiracy　charged　against　various　Chicago　citizens。　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood；　Judson　P。　Van　Sickle；　Henry　De　Soto　Sippens；　and　others　named　in　Circuit　Court　complaint。〃　It　went　on　to　specify　other　facts。　　〃I　supposed　he　was　just　a　broker。〃

〃I　don't　know　much　about　them；〃　replied　his　wife；　〃except　what　Bella　Simms　tells　me。　　What　does　it　say？〃

He　handed　her　the　paper。

〃I　have　always　thought　they　were　merely　climbers；〃　continued　Mrs。　Merrill。　　〃From　what　I　hear　she　is　impossible。　　I　never　saw　her。〃

〃He　begins　well　for　a　Philadelphian；〃　smiled　Merrill。　　〃I've　seen　him　at　the　Calumet。　　He　looks　like　a　very　shrewd　man　to　me。　　He's　going　about　his　work　in　a　brisk　spirit；　anyhow。〃

Similarly　Mr。　Norman　Schryhart；　a　man　who　up　to　this　time　had　taken　no　thought　of　Cowperwood；　although　he　had　noted　his　appearance　about　the　halls　of　the　Calumet　and　Union　League　Clubs；　began　to　ask　seriously　who　he　was。　　Schryhart；　a　man　of　great　physical　and　mental　vigor；　six　feet　tall；　hale　and　stolid　as　an　ox；　a　very　different　type　of　man　from　Anson　Merrill；　met　Addison　one　day　at　the　Calumet　Club　shortly　after　the　newspaper　talk　began。　　Sinking　into　a　great　leather　divan　beside　him；　he　observed：

〃Who　is　this　man　Cowperwood　whose　name　is　in　the　papers　these　days；　Addison？　You　know：　all　these　people。　　Didn't　you　introduce　him　to　me　once？〃

〃I　surely　did；〃　replied　Addison；　cheerfully；　who；　in　spite　of　the　attacks　on　Cowperwood；　was　rather　pleased　than　otherwise。　　It　was　quite　plain　from　the　concurrent　excitement　that　attended　all　this　struggle；　that　Cowperwood　must　be　managing　things　rather　adroitly；　and；　best　of　all；　he　was　keeping　his　backers'　names　from　view。　　〃He's　a　Philadelphian　by　birth。　　He　came　out　here　several　years　ago；　and　went　into　the　grain　and　commission　business。　　He's　a　banker　now。　　A　rather　shrewd　man；　I　should　say。　　He　has　a　lot　of　money。〃

〃Is　it　true；　as　the　papers　say；　that　he　failed　for　a　million　in　Philadelphia　in　1871？〃

〃In　so　far　as　I　know；　it　is。〃

〃Well；　was　he　in　the　penitentiary　down　there？〃

〃I　think　soyes。　　I　believe　it　was　for　nothing　really　criminal；　though。　　There　appears　to　have　been　some　political…financial　mix…up；　from　all　I　can　learn。〃

〃And　is　he　only　forty；　as　the　papers　say？〃

〃About　that；　I　should　judge。　　Why？〃

〃Oh；　this　scheme　of　his　looks　rather　pretentious　to　meholding　up　the　old　gas　companies　here。　　Do　you　suppose　he'll　manage　to　do　it？〃

〃I　don't　know　that。　　All　I　know　is　what　I　have　read　in　the　papers；〃　replied　Addison；　cautiously。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　did　not　care　to　talk　about　this　business　at　all。　　Cowperwood　was　busy　at　this　very　time；　through　an　agent；　attempting　to　effect　a　compromise　and　union　of　all　interests　concerned。　　It　was　not　going　very　well。

〃Humph！〃　commented　Schryhart。　　He　was　wondering　why　men　like　himself；　Merrill；　Arneel；　and　others　had　not　worked　into　this　field　long　ago　or　bought　out　the　old　companies。　　He　went　away　interested；　and　a　day　or　two　latereven　the　next　morninghad　formulated　a　scheme。　　Not　unlike　Cowperwood；　he　was　a　shrewd；　hard；　cold　man。　　He　believed　in　Chicago　implicitly　and　in　all　that　related　to　its　future。　　This　gas　situation；　now　that　Cowperwood　had　seen　the　point；　was　very　clear　to　him。　　Even　yet　it　might　not　be　impossible　for　a　third　party　to　step　in　and　by　intricate　manipulation　secure　the　much　coveted　rewards。　　Perhaps　Cowperwood　himself　could　be　taken　overwho　could　tell？

Mr。　Schryhart；　being　a　very　dominating　type　of　person；　did　not　believe　in　minor　partnerships　or　investments。　　If　he　went　into　a　thing　of　this　kind　it　was　his　preference　to　rule。　　He　decided　to　invite　Cowperwood　to　visit　the　Schryhart　office　and　talk　matters　over。　　Accordingly；　he　had　his　secretary　pen　a　note；　which　in　rather　lofty　phrases　invited　Cowperwood　to　call　〃on　a　matter　of　importance。〃

Now　just　at　this　time；　it　so　chanced；　Cowperwood　was　feeling　rather　secure　as　to　his　place　in　the　Chicago　financial　world；　although　he　was　still　smarting　from　the　bitterness　of　the　aspersions　recently　cast　upon　him　from　various　quarters。　　Under　such　circumstances　it　was　his　temperament　to　evince　a　rugged　contempt　for　humanity；　rich　and　poor　alike。　　He　was　well　aware　that　Schryhart；　although　introduced；　had　never　previously　troubled　to　notice　him。

〃Mr。　Cowperwood　begs　me　to　say；〃　wrote　Miss　Antoinette　Nowak；　at　his　dictation；　〃that　he　finds　himself　very　much　pressed　for　time　at　present；　but　he　would　be　glad　to　see　Mr。　Schryhart　at　his　office　at　any　time。〃

This　irritated　the　dominating；　self…sufficient　Schryhart　a　little；　but　nevertheless　he　was　satisfied　that　a　conference　could　do　no　harm　in　this　instancewas　advisable；　in　fact。　　So　one　Wednesday　afternoon　he　journeyed　to　the　office　of　Cowperwood；　and　was　most　hospitably　received。

〃How　do　you　do；　Mr。　Schryhart；〃　observed　Cowperwood；　cordially；　extending　his　hand。　　〃I'm　glad　to　see　you　again。　　I　believe　we　met　once　before　several　years　ago。〃

〃I　think　so　myself；〃　replied　Mr。　Schryhart；　who　was　broad…shouldered；　square…headed；　black…eyed；　and　with　a　short　black　mustache　gracing　a　firm　upper　lip。　　He　had　hard；　dark；　piercing　eyes。　　〃I　see　by　the　papers；　if　they　can　be　trusted；〃　he　said；　coming　direct　to　the　point；　〃that　you　are　interesting　yourself　in　local　gas。　　Is　that　true？〃

〃I'm　afraid　the　papers　cannot　be　generally　relied　on；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　quite　blandly。　　〃Would　you