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n。　　Apparently　he　could　now　write　his　check　for　millions；　and　yet　he　was　not　beholden；　so　far　as　the　older　and　more　conservative　multimillionaires　of　Chicago　were　concerned；　to　any　one　of　them。　　The　worst　of　it　was　that　this　Cowperwoodan　upstart；　a　jail…bird；　a　stranger　whom　they　had　done　their　best　to　suppress　financially　and　ostracize　socially；　had　now　become　an　attractive；　even　a　sparkling　figure　in　the　eyes　of　the　Chicago　public。　　His　views　and　opinions　on　almost　any　topic　were　freely　quoted；　the　newspapers；　even　the　most　antagonistic；　did　not　dare　to　neglect　him。　　Their　owners　were　now　fully　alive　to　the　fact　that　a　new　financial　rival　had　appeared　who　was　worthy　of　their　steel。




Chapter　XXVII



A　Financier　Bewitched

It　was　interesting　to　note　how；　able　though　he　was；　and　bound　up　with　this　vast　street…railway　enterprise　which　was　beginning　to　affect　several　thousand　men；　his　mind　could　find　intense　relief　and　satisfaction　in　the　presence　and　actions　of　Stephanie　Platow。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　in　her；　perhaps；　he　found　revivified　the　spirit　and　personality　of　Rita　Sohlberg。　　Rita；　however；　had　not　contemplated　disloyaltyit　had　never　occurred　to　her　to　be　faithless　to　Cowperwood　so　long　as　he　was　fond　of　her　any　more　than　for　a　long　time　it　had　been　possible　for　her；　even　after　all　his　philanderings；　to　be　faithless　to　Sohlberg。　　Stephanie；　on　the　other　hand；　had　the　strange　feeling　that　affection　was　not　necessarily　identified　with　physical　loyalty；　and　that　she　could　be　fond　of　Cowperwood　and　still　deceive　hima　fact　which　was　based　on　her　lack　as　yet　of　a　true　enthusiasm　for　him。　　She　loved　him　and　she　didn't。　　Her　attitude　was　not　necessarily　identified　with　her　heavy；　lizardish　animality；　though　that　had　something　to　do　with　it；　but　rather　with　a　vague；　kindly　generosity　which　permitted　her　to　feel　that　it　was　hard　to　break　with　Gardner　Knowles　and　Lane　Cross　after　they　had　been　so　nice　to　her。　　Gardner　Knowles　had　sung　her　praises　here；　there；　and　everywhere；　and　was　attempting　to　spread　her　fame　among　the　legitimate　theatrical　enterprises　which　came　to　the　city　in　order　that　she　might　be　taken　up　and　made　into　a　significant　figure。　　Lane　Cross　was　wildly　fond　of　her　in　an　inadequate　way　which　made　it　hard　to　break　with　him；　and　yet　certain　that　she　would　eventually。　　There　was　still　another　mana　young　playwright　and　poet　by　the　name　of　Forbes　Gurneytall；　fair；　passionatewho　had　newly　arrived　on　the　scene　and　was　courting　her；　or；　rather；　being　courted　by　her　at　odd　moments；　for　her　time　was　her　own。　　In　her　artistically　errant　way　she　had　refused　to　go　to　school　like　her　sister；　and　was　idling　about；　developing；　as　she　phrased　it；　her　artistic　possibilities。

Cowperwood；　as　was　natural；　heard　much　of　her　stage　life。　　At　first　he　took　all　this　palaver　with　a　grain　of　salt；　the　babbling　of　an　ardent　nature　interested　in　the　flighty　romance　of　the　studio　world。　　By　degrees；　however；　he　became　curious　as　to　the　freedom　of　her　actions；　the　ease　with　which　she　drifted　from　place　to　placeLane　Cross's　studio；　Bliss　Bridge's　bachelor　rooms；　where　he　appeared　always　to　be　receiving　his　theatrical　friends　of　the　Garrick　Players；　Mr。　Gardner　Knowles's　home　on　the　near　North　Side；　where　he　was　frequently　entertaining　a　party　after　the　theater。　　It　seemed　to　Cowperwood；　to　say　the　least；　that　Stephanie　was　leading　a　rather　free　and　inconsequential　existence；　and　yet　it　reflected　her　exactlythe　color　of　her　soul。　　But　he　began　to　doubt　and　wonder。

〃Where　were　you；　Stephanie；　yesterday？〃　he　would　ask；　when　they　met　for　lunch；　or　in　the　evenings　early；　or　when　she　called　at　his　new　offices　on　the　North　Side；　as　she　sometimes　did　to　walk　or　drive　with　him。

〃Oh；　yesterday　morning　I　was　at　Lane　Cross's　studio　trying　on　some　of　his　Indian　shawls　and　veils。　　He　has　such　a　lot　of　those　thingssome　of　the　loveliest　oranges　and　blues。　　You　just　ought　to　see　me　in　them。　　I　wish　you　might。〃

〃Alone？〃

〃For　a　while。　　I　thought　Ethel　Tuckerman　and　Bliss　Bridge　would　be　there；　but　they　didn't　come　until　later。　　Lane　Cross　is　such　a　dear。　　He's　sort　of　silly　at　times；　but　I　like　him。　　His　portraits　are　so　bizarre。〃

She　went　off　into　a　description　of　his　pretentious　but　insignificant　art。

Cowperwood　marveled；　not　at　Lane　Cross's　art　nor　his　shawls；　but　at　this　world　in　which　Stephanie　moved。　　He　could　not　quite　make　her　out。　　He　had　never　been　able　to　make　her　explain　satisfactorily　that　first　single　relationship　with　Gardner　Knowles；　which　she　declared　had　ended　so　abruptly。　　Since　then　he　had　doubted；　as　was　his　nature；　but　this　girl　was　so　sweet；　childish；　irreconcilable　with　herself；　like　a　wandering　breath　of　air；　or　a　pale…colored　flower；　that　he　scarcely　knew　what　to　think。　　The　artistically　inclined　are　not　prone　to　quarrel　with　an　enticing　sheaf　of　flowers。　She　was　heavenly　to　him；　coming　in；　as　she　did　at　times　when　he　was　alone；　with　bland　eyes　and　yielding　herself　in　a　kind　of　summery　ecstasy。　　She　had　always　something　artistic　to　tell　of　storms；　winds；　dust；　clouds；　smoke　forms；　the　outline　of　buildings；　the　lake；　the　stage。　　She　would　cuddle　in　his　arms　and　quote　long　sections　from　〃Romeo　and　Juliet；〃　〃Paolo　and　Francesca；〃　〃The　Ring　and　the　Book；〃　Keats's　〃Eve　of　St。　Agnes。〃　He　hated　to　quarrel　with　her；　because　she　was　like　a　wild　rose　or　some　art　form　in　nature。　　Her　sketch…book　was　always　full　of　new　things。　　Her　muff；　or　the　light　silk　shawl　she　wore　in　summer；　sometimes　concealed　a　modeled　figure　of　some　kind　which　she　would　produce　with　a　look　like　that　of　a　doubting　child；　and　if　he　wanted　it；　if　he　liked　it；　he　could　have　it。　Cowperwood　meditated　deeply。　　He　scarcely　knew　what　to　think。

The　constant　atmosphere　of　suspicion　and　doubt　in　which　he　was　compelled　to　remain；　came　by　degrees　to　distress　and　anger　him。　　While　she　was　with　him　she　was　clinging　enough；　but　when　she　was　away　she　was　ardently　cheerful　and　happy。　　Unlike　the　station　he　had　occupied　in　so　many　previous　affairs；　he　found　himself；　after　the　first　little　while；　asking　her　whether　she　loved　him　instead　of　submitting　to　the　same　question　from　her。

He　thought　that　with　his　means；　his　position；　his　future　possibilities　he　had　the　power　to　bind　almost　any　woman　once　drawn　to　his　personality；　but　Stephanie　was　too　young　and　too　poetic　to　be　greatly　impaired　by　wealth　and　fame；　and　she　was　not　yet　sufficiently　gripped　by　the　lure　of　him。　　She　loved　him　in　her　strange　way；　but　she　was　interested　also　by　the　latest　arrival；　Forbes　Gurney。　This　tall；　melancholy　youth；　with　brown　eyes　and　pale…brown　hair；　was　very　poor。　　He　hailed　from　southern　Minnesota；　and　what　between　a　penchant　for　journalism；　verse…writing；　and　some　dramatic　work；　was　somewhat　undecided　as　to　his　future。　　His　present　occupation　was　that　of　an　instalment　collector　for　a　furniture　company；　which　set　him　free；　as　a　rule；　at　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　He　was　trying；　in　a　mooning　way；　to　identify　himself　with　the　Chicago　newspaper　world；　and　was　a　discovery　of　Gardner　Knowles。

Stephanie　had　seen　him　about　the　rooms　of　the　Garrick　Players。　　She　had　looked　at　his　longish　face　with　its　aureole　of　soft；　crinkly　hair；　his　fine　wide　mouth；　deep…set　eyes；　and　good　nose；　and　had　been　touched　by　an　atmosphere　of　wistfulness；　or；　let　us　say；　life…hunger。　　Gardner　Knowles　brought　a　poem　of　his　once；　which　he　had　borrowed　from　him；　and　read　it　to　the　company；　Stephanie；　Ethel　Tuckerman；　Lane　Cross；　and　Irma　Ottley　assembled。

〃Listen　to　this；〃　Knowles　had　suddenly　exclaimed；　taking　it　out　of　his　pocket。

It　concerned　a　garden　of　the　moon　with　the　fragrance　of　pale　blossoms；　a　mystic　pool；　some　ancient　figures　of　joy；　a　quavered　Lucidian　tune。

〃With　eerie　flute　and　rhythmic　thrum　Of　muted　strings　and　beaten　drum。〃

Stephanie　Platow　had　sat　silent；　caught　by　a　quality　that　was　akin　to　her　own。　　She　asked　to　see　it；　and　read　it　in　silence。

〃I　think　it's　charming；〃　she　said。

Thereafter　she　hovered　in　the　vicinity　of　Forbes　Gurney。　　Why；　she　could　scarcely　say。　　It　was　not　coquetry。　　She　just　drew　near；　talked　to　him　of　stage　work　and　her　plays　and　her　ambitions。　　She　sketched　him　as　she　had　Cowperwood　and　others；　and　one　day　Cowperwood　found　three　studies　of　Forbes　Gurney　in　her　note…book　idyllicly　done；　a　note　of　romantic　feeling　about　them。

〃Who　is　this？〃　he　asked。

〃Oh；　he's　a　young　poet　who　comes　up　to　the　PlayersForbes　Gurney。　He's　so　charming；　he's　so　pale　and　dreamy。〃

Cowperwood　contemplated　the　sketches　curiously。　　His　eyes　clouded。

〃Another　one　of　Stephanie's　adherents；〃　he　commented；　teasingly。　　〃It's　a　long　procession　I've　joined。　　Gardner　Knowles；　Lane　Cross；　Bliss　Bridge；　Forbes　Gurney。〃

Stephanie　merely　pouted　moodily。

〃How　you　talk！　Bliss　Bridge；　Gardner　Knowles！　I　admit　I　like　them　all；　but　that's　all　I　do　do。　　They're　just　sweet　and　dear。　　You'd　like　Lane　Cross　yourself；　he's　such　a　foolish　old　Polly。　　As　for　Forbes　Gurney；　he　just　drifts　up　there　once　in　a　while　as　one　of　the　crowd。　　I　scarcely　know　him。〃

〃Exactly；〃　said　Cowperwood；　dolefully；　〃but　you　sketch　him。〃　For　some　reason　Cowperwood　did　not　believe　this。　　Back　in　his　brain　he　did　not　believe　Stephanie　at　all；　he　did　not　trust　her。　　Yet　he　was　intensely　fond　of　her