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Mr。　Hand；　who　knew　that　if　Mr。　Stackpole　carried　out　this　decision　it　meant　the　loss　of　his　one　million　five　hundred　thousand；　halted　mentally。　　〃Have　you　been　to　all　the　banks？〃　he　asked。　　〃What　does　Lawrence；　of　the　Prairie　National；　have　to　say？〃

〃It's　the　same　with　all　of　them；〃　replied　Stackpole；　now　quite　desperate；　〃as　it　is　with　you。　　They　have　all　they　can　carryevery　one。　　It's　this　damned　silver　agitationthat's　it；　and　nothing　else。　　There's　nothing　the　matter　with　this　stock。　　It　will　right　itself　in　a　few　months。　　It's　sure　to。〃

〃Will　it？〃　commented　Mr。　Hand；　sourly。　　〃That　depends　on　what　happens　next　November。〃　（He　was　referring　to　the　coming　national　election。）

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　sighed　Mr。　Stackpole；　seeing　that　it　was　a　condition；　and　not　a　theory；　that　confronted　him。　　Then；　suddenly　clenching　his　right　hand；　he　exclaimed；　〃Damn　that　upstart！〃　（He　was　thinking　of　the　〃Apostle　of　Free　Silver。〃）　〃He's　the　cause　of　all　this。　　Well；　if　there's　nothing　to　be　done　I　might　as　well　be　going。　　There's　all　those　shares　we　bought　to…day　which　we　ought　to　be　able　to　hypothecate　with　somebody。　　It　would　be　something　if　we　could　get　even　a　hundred　and　twenty　on　them。〃

〃Very　true；〃　replied　Hand。　　〃I　wish　it　could　be　done。　　I；　personally；　cannot　sink　any　more　money。　　But　why　don't　you　go　and　see　Schryhart　and　Arneel？　I've　been　talking　to　them；　and　they　seem　to　be　in　a　position　similar　to　my　own；　but　if　they　are　willing　to　confer；　I　am。　　I　don't　see　what's　to　be　done；　but　it　may　be　that　all　of　us　together　might　arrange　some　way　of　heading　off　the　slaughter　of　the　stock　to…morrow。　　I　don't　know。　　If　only　we　don't　have　to　suffer　too　great　a　decline。〃

Mr。　Hand　was　thinking　that　Messrs。　Hull　and　Stackpole　might　be　forced　to　part　with　all　their　remaining　holdings　at　fifty　cents　on　the　dollar　or　less。　　Then　if　it　could　possibly　be　taken　and　carried　by　the　united　banks　for　them　（Schryhart；　himself；　Arneel）　and　sold　at　a　profit　later；　he　and　his　associates　might　recoup　some　of　their　losses。　　The　local　banks　at　the　behest　of　the　big　quadrumvirate　might　be　coerced　into　straining　their　resources　still　further。　　But　how　was　this　to　be　done？　How；　indeed？

It　was　Schryhart　who；　in　pumping　and　digging　at　Stackpole　when　he　finally　arrived　there；　managed　to　extract　from　him　the　truth　in　regard　to　his　visit　to　Cowperwood。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Schryhart　himself　had　been　guilty　this　very　day　of　having　thrown　two　thousand　shares　of　American　Match　on　the　market　unknown　to　his　confreres。　　Naturally；　he　was　eager　to　learn　whether　Stackpole　or　any　one　else　had　the　least　suspicion　that　he　was　involved。　　As　a　consequence　he　questioned　Stackpole　closely；　and　the　latter；　being　anxious　as　to　the　outcome　of　his　own　interests；　was　not　unwilling　to　make　a　clean　breast。　　He　had　the　justification　in　his　own　mind　that　the　quadrumvirate　had　been　ready　to　desert　him　anyhow。

〃Why　did　you　go　to　him？〃　exclaimed　Schryhart；　professing　to　be　greatly　astonished　and　annoyed；　as；　indeed；　in　one　sense　he　was。　　〃I　thought　we　had　a　distinct　understanding　in　the　beginning　that　under　no　circumstances　was　he　to　be　included　in　any　portion　of　this。　　You　might　as　well　go　to　the　devil　himself　for　assistance　as　go　there。〃　At　the　same　time　he　was　thinking　〃How　fortunate！〃　Here　was　not　only　a　loophole　for　himself　in　connection　with　his　own　subtle　side…plays；　but　also；　if　the　quadrumvirate　desired；　an　excuse　for　deserting　the　troublesome　fortunes　of　Hull　&　Stackpole。

〃Well；　the　truth　is；〃　replied　Stackpole；　somewhat　sheepishly　and　yet　defiantly；　〃last　Thursday　I　had　fifteen　thousand　shares　on　which　I　had　to　raise　money。　　Neither　you　nor　any　of　the　others　wanted　any　more。　　The　banks　wouldn't　take　them。　　I　called　up　Rambaud　on　a　chance；　and　he　suggested　Cowperwood。〃

As　has　been　related；　Stackpole　had　really　gone　to　Cowperwood　direct；　but　a　lie　under　the　circumstances　seemed　rather　essential。

〃Rambaud！〃　sneered　Schryhart。　　〃Cowperwood's　manhe　and　all　the　others。　　You　couldn't　have　gone　to　a　worse　crowd　if　you　had　tried。　So　that's　where　this　stock　is　coming　from；　beyond　a　doubt。　　That　fellow　or　his　friends　are　selling　us　out。　　You　might　have　known　he'd　do　it。　　He　hates　us。　　So　you're　through；　are　you？not　another　single　trick　to　turn？〃

〃Not　one；〃　replied　Stackpole；　solemnly。

〃Well；　that's　too　bad。　　You　have　acted　most　unwisely　in　going　to　Cowperwood；　but　we　shall　have　to　see　what　can　be　done。〃

Schryhart's　idea；　like　that　of　Hand；　was　to　cause　Hull　&　Stackpole　to　relinquish　all　their　holdings　for　nothing　to　the　banks　in　order　that；　under　pressure；　the　latter　might　carry　the　stocks　he　and　the　others　had　hypothecated　with　them　until　such　a　time　as　the　company　might　be　organized　at　a　profit。　　At　the　same　time　he　was　intensely　resentful　against　Cowperwood　for　having　by　any　fluke　of　circumstance　reaped　so　large　a　profit　as　he　must　have　done。　　Plainly；　the　present　crisis　had　something　to　do　with　him。　　Schryhart　was　quick　to　call　up　Hand　and　Arneel；　after　Stackpole　had　gone；　suggesting　a　conference；　and　together；　an　hour　later；　at　Arneel's　office；　they　foregathered　along　with　Merrill　to　discuss　this　new　and　very　interesting　development。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　during　the　course　of　the　afternoon　all　of　these　gentlemen　had　been　growing　more　and　more　uneasy。　　Not　that　between　them　they　were　not　eminently　capable　of　taking　care　of　their　own　losses；　but　the　sympathetic　effect　of　such　a　failure　as　this　（twenty　million　dollars）；　to　say　nothing　of　its　reaction　upon　the　honor　of　themselves　and　the　city　as　a　financial　center；　was　a　most　unsatisfactory　if　not　disastrous　thing　to　contemplate；　and　now　this　matter　of　Cowperwood's　having　gained　handsomely　by　it　all　was　added　to　their　misery。　　Both　Hand　and　Arneel　growled　in　opposition　when　they　heard；　and　Merrill　meditated；　as　he　usually　did；　on　the　wonder　of　Cowperwood's　subtlety。　　He　could　not　help　liking　him。

There　is　a　sort　of　municipal　pride　latent　in　the　bosoms　of　most　members　of　a　really　thriving　community　which　often　comes　to　the　surface　under　the　most　trying　circumstances。　　These　four　men　were　by　no　means　an　exception　to　this　rule。　　Messrs。　Schryhart；　Hand；　Arneel；　and　Merrill　were　concerned　as　to　the　good　name　of　Chicago　and　their　united　standing　in　the　eyes　of　Eastern　financiers。　　It　was　a　sad　blow　to　them　to　think　that　the　one　great　enterprise　they　had　recently　engineereda　foil　to　some　of　the　immense　affairs　which　had　recently　had　their　geneses　in　New　York　and　elsewhere　should　have　come　to　so　untimely　an　end。　　Chicago　finance　really　should　not　be　put　to　shame　in　this　fashion　if　it　could　be　avoided。　So　that　when　Mr。　Schryhart　arrived；　quite　warm　and　disturbed；　and　related　in　detail　what　he　had　just　learned；　his　friends　listened　to　him　with　eager　and　wary　ears。

It　was　now　between　five　and　six　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　and　still　blazing　outside；　though　the　walls　of　the　buildings　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　street　were　a　cool　gray；　picked　out　with　pools　of　black　shadow。　　A　newsboy's　strident　voice　was　heard　here　and　there　calling　an　extra；　mingled　with　the　sound　of　homing　feet　and　street…cars　Cowperwood's　street…cars。

〃I'll　tell　you　what　it　is；〃　said　Scbryhart；　finally。　　〃It　seems　to　me　we　have　stood　just　about　enough　of　this　man's　beggarly　interference。　　I'll　admit　that　neither　Hull　nor　Stackpole　had　any　right　to　go　to　him。　　They　laid　themselves　and　us　open　to　just　such　a　trick　as　has　been　worked　in　this　case。〃　Mr。　Schryhart　was　righteously　incisive；　cold；　immaculate；　waspish。　　〃At　the　same　time；〃　he　continued；　〃any　other　moneyed　man　of　equal　standing　with　ourselves　would　have　had　the　courtesy　to　confer　with　us　and　give　us；　or　at　least　our　banks；　an　opportunity　for　taking　over　these　securities。　　He　would　have　come　to　our　aid　for　Chicago's　sake。　　He　had　no　occasion　for　throwing　these　stocks　on　the　market；　considering　the　state　of　things。　　He　knows　very　well　what　the　effect　of　their　failure　will　be。　　The　whole　city　is　involved；　but　it's　little　he　cares。　　Mr。　Stackpole　tells　me　that　he　had　an　express　understanding　with　him；　or；　rather；　with　the　men　who　it　is　plain　have　been　representing　him；　that　not　a　single　share　of　this　stock　was　to　be　thrown　on　the　market。　　As　it　is；　I　venture　to　say　not　a　single　share　of　it　is　to　be　found　anywhere　in　any　of　their　safes。　I　can　sympathize　to　a　certain　extent　with　poor　Stackpole。　　His　position；　of　course；　was　very　trying。　　But　there　is　no　excusenone　in　the　worldfor　such　a　stroke　of　trickery　on　Cowperwood's　part。　It's　just　as　we've　known　all　alongthe　man　is　nothing　but　a　wrecker。　　We　certainly　ought　to　find　some　method　of　ending　his　career　here　if　possible。〃

Mr。　Schryhart　kicked　out　his　well…rounded　legs；　adjusted　his　soft…roll　collar；　and　smoothed　his　short；　crisp；　wiry；　now　blackish…gray　mustache。　　His　black　eyes　flashed　an　undying　hate。

At　this　point　Mr。　Arneel；　with　a　cogency　of　reasoning　which　did　not　at　the　moment　appear　on　the　surface；　inquired：　〃Do　any　of　you　happen　to　know　anything　in　particular　about　the　state　of　Mr。　Cowperwood's　finances　at　present？　Of　course　we　know　of　the　Lake　Street　'L'　and　the　Northwestern。　　I　hear　he's　building　a　house　in　New　York；　and　I　presume　that's　drawing　on　him　somewhat。　　I　know　he　has　four　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　loans　from　the　Chicago　Central