If there is anythin" in it, and ye haven"t gone too far yet to save yourself, I want ye to think of your mother and your sister and your brothers, and be a good girl. Think of the church ye was raised in, and the name we"ve got to stand up for in the world. Why, if ye were doin"
anything wrong, and the people of Philadelphy got a hold of it, the city, big as it is, wouldn"t be big enough to hold us. Your brothers have got a reputation to make, their work to do here. You and your sister want to get married sometime. How could ye expect to look the world in the face and do anythin" at all if ye are doin" what this letter says ye are, and it was told about ye?"
The old man"s voice was thick with a strange, sad, alien emotion. He did not want to believe that his daughter was guilty, even though he knew she was. He did not want to face what he considered in his vigorous, religious way to be his duty, that of reproaching her sternly. There were some fathers who would have turned her out, he fancied. There were others who might possibly kill Cowperwood after a subtle investigation.
That course was not for him. If vengeance he was to have, it must be through politics and finance--he must drive him out. But as for doing anything desperate in connection with Aileen, he could not think of it.
"Oh, father," returned Aileen, with considerable histrionic ability in her a.s.sumption of pettishness, "how can you talk like this when you know I"m not guilty? When I tell you so?"
The old Irishman saw through her make-believe with profound sadness--the feeling that one of his dearest hopes had been shattered. He had expected so much of her socially and matrimonially. Why, any one of a dozen remarkable young men might have married her, and she would have had lovely children to comfort him in his old age.
"Well, we"ll not talk any more about it now, daughter," he said, wearily. "Ye"ve been so much to me during all these years that I can scarcely belave anythin" wrong of ye. I don"t want to, G.o.d knows. Ye"re a grown woman, though, now; and if ye are doin" anythin" wrong I don"t suppose I could do so much to stop ye. I might turn ye out, of course, as many a father would; but I wouldn"t like to do anythin" like that.
But if ye are doin" anythin" wrong"--and he put up his hand to stop a proposed protest on the part of Aileen--"remember, I"m certain to find it out in the long run, and Philadelphy won"t be big enough to hold me and the man that"s done this thing to me. I"ll get him," he said, getting up dramatically. "I"ll get him, and when I do--" He turned a livid face to the wall, and Aileen saw clearly that Cowperwood, in addition to any other troubles which might beset him, had her father to deal with. Was this why Frank had looked so sternly at her the night before?
"Why, your mother would die of a broken heart if she thought there was anybody could say the least word against ye," pursued Butler, in a shaken voice. "This man has a family--a wife and children, Ye oughtn"t to want to do anythin" to hurt them. They"ll have trouble enough, if I"m not mistaken--facin" what"s comin" to them in the future," and Butler"s jaw hardened just a little. "Ye"re a beautiful girl. Ye"re young. Ye have money. There"s dozens of young men"d be proud to make ye their wife. Whatever ye may be thinkin" or doin", don"t throw away your life.
Don"t destroy your immortal soul. Don"t break my heart entirely."
Aileen, not ungenerous--fool of mingled affection and pa.s.sion--could now have cried. She pitied her father from her heart; but her allegiance was to Cowperwood, her loyalty unshaken. She wanted to say something, to protest much more; but she knew that it was useless. Her father knew that she was lying.
"Well, there"s no use of my saying anything more, father," she said, getting up. The light of day was fading in the windows. The downstairs door closed with a light slam, indicating that one of the boys had come in. Her proposed trip to the library was now without interest to her.
"You won"t believe me, anyhow. I tell you, though, that I"m innocent just the same."
Butler lifted his big, brown hand to command silence. She saw that this shameful relationship, as far as her father was concerned, had been made quite clear, and that this trying conference was now at an end. She turned and walked shamefacedly out. He waited until he heard her steps fading into faint nothings down the hall toward her room. Then he arose.
Once more he clinched his big fists.
"The scoundrel!" he said. "The scoundrel! I"ll drive him out of Philadelphy, if it takes the last dollar I have in the world."
Chapter XXVII
For the first time in his life Cowperwood felt conscious of having been in the presence of that interesting social phenomenon--the outraged sentiment of a parent. While he had no absolute knowledge as to why Butler had been so enraged, he felt that Aileen was the contributing cause. He himself was a father. His boy, Frank, Jr., was to him not so remarkable. But little Lillian, with her dainty little slip of a body and bright-aureoled head, had always appealed to him. She was going to be a charming woman one day, he thought, and he was going to do much to establish her safely. He used to tell her that she had "eyes like b.u.t.tons," "feet like a p.u.s.s.y-cat," and hands that were "just five cents"
worth," they were so little. The child admired her father and would often stand by his chair in the library or the sitting-room, or his desk in his private office, or by his seat at the table, asking him questions.
This att.i.tude toward his own daughter made him see clearly how Butler might feel toward Aileen. He wondered how he would feel if it were his own little Lillian, and still he did not believe he would make much fuss over the matter, either with himself or with her, if she were as old as Aileen. Children and their lives were more or less above the willing of parents, anyhow, and it would be a difficult thing for any parent to control any child, unless the child were naturally docile-minded and willing to be controlled.
It also made him smile, in a grim way, to see how fate was raining difficulties on him. The Chicago fire, Stener"s early absence, Butler, Mollenhauer, and Simpson"s indifference to Stener"s fate and his. And now this probable revelation in connection with Aileen. He could not be sure as yet, but his intuitive instincts told him that it must be something like this.
Now he was distressed as to what Aileen would do, say if suddenly she were confronted by her father. If he could only get to her! But if he was to meet Butler"s call for his loan, and the others which would come yet to-day or on the morrow, there was not a moment to lose. If he did not pay he must a.s.sign at once. Butler"s rage, Aileen, his own danger, were brushed aside for the moment. His mind concentrated wholly on how to save himself financially.
He hurried to visit George Waterman; David Wiggin, his wife"s brother, who was now fairly well to do; Joseph Zimmerman, the wealthy dry-goods dealer who had dealt with him in the past; Judge Kitchen, a private manipulator of considerable wealth; Frederick Van Nostrand, the State treasurer, who was interested in local street-railway stocks, and others. Of all those to whom he appealed one was actually not in a position to do anything for him; another was afraid; a third was calculating eagerly to drive a hard bargain; a fourth was too deliberate, anxious to have much time. All scented the true value of his situation, all wanted time to consider, and he had no time to consider.
Judge Kitchen did agree to lend him thirty thousand dollars--a paltry sum. Joseph Zimmerman would only risk twenty-five thousand dollars. He could see where, all told, he might raise seventy-five thousand dollars by hypothecating double the amount in shares; but this was ridiculously insufficient. He had figured again, to a dollar, and he must have at least two hundred and fifty thousand dollars above all his present holdings, or he must close his doors. To-morrow at two o"clock he would know. If he didn"t he would be written down as "failed" on a score of ledgers in Philadelphia.
What a pretty pa.s.s for one to come to whose hopes had so recently run so high! There was a loan of one hundred thousand dollars from the Girard National Bank which he was particularly anxious to clear off. This bank was the most important in the city, and if he retained its good will by meeting this loan promptly he might hope for favors in the future whatever happened. Yet, at the moment, he did not see how he could do it. He decided, however, after some reflection, that he would deliver the stocks which Judge Kitchen, Zimmerman, and others had agreed to take and get their checks or cash yet this night. Then he would persuade Stener to let him have a check for the sixty thousand dollars" worth of city loan he had purchased this morning on "change. Out of it he could take twenty-five thousand dollars to make up the balance due the bank, and still have thirty-five thousand for himself.
The one unfortunate thing about such an arrangement was that by doing it he was building up a rather complicated situation in regard to these same certificates. Since their purchase in the morning, he had not deposited them in the sinking-fund, where they belonged (they had been delivered to his office by half past one in the afternoon), but, on the contrary, had immediately hypothecated them to cover another loan. It was a risky thing to have done, considering that he was in danger of failing and that he was not absolutely sure of being able to take them up in time.
But, he reasoned, he had a working agreement with the city treasurer (illegal of course), which would make such a transaction rather plausible, and almost all right, even if he failed, and that was that none of his accounts were supposed necessarily to be put straight until the end of the month. If he failed, and the certificates were not in the sinking-fund, he could say, as was the truth, that he was in the habit of taking his time, and had forgotten. This collecting of a check, therefore, for these as yet undeposited certificates would be technically, if not legally and morally, plausible. The city would be out only an additional sixty thousand dollars--making five hundred and sixty thousand dollars all told, which in view of its probable loss of five hundred thousand did not make so much difference. But his caution clashed with his need on this occasion, and he decided that he would not call for the check unless Stener finally refused to aid him with three hundred thousand more, in which case he would claim it as his right. In all likelihood Stener would not think to ask whether the certificates were in the sinking-fund or not. If he did, he would have to lie--that was all.
He drove rapidly back to his office, and, finding Butler"s note, as he expected, wrote a check on his father"s bank for the one hundred thousand dollars which had been placed to his credit by his loving parent, and sent it around to Butler"s office. There was another note, from Albert Stires, Stener"s secretary, advising him not to buy or sell any more city loan--that until further notice such transactions would not be honored. Cowperwood immediately sensed the source of this warning. Stener had been in conference with Butler or Mollenhauer, and had been warned and frightened. Nevertheless, he got in his buggy again and drove directly to the city treasurer"s office.
Since Cowperwood"s visit Stener had talked still more with Sengstack, Strobik, and others, all sent to see that a proper fear of things financial had been put in his heart. The result was decidedly one which spelled opposition to Cowperwood.
Strobik was considerably disturbed himself. He and Wycroft and Harmon had also been using money out of the treasury--much smaller sums, of course, for they had not Cowperwood"s financial imagination--and were disturbed as to how they would return what they owed before the storm broke. If Cowperwood failed, and Stener was short in his accounts, the whole budget might be investigated, and then their loans would be brought to light. The thing to do was to return what they owed, and then, at least, no charge of malfeasance would lie against them.
"Go to Mollenhauer," Strobik had advised Stener, shortly after Cowperwood had left the latter"s office, "and tell him the whole story.
He put you here. He was strong for your nomination. Tell him just where you stand and ask him what to do. He"ll probably be able to tell you.
Offer him your holdings to help you out. You have to. You can"t help yourself. Don"t loan Cowperwood another d.a.m.ned dollar, whatever you do. He"s got you in so deep now you can hardly hope to get out. Ask Mollenhauer if he won"t help you to get Cowperwood to put that money back. He may be able to influence him."
There was more in this conversation to the same effect, and then Stener hurried as fast as his legs could carry him to Mollenhauer"s office. He was so frightened that he could scarcely breathe, and he was quite ready to throw himself on his knees before the big German-American financier and leader. Oh, if Mr. Mollenhauer would only help him! If he could just get out of this without going to jail!
"Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord!" he repeated, over and over to himself, as he walked. "What shall I do?"
The att.i.tude of Henry A. Mollenhauer, grim, political boss that he was--trained in a hard school--was precisely the att.i.tude of every such man in all such trying circ.u.mstances.
He was wondering, in view of what Butler had told him, just how much he could advantage himself in this situation. If he could, he wanted to get control of whatever street-railway stock Stener now had, without in any way compromising himself. Stener"s shares could easily be transferred on "change through Mollenhauer"s brokers to a dummy, who would eventually transfer them to himself (Mollenhauer). Stener must be squeezed thoroughly, though, this afternoon, and as for his five hundred thousand dollars" indebtedness to the treasury, Mollenhauer did not see what could be done about that. If Cowperwood could not pay it, the city would have to lose it; but the scandal must be hushed up until after election.
Stener, unless the various party leaders had more generosity than Mollenhauer imagined, would have to suffer exposure, arrest, trial, confiscation of his property, and possibly sentence to the penitentiary, though this might easily be commuted by the governor, once public excitement died down. He did not trouble to think whether Cowperwood was criminally involved or not. A hundred to one he was not. Trust a shrewd man like that to take care of himself. But if there was any way to shoulder the blame on to Cowperwood, and so clear the treasurer and the skirts of the party, he would not object to that. He wanted to hear the full story of Stener"s relations with the broker first. Meanwhile, the thing to do was to seize what Stener had to yield.
The troubled city treasurer, on being shown in Mr. Mollenhauer"s presence, at once sank feebly in a chair and collapsed. He was entirely done for mentally. His nerve was gone, his courage exhausted like a breath.
"Well, Mr. Stener?" queried Mr. Mollenhauer, impressively, pretending not to know what brought him.
"I came about this matter of my loans to Mr. Cowperwood."
"Well, what about them?"
"Well, he owes me, or the city treasury rather, five hundred thousand dollars, and I understand that he is going to fail and that he can"t pay it back."
"Who told you that?"
"Mr. Sengstack, and since then Mr. Cowperwood has been to see me. He tells me he must have more money or he will fail and he wants to borrow three hundred thousand dollars more. He says he must have it."
"So!" said Mr. Mollenhauer, impressively, and with an air of astonishment which he did not feel. "You would not think of doing that, of course. You"re too badly involved as it is. If he wants to know why, refer him to me. Don"t advance him another dollar. If you do, and this case comes to trial, no court would have any mercy on you. It"s going to be difficult enough to do anything for you as it is. However, if you don"t advance him any more--we will see. It may be possible, I can"t say, but at any rate, no more money must leave the treasury to bolster up this bad business. It"s much too difficult as it now is." He stared at Stener warningly. And he, shaken and sick, yet because of the faint suggestion of mercy involved somewhere in Mollenhauer"s remarks, now slipped from his chair to his knees and folded his hands in the uplifted att.i.tude of a devotee before a sacred image.
"Oh, Mr. Mollenhauer," he choked, beginning to cry, "I didn"t mean to do anything wrong. Strobik and Wycroft told me it was all right. You sent me to Cowperwood in the first place. I only did what I thought the others had been doing. Mr. Bode did it, just like I have been doing.
He dealt with Tighe and Company. I have a wife and four children, Mr.
Mollenhauer. My youngest boy is only seven years old. Think of them, Mr.
Mollenhauer! Think of what my arrest will mean to them! I don"t want to go to jail. I didn"t think I was doing anything very wrong--honestly I didn"t. I"ll give up all I"ve got. You can have all my stocks and houses and lots--anything--if you"ll only get me out of this. You won"t let "em send me to jail, will you?"
His fat, white lips were trembling--wabbling nervously--and big hot tears were coursing down his previously pale but now flushed cheeks.
He presented one of those almost unbelievable pictures which are yet so intensely human and so true. If only the great financial and political giants would for once accurately reveal the details of their lives!
Mollenhauer looked at him calmly, meditatively. How often had he seen weaklings no more dishonest than himself, but without his courage and subtlety, pleading to him in this fashion, not on their knees exactly, but intellectually so! Life to him, as to every other man of large practical knowledge and insight, was an inexplicable tangle. What were you going to do about the so-called morals and precepts of the world?
This man Stener fancied that he was dishonest, and that he, Mollenhauer, was honest. He was here, self-convicted of sin, pleading to him, Mollenhauer, as he would to a righteous, unstained saint. As a matter of fact, Mollenhauer knew that he was simply shrewder, more far-seeing, more calculating, not less dishonest. Stener was lacking in force and brains--not morals. This lack was his princ.i.p.al crime. There were people who believed in some esoteric standard of right--some ideal of conduct absolutely and very far removed from practical life; but he had never seen them practice it save to their own financial (not moral--he would not say that) destruction. They were never significant, practical men who clung to these fatuous ideals. They were always poor, nondescript, negligible dreamers. He could not have made Stener understand all this if he had wanted to, and he certainly did not want to. It was too bad about Mrs. Stener and the little Steners. No doubt she had worked hard, as had Stener, to get up in the world and be something--just a little more than miserably poor; and now this unfortunate complication had to arise to undo them--this Chicago fire. What a curious thing that was!
If any one thing more than another made him doubt the existence of a kindly, overruling Providence, it was the unheralded storms out of clear skies--financial, social, anything you choose--that so often brought ruin and disaster to so many.
"Get Up, Stener," he said, calmly, after a few moments. "You mustn"t give way to your feelings like this. You must not cry. These troubles are never unraveled by tears. You must do a little thinking for yourself. Perhaps your situation isn"t so bad."