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〃Oh；　Frank；〃　she　exclaimed　to　him；　over　and　over；　〃if　we　could　only　manage　it。　　Do　you　think　we　can？〃

〃Do　I　think　we　can？　Certainly　I　do。　　It's　only　a　matter　of　time。　I　think　if　I　were　to　put　the　matter　to　her　clearly；　she　wouldn't　expect　me　to　stay。　　You　look　out　how　you　conduct　your　affairs。　If　your　father　or　your　brother　should　ever　suspect　me；　there'd　be　an　explosion　in　this　town；　if　nothing　worse。　　They'd　fight　me　in　all　my　money　deals；　if　they　didn't　kill　me。　　Are　you　thinking　carefully　of　what　you　are　doing？〃

〃All　the　time。　　If　anything　happens　I'll　deny　everything。　　They　can't　prove　it；　if　I　deny　it。　　I'll　come　to　you　in　the　long　run；　just　the　same。〃

They　were　in　the　Tenth　Street　house　at　the　time。　　She　stroked　his　cheeks　with　the　loving　fingers　of　the　wildly　enamored　woman。

〃I'll　do　anything　for　you；　sweetheart；〃　she　declared。　　〃I'd　die　for　you　if　I　had　to。　　I　love　you　so。〃

〃Well；　pet；　no　danger。　　You　won't　have　to　do　anything　like　that。　But　be　careful。〃





Chapter　XXIII




Then；　after　several　years　of　this　secret　relationship；　in　which　the　ties　of　sympathy　and　understanding　grew　stronger　instead　of　weaker；　came　the　storm。　　It　burst　unexpectedly　and　out　of　a　clear　sky；　and　bore　no　relation　to　the　intention　or　volition　of　any　individual。　　It　was　nothing　more　than　a　fire；　a　distant　onethe　great　Chicago　fire；　October　7th；　1871；　which　burned　that　city　its　vast　commercial　sectionto　the　ground；　and　instantly　and　incidentally　produced　a　financial　panic；　vicious　though　of　short　duration　in　various　other　cities　in　America。　　The　fire　began　on　Saturday　and　continued　apparently　unabated　until　the　following　Wednesday。　　It　destroyed　the　banks；　the　commercial　houses；　the　shipping　conveniences；　and　vast　stretches　of　property。　　The　heaviest　loss　fell　naturally　upon　the　insurance　companies；　which　instantly；　in　many　casesthe　majorityclosed　their　doors。　　This　threw　the　loss　back　on　the　manufacturers　and　wholesalers　in　other　cities　who　had　had　dealings　with　Chicago　as　well　as　the　merchants　of　that　city。　　Again；　very　grievous　losses　were　borne　by　the　host　of　eastern　capitalists　which　had　for　years　past　partly　owned；　or　held　heavy　mortgages　on；　the　magnificent　buildings　for　business　purposes　and　residences　in　which　Chicago　was　already　rivaling　every　city　on　the　continent。　　Transportation　was　disturbed；　and　the　keen　scent　of　Wall　Street；　and　Third　Street　in　Philadelphia；　and　State　Street　in　Boston；　instantly　perceived　in　the　early　reports　the　gravity　of　the　situation。　　Nothing　could　be　done　on　Saturday　or　Sunday　after　the　exchange　closed；　for　the　opening　reports　came　too　late。　　On　Monday；　however；　the　facts　were　pouring　in　thick　and　fast；　and　the　owners　of　railroad　securities；　government　securities；　street…car　securities；　and；　indeed；　all　other　forms　of　stocks　and　bonds；　began　to　throw　them　on　the　market　in　order　to　raise　cash。　　The　banks　naturally　were　calling　their　loans；　and　the　result　was　a　stock　stampede　which　equaled　the　Black　Friday　of　Wall　Street　of　two　years　before。

Cowperwood　and　his　father　were　out　of　town　at　the　time　the　fire　began。　　They　had　gone　with　several　friendsbankersto　look　at　a　proposed　route　of　extension　of　a　local　steam…railroad；　on　which　a　loan　was　desired。　　In　buggies　they　had　driven　over　a　good　portion　of　the　route；　and　were　returning　to　Philadelphia　late　Sunday　evening　when　the　cries　of　newsboys　hawking　an　〃extra〃　reached　their　ears。

〃Ho！　Extra！　Extra！　All　about　the　big　Chicago　fire！〃

〃Ho！　Extra！　Extra！　Chicago　burning　down！　Extra！　Extra！〃

The　cries　were　long…drawn…out；　ominous；　pathetic。　　In　the　dusk　of　the　dreary　Sunday　afternoon；　when　the　city　had　apparently　retired　to　Sabbath　meditation　and　prayer；　with　that　tinge　of　the　dying　year　in　the　foliage　and　in　the　air；　one　caught　a　sense　of　something　grim　and　gloomy。

〃Hey；　boy；〃　called　Cowperwood；　listening；　seeing　a　shabbily　clothed　misfit　of　a　boy　with　a　bundle　of　papers　under　his　arm　turning　a　corner。　　〃What's　that？　Chicago　burning！〃

He　looked　at　his　father　and　the　other　men　in　a　significant　way　as　he　reached　for　the　paper；　and　then；　glancing　at　the　headlines；　realized　the　worst。

　　ALL　CHICAGO　BURNING

　　FIRE　RAGES　UNCHECKED　IN　COMMERCIAL　SECTION　SINCE　　　YESTERDAY　EVENING。　　BANKS；　COMMERCIAL　HOUSES；　PUBLIC　　　BUILDINGS　IN　RUINS。　　DIRECT　TELEGRAPHIC　COMMUNICATION　　　SUSPENDED　SINCE　THREE　O'CLOCK　TO…DAY。　　NO　END　TO　　　PROGRESS　OF　DISASTER　IN　SIGHT。

〃That　looks　rather　serious；〃　he　said；　calmly；　to　his　companions；　a　cold；　commanding　force　coming　into　his　eyes　and　voice。　　To　his　father　he　said　a　little　later；　〃It's　panic；　unless　the　majority　of　the　banks　and　brokerage　firms　stand　together。〃

He　was　thinking　quickly；　brilliantly；　resourcefully　of　his　own　outstanding　obligations。　　His　father's　bank　was　carrying　one　hundred　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　his　street…railway　securities　at　sixty；　and　fifty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　city　loan　at　seventy。　　His　father　had　〃up　with　him〃　over　forty　thousand　dollars　in　cash　covering　market　manipulations　in　these　stocks。　　The　banking　house　of　Drexel　&　Co。　was　on　his　books　as　a　creditor　for　one　hundred　thousand；　and　that　loan　would　be　called　unless　they　were　especially　merciful；　which　was　not　likely。　　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。　were　his　creditors　for　another　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand。　　They　would　want　their　money。　　At　four　smaller　banks　and　three　brokerage　companies　he　was　debtor　for　sums　ranging　from　fifty　thousand　dollars　down。　　The　city　treasurer　was　involved　with　him　to　the　extent　of　nearly　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　and　exposure　of　that　would　create　a　scandal；　the　State　treasurer　for　two　hundred　thousand。　　There　were　small　accounts；　hundreds　of　them；　ranging　from　one　hundred　dollars　up　to　five　and　ten　thousand。　　A　panic　would　mean　not　only　a　withdrawal　of　deposits　and　a　calling　of　loans；　but　a　heavy　depression　of　securities。　　How　could　he　realize　on　his　securities？　that　was　the　questionhow　without　selling　so　many　points　off　that　his　fortune　would　be　swept　away　and　he　would　be　ruined？

He　figured　briskly　the　while　he　waved　adieu　to　his　friends；　who　hurried　away；　struck　with　their　own　predicament。

〃You　had　better　go　on　out　to　the　house；　father；　and　I'll　send　some　telegrams。〃　　（The　telephone　had　not　yet　been　invented。）　　〃I'll　be　right　out　and　we'll　go　into　this　thing　together。　　It　looks　like　black　weather　to　me。　　Don't　say　anything　to　any　one　until　after　we　have　had　our　talk；　then　we　can　decide　what　to　do。〃

Cowperwood；　Sr。；　was　already　plucking　at　his　side…whiskers　in　a　confused　and　troubled　way。　　He　was　cogitating　as　to　what　might　happen　to　him　in　case　his　son　failed；　for　he　was　deeply　involved　with　him。　　He　was　a　little　gray　in　his　complexion　now；　frightened；　for　he　had　already　strained　many　points　in　his　affairs　to　accommodate　his　son。　　If　Frank　should　not　be　able　promptly　on　the　morrow　to　meet　the　call　which　the　bank　might　have　to　make　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars；　the　onus　and　scandal　of　the　situation　would　be　on　him。

On　the　other　hand；　his　son　was　meditating　on　the　tangled　relation　in　which　he　now　found　himself　in　connection　with　the　city　treasurer　and　the　fact　that　it　was　not　possible　for　him　to　support　the　market　alone。　　Those　who　should　have　been　in　a　position　to　help　him　were　now　as　bad　off　as　himself。　　There　were　many　unfavorable　points　in　the　whole　situation。　　Drexel　&　Co。　had　been　booming　railway　stocks　loaning　heavily　on　them。　　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。　had　been　backing　Northern　Pacificwere　practically　doing　their　best　to　build　that　immense　transcontinental　system　alone。　　Naturally；　they　were　long　on　that　and　hence　in　a　ticklish　position。　　At　the　first　word　they　would　throw　over　their　surest　securitiesgovernment　bonds；　and　the　like　in　order　to　protect　their　more　speculative　holdings。　　The　bears　would　see　the　point。　　They　would　hammer　and　hammer；　selling　short　all　along　the　line。　　But　he　did　not　dare　to　do　that。　　He　would　be　breaking　his　own　back　quickly；　and　what　he　needed　was　time。　　If　he　could　only　get　timethree　days；　a　week；　ten　daysthis　storm　would　surely　blow　over。

The　thing　that　was　troubling　him　most　was　the　matter　of　the　half…million　invested　with　him　by　Stener。　　A　fall　election　was　drawing　near。　　Stener；　although　he　had　served　two　terms；　was　slated　for　reelection。　　A　scandal　in　connection　with　the　city　treasury　would　be　a　very　bad　thing。　　It　would　end　Stener's　career　as　an　officialwould　very　likely　send　him　to　the　penitentiary。　　It　might　wreck　the　Republican　party's　chances　to　win。　　It　would　certainly　involve　himself　as　having　much　to　do　with　it。　　If　that　happened；　he　would　have　the　politicians　to　reckon　with。　　For；　if　he　were　hard　pressed；　as　he　would　be；　and　failed；　the　fact　that　he　had　been　trying　to　invade　the　city　street…railway　preserves　which　they　held　sacred　to　themselves；　with　borrowed　city　money；　and　that　this　borrowing　was　liable　to　cost　them　the　city　election；　would　all　come　out。　　They　would　not　view　all　that　with　a　kindly　eye。　　It　would　be　useless　to　say；　as　he　could；　that　he　had　borrowed　the　money　at　two　per　cent。　（most　of　it；　to　save　himself；　had　been　covered　by　a　protective　clause　of　that　kind）；　or　that　he　had　merely　acted　as　an　agent　for　Stener。　　That　might　go　down　with　the　unsophisticated　of　the　outer　world；　but　it　would　never　be　swall