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(Walnut and Chestnut) was on foot, as were lines to occupy Second and Third Streets, Race
and Vine, Spruce and Pine, Green and Coates, Tenth and Eleventh, and so forth. They were
engineered and backed by some powerful capitalists who had influence with the State
legislature and could, in spite of great public protest, obtain franchises. Charges of corruption
were in the air. It was argued that the streets were valuable, and that the companies should pay
a road tax of a thousand dollars a mile. Somehow, however, these splendid grants were gotten
through, and the public, hearing of the Fifth and Sixth Street line profits, was eager to invest.
Cowperwood was one of these, and when the Second and Third Street line was engineered, he
invested in that and in the Walnut and Chestnut Street line also. He began to have vague
dreams of controlling a line himself some day, but as yet he did not see exactly how it was to be
done, since his business was far from being a bonanza.
In the midst of this early work he married Mrs. Semple. There was no vast to-do about it, as he
did not want any and his bride-to-be was nervous, fearsome of public opinion. His family did not
entirely approve. She was too old, his mother and father thought, and then Frank, with his
prospects, could have done much better. His sister Anna fancied that Mrs. Semple was
designing, which was, of course, not true. His brothers, Joseph and Edward, were interested,
but not certain as to what they actually thought, since Mrs. Semple was good-looking and had
some money.
It was a warm October day when he and Lillian went to the altar, in the First Presbyterian
Church of Callowhill Street. His bride, Frank was satisfied, looked exquisite in a trailing gown of
cream lace--a creation that had cost months of labor. His parents, Mrs. Seneca Davis, the
Wiggin family, brothers and sisters, and some friends were present. He was a little opposed to
this idea, but Lillian wanted it. He stood up straight and correct in black broadcloth for the
wedding ceremony--because she wished it, but later changed to a smart business suit for
traveling. He had arranged his affairs for a two weeks' trip to New York and Boston. They took
an afternoon train for New York, which required five hours to reach. When they were finally
alone in the Astor House, New York, after hours of make-believe and public pretense of
indifference, he gathered her in his arms.
"Oh, it's delicious," he exclaimed, "to have you all to myself."
She met his eagerness with that smiling, tantalizing passivity which he had so much admired
but which this time was tinged strongly with a communicated desire. He thought he should
never have enough of her, her beautiful face, her lovely arms, her smooth, lymphatic body.
They were like two children, billing and cooing, driving, dining, seeing the sights. He was curious
to visit the financial sections of both cities. New York and Boston appealed to him as
commercially solid. He wondered, as he observed the former, whether he should ever leave
Philadelphia. He was going to be very happy there now, he thought, with Lillian and possibly a
brood of young Cowperwoods. He was going to work hard and make money. With his means
and hers now at his command, he might become, very readily, notably wealthy.
Chapter X
The home atmosphere which they established when they returned from their honeymoon was a
great improvement in taste over that which had characterized the earlier life of Mrs.
Cowperwood as Mrs. Semple. They had decided to occupy her house, on North Front Street, for
a while at least. Cowperwood, aggressive in his current artistic mood, had objected at once after
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