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experience.
"I'll tell you, Frank," he observed at parting, "I've always thought you were carrying too much
street-railway. It's great stuff if you can get away with it, but it's just in a pinch like this that you're
apt to get hurt. You've been making money pretty fast out of that and city loans."
He looked directly into his long-time friend's eyes, and they smiled.
It was the same with Avery Stone, President Davison, and others. They had all already heard
rumors of disaster when he arrived. They were not sure what the morrow would bring forth. It
looked very unpromising.
Cowperwood decided to stop and see Butler again for he felt certain his interview with
Mollenhauer and Simpson was now over. Butler, who had been meditating what he should say
to Cowperwood, was not unfriendly in his manner. "So you're back," he said, when
Cowperwood appeared.
"Yes, Mr. Butler."
"Well, I'm not sure that I've been able to do anything for you. I'm afraid not," Butler said,
cautiously. "It's a hard job you set me. Mollenhauer seems to think that he'll support the market,
on his own account. I think he will. Simpson has interests which he has to protect. I'm going to
buy for myself, of course."
He paused to reflect.
"I couldn't get them to call a conference with any of the big moneyed men as yet," he added,
warily. "They'd rather wait and see what happens in the mornin'. Still, I wouldn't be down-
hearted if I were you. If things turn out very bad they may change their minds. I had to tell them
about Stener. It's pretty bad, but they're hopin' you'll come through and straighten that out. I
hope so. About my own loan--well, I'll see how things are in the mornin'. If I raisonably can I'll
lave it with you. You'd better see me again about it. I wouldn't try to get any more money out of
Stener if I were you. It's pretty bad as it is."
Cowperwood saw at once that he was to get no aid from the politicians. The one thing that
disturbed him was this reference to Stener. Had they already communicated with him--warned
him? If so, his own coming to Butler had been a bad move; and yet from the point of view of his
possible failure on the morrow it had been advisable. At least now the politicians knew where he
stood. If he got in a very tight corner he would come to Butler again--the politicians could assist
him or not, as they chose. If they did not help him and he failed, and the election were lost, it
was their own fault. Anyhow, if he could see Stener first the latter would not be such a fool as to
stand in his own light in a crisis like this.
"Things look rather dark to-night, Mr. Butler," he said, smartly, "but I still think I'll come through. I
hope so, anyhow. I'm sorry to have put you to so much trouble. I wish, of course, that you
gentlemen could see your way clear to assist me, but if you can't, you can't. I have a number of
things that I can do. I hope that you will leave your loan as long as you can."
He went briskly out, and Butler meditated. "A clever young chap that," he said. "It's too bad. But
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