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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 damned 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 attitude of Henry A. Mollenhauer, grim, political boss that he was--trained in a hard
school--was precisely the attitude of every such man in all such trying circumstances.
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,
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