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which to bribe legislators in the matter of extending the line, and in taking up other opportunities
to either add to it by purchase or supplement it by working agreements. The word "bribe" is
used here in this matter-of-fact American way, because bribery was what was in every one's
mind in connection with the State legislature. Terrence Relihan--the small, dark-faced Irishman,
a dandy in dress and manners--who represented the financial interests at Harrisburg, and who
had come to Cowperwood after the five million bond deal had been printed, had told him that
nothing could be done at the capital without money, or its equivalent, negotiable securities.
Each significant legislator, if he yielded his vote or his influence, must be looked after. If he,
Cowperwood, had any scheme which he wanted handled at any time, Relihan had intimated to
him that he would be glad to talk with him. Cowperwood had figured on this Seventeenth and
Nineteenth Street line scheme more than once, but he had never felt quite sure that he was
willing to undertake it. His obligations in other directions were so large. But the lure was there,
and he pondered and pondered.
Stener's scheme of loaning him money wherewith to manipulate the North Pennsylvania line
deal put this Seventeenth and Nineteenth Street dream in a more favorable light. As it was he
was constantly watching the certificates of loan issue, for the city treasury, --buying large
quantities when the market was falling to protect it and selling heavily, though cautiously, when
he saw it rising and to do this he had to have a great deal of free money to permit him to do it.
He was constantly fearful of some break in the market which would affect the value of all his
securities and result in the calling of his loans. There was no storm in sight. He did not see that
anything could happen in reason; but he did not want to spread himself out too thin. As he saw
it now, therefore if he took one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of this city money and went
after this Seventeenth and Nineteenth Street matter it would not mean that he was spreading
himself out too thin, for because of this new proposition could he not call on Stener for more as
a loan in connection with these other ventures? But if anything should happen--well--
"Frank," said Stener, strolling into his office one afternoon after four o'clock when the main rush
of the day's work was over --the relationship between Cowperwood and Stener had long since
reached the "Frank" and "George" period--"Strobik thinks he has that North Pennsylvania deal
arranged so that we can take it up if we want to. The principal stockholder, we find, is a man by
the name of Coltan--not Ike Colton, but Ferdinand. How's that for a name?" Stener beamed fatly
and genially.
Things had changed considerably for him since the days when he had been fortuitously and
almost indifferently made city treasurer. His method of dressing had so much improved since he
had been inducted into office, and his manner expressed so much more good feeling,
confidence, aplomb, that he would not have recognized himself if he had been permitted to see
himself as had those who had known him before. An old, nervous shifting of the eyes had
almost ceased, and a feeling of restfulness, which had previously been restlessness, and had
sprung from a sense of necessity, had taken its place. His large feet were incased in good,
square-toed, soft-leather shoes; his stocky chest and fat legs were made somewhat agreeable
to the eye by a well-cut suit of brownish-gray cloth; and his neck was now surrounded by a low,
wing-point white collar and brown-silk tie. His ample chest, which spread out a little lower in
around and constantly enlarging stomach, was ornamented by a heavy-link gold chain, and his
white cuffs had large gold cuff-buttons set with rubies of a very notable size. He was rosy and
decidedly well fed. In fact, he was doing very well indeed.
He had moved his family from a shabby two-story frame house in South Ninth Street to a very
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