Jennie Gerhardt

 
 
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CHAPTER XLIII 
This attempt at coercion was the one thing which would definitely set Lester 
in opposition to his family, at least for the time being. He had realized 
clearly enough of late that he had made a big mistake; first in not having 
married Jennie, thus avoiding scandal; and in the second place in not 
having accepted her proposition at the time when she wanted to leave him; 
There were no two ways about it, he had made a mess of this business. He 
could not afford to lose his fortune entirely. He did not have enough money 
of his own. Jennie was unhappy, he could see that. Why shouldn't she be? 
He was unhappy. Did he want to accept the shabby ten thousand a year, 
even if he were willing to marry her? Finally, did he want to lose Jennie, to 
have her go out of his life once and for all? He could not make up his mind; 
the problem was too complicated. 
When Lester returned to his home, after the funeral, Jennie saw at once that 
something was amiss with him, something beyond a son's natural grief for 
his father's death was weighing upon his spirits. What was it, she wondered. 
She tried to draw near to him sympathetically, but his wounded spirit could 
not be healed so easily. When hurt in his pride he was savage and sullen—
he could have struck any man who irritated him. She watched him 
interestedly, wishing to do something for him, but he would not give her his 
confidence. He grieved, and she could only grieve with him. 
Days passed, and now the financial situation which had been created by his 
father's death came up for careful consideration. The factory management 
had to be reorganized. Robert would have to be made president, as his 
father wished. Lester's own relationship to the business would have to come 
up for adjudication. Unless he changed his mind about Jennie, he was not a 
stockholder. As a matter of fact, he was not anything. To continue to be 
secretary and treasurer, it was necessary that he should own at least one 
share of the company's stock. Would Robert give him any? Would Amy, 
Louise, or Imogene? Would they sell him any? Would the other members of 
the family care to do anything which would infringe on Robert's prerogatives 
under the will? They were all rather unfriendly to Lester at present, and he 
realized that he was facing a ticklish situation. The solution was—to get rid 
of Jennie. If he did that he would not need to be begging for stock. If he 
didn't, he was flying in the face of his father's last will and testament. He 
turned the matter over in his mind slowly and deliberately. He could quite 
see how things were coming out. He must abandon either Jennie or his 
prospects in life. What a dilemma! 
Despite Robert's assertion, that so far as he was concerned another 
arrangement would have been satisfactory, he was really very well pleased 
with the situation; his dreams were slowly nearing completion. Robert had 
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long had his plans perfected, not only for a thorough reorganization of the 
company proper, but for an extension of the business in the direction of a 
combination of carriage companies. If he could get two or three of the larger 
organizations in the East and West to join with him, selling costs could be 
reduced, over-production would be avoided, and the general expenses could 
be materially scaled down. Through a New York representative, he had been 
picking up stock in outside carriage companies for some time and he was 
almost ready to act. In the first place he would have himself elected 
president of the Kane Company, and since Lester was no longer a factor, he 
could select Amy's husband as vice-president, and possibly some one other 
than Lester as secretary and treasurer. Under the conditions of the will, the 
stock and other properties set aside temporarily for Lester, in the hope that 
he would come to his senses, were to be managed and voted by Robert. His 
father had meant, obviously, that he, Robert, should help him coerce his 
brother. He did not want to appear mean, but this was such an easy way. It 
gave him a righteous duty to perform. Lester must come to his senses or he 
must let Robert run the business to suit himself. 
Lester, attending to his branch duties in Chicago, foresaw the drift of things. 
He realized now that he was permanently out of the company, a branch 
manager at his brother's sufferance, and the thought irritated him greatly. 
Nothing had been said by Robert to indicate that such a change had taken 
place—things went on very much as before—but Robert's suggestions were 
now obviously law. Lester was really his brother's employee at so much a 
year. It sickened his soul. 
There came a time, after a few weeks, when he felt as if he could not stand 
this any longer. Hitherto he had been a free and independent agent. The 
approaching annual stockholder's meeting which hitherto had been a one-
man affair and a formality, his father doing all the voting, would be now a 
combination of voters, his brother presiding, his sisters very likely 
represented by their husbands, and he not there at all. It was going to be a 
great come-down, but as Robert had not said anything about offering to give 
or sell him any stock which would entitle him to sit as a director or hold any 
official position in the company, he decided to write and resign. That would 
bring matters to a crisis. It would show his brother that he felt no desire to 
be under obligations to him in any way or to retain anything which was not 
his—and gladly so—by right of ability and the desire of those with whom he 
was associated. If he wanted to move back into the company by deserting 
Jennie he would come in a very different capacity from that of branch 
manager. He dictated a simple, straight-forward business letter, saying: 
"DEAR ROBERT, I know the time is drawing near when the company must 
be reorganized under your direction. Not having any stock, I am not entitled 
to sit as a director, or to hold the joint position of secretary and treasurer. I 
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want you to accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from both 
positions, and I want to have your directors consider what disposition 
should be made of this position and my services. I am not anxious to retain 
the branch-managership as a branch-managership merely; at the same time 
I do not want to do anything which will embarrass you in your plans for the 
future. You see by this that I am not ready to accept the proposition laid 
down in father's will—at least, not at present. I would like a definite 
understanding of how you feel in this matter. Will you write and let me 
know?
"Yours,
"LESTER." 
Robert, sitting in his office at Cincinnati, considered this letter gravely. It 
was like his brother to come down to "brass tacks." If Lester were only as 
cautious as he was straightforward and direct, what a man he would be! But 
there was no guile in the man—no subtlety. He would never do a snaky 
thing—and Robert knew, in his own soul, that to succeed greatly one must. 
"You have to be ruthless at times—you have to be subtle," Robert would say 
to himself. "Why not face the facts to yourself when you are playing for big 
stakes?" He would, for one, and he did. 
Robert felt that although Lester was a tremendously decent fellow and his 
brother, he wasn't pliable enough to suit his needs. He was too outspoken, 
too inclined to take issue. If Lester yielded to his father's wishes, and took 
possession of his share of the estate, he would become, necessarily, an 
active partner in the affairs of the company. Lester would be a barrier in 
Robert's path. Did Robert want this? Decidedly he did not. He much 
preferred that Lester should hold fast to Jennie, for the present at least, and 
so be quietly shelved by his own act. 
After long consideration, Robert dictated a politic letter. He hadn't made up 
his mind yet just what he wanted to do. He did not know what his sisters' 
husbands would like. A consultation would have to be held. For his part, he 
would be very glad to have Lester remain as secretary and treasurer, if it 
could be arranged. Perhaps it would be better to let the matter rest for the 
present. 
Lester cursed. What did Robert mean by beating around the bush? He knew 
well enough how it could be arranged. One share of stock would be enough 
for Lester to qualify. Robert was afraid of him—that was the basic fact. Well, 
he would not retain any branch-managership, depend on that. He would 
resign at once. Lester accordingly wrote back, saying that he had considered 
all sides, and had decided to look after some interests of his own, for the 
time being. If Robert could arrange it, he would like to have some one come 
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on to Chicago and take over the branch agency. Thirty days would be time 
enough. In a few days came a regretful reply, saying that Robert was awfully 
sorry, but that if Lester was determined he did not want to interfere with 
any plans he might have in view. Imogene's husband, Jefferson Midgely, had 
long thought he would like to reside in Chicago. He could undertake the 
work for the time being. 
Lester smiled. Evidently Robert was making the best of a very subtle 
situation. Robert knew that he, Lester, could sue and tie things up, and also 
that he would be very loath to do so. The newspapers would get hold of the 
whole story. This matter of his relationship to Jennie was in the air, 
anyhow. He could best solve the problem by leaving her. So it all came back 
to that.