the titan-第91章

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〃Yes；　but　he　lost　the　election。〃

〃True；　but　it　doesn't　follow　he's　going　to　lose　the　next　one；　or　every　one。〃

〃Just　the　same；〃　replied　Simmons；　very　secretively；　〃I　understand　there's　a　concerted　effort　on　to　drive　him　out。　　Schryhart；　Hand；　Merrill；　Arneelthey're　the　most　powerful　men　we　have。　　I　understand　Hand　says　that　he'll　never　get　his　franchises　renewed　except　on　terms　that'll　make　his　lines　unprofitable。　　There's　going　to　be　an　awful　smash　here　one　of　these　days　if　that's　true。〃　Mr。　Simmons　looked　very　wise　and　solemn。

〃Never　believe　it；〃　replied　Addison；　contemptuously。　　〃Hand　isn't　Chicago；　neither　is　Schryhart；　nor　Arneel。　　Cowperwood　is　a　brainy　man。　　He　isn't　going　to　be　put　under　so　easily。　　Did　you　ever　hear　what　was　the　real　bottom　cause　of　all　this　disturbance？〃

〃Yes；　I've　heard；〃　replied　Simmons。

〃Do　you　believe　it？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　　Yes；　I　suppose　I　do。　　Still；　I　don't　know　that　that　need　have　anything　to　do　with　it。　　Money　envy　is　enough　to　make　any　man　fight。　　This　man　Hand　is　very　powerful。〃

Not　long　after　this　Cowperwood；　strolling　into　the　president's　office　of　the　Chicago　Trust　Company；　inquired：　〃Well；　Judah；　how　about　those　Northwestern　'L'　bonds？〃

〃It's　just　as　I　thought；　Frank；〃　replied　Addison；　softly。　　〃We'll　have　to　go　outside　of　Chicago　for　that　money。　　Hand；　Arneel；　and　the　rest　of　that　crowd　have　decided　to　combine　against　us。　　That's　plain。　　Something　has　started　them　off　in　full　cry。　　I　suppose　my　resignation　may　have　had　something　to　do　with　it。　　Anyhow；　every　one　of　the　banks　in　which　they　have　any　hand　has　uniformly　refused　to　come　in。　　To　make　sure　that　I　was　right　I　even　called　up　the　little　old　Third　National　of　Lake　View　and　the　Drovers　and　Traders　on　Forty…seventh　Street。　　That's　Charlie　Wallin's　bank。　　When　I　was　over　in　the　Lake　National　he　used　to　hang　around　the　back　door　asking　for　anything　I　could　give　him　that　was　sound。　　Now　he　says　his　orders　are　from　his　directors　not　to　share　in　anything　we　have　to　offer。　　It's　the　same　story　everywherethey　daren't。　　I　asked　Wallin　if　he　knew　why　the　directors　were　down　on　the　Chicago　Trust　or　on　you；　and　at　first　he　said　he　didn't。　　Then　he　said　he'd　stop　in　and　lunch　with　me　some　day。　　They're　the　silliest　lot　of　old　ostriches　I　ever　heard　of。　　As　if　refusing　to　let　us　have　money　on　any　loan　here　was　going　to　prevent　us　from　getting　it！　They　can　take　their　little　old　one…horse　banks　and　play　blockhouses　with　them　if　they　want　to。　　I　can　go　to　New　York　and　in　thirty…six　hours　raise　twenty　million　dollars　if　we　need　it。〃

Addison　was　a　little　warm。　　It　was　a　new　experience　for　him。　　Cowperwood　merely　curled　his　mustaches　and　smiled　sardonically。

〃Well；　never　mind；〃　he　said。　　〃Will　you　go　down　to　New　York；　or　shall　I？〃

It　was　decided；　after　some　talk；　that　Addison　should　go。　　When　he　reached　New　York　he　found；　to　his　surprise；　that　the　local　opposition　to　Cowperwood　had；　for　some　mysterious　reason；　begun　to　take　root　in　the　East。

〃I'll　tell　you　how　it　is；〃　observed　Joseph　Haeckelheimer；　to　whom　Addison　applieda　short；　smug；　pussy　person　who　was　the　head　of　Haeckelheimer；　Gotloeb　&　Co。；　international　bankers。　　〃We　hear　odd　things　concerning　Mr。　Cowperwood　out　in　Chicago。　　Some　people　say　he　is　soundsome　not。　　He　has　some　very　good　franchises　covering　a　large　portion　of　the　city；　but　they　are　only　twenty…year　franchises；　and　they　will　all　run　out　by　1903　at　the　latest。　　As　I　understand　it；　he　has　managed　to　stir　up　all　the　local　elementssome　very　powerful　ones；　tooand　he　is　certain　to　have　a　hard　time　to　get　his　franchises　renewed。　　I　don't　live　in　Chicago；　of　course。　　I　don't　know　much　about　it；　but　our　Western　correspondent　tells　me　this　is　so。　　Mr。　Cowperwood　is　a　very　able　man；　as　I　understand　it；　but　if　all　these　influential　men　are　opposed　to　him　they　can　make　him　a　great　deal　of　trouble。　　The　public　is　very　easily　aroused。〃

〃You　do　a　very　able　man　a　great　injustice；　Mr。　Haeckelheimer；〃　Addison　retorted。　　〃Almost　any　one　who　starts　out　to　do　things　successfully　and　intelligently　is　sure　to　stir　up　a　great　deal　of　feeling。　　The　particular　men　you　mention　seem　to　feel　that　they　have　a　sort　of　proprietor's　interest　in　Chicago。　　They　really　think　they　own　it。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　city　made　them；　they　didn't　make　the　city。〃

Mr。　Haeckelheimer　lifted　his　eyebrows。　　He　laid　two　fine　white　hands；　plump　and　stubby；　over　the　lower　buttons　of　his　protuberant　waistcoat。　　〃Public　favor　is　a　great　factor　in　all　these　enterprises；〃　he　almost　sighed。　　〃As　you　know；　part　of　a　man's　resources　lies　in　his　ability　to　avoid　stirring　up　opposition。　　It　may　be　that　Mr。　Cowperwood　is　strong　enough　to　overcome　all　that。　　I　don't　know。　　I've　never　met　him。　　I'm　just　telling　you　what　I　hear。〃

This　offish　attitude　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Haeckelheimer　was　indicative　of　a　new　trend。　　The　man　was　enormously　wealthy。　　The　firm　of　Haeckelheimer；　Gotloeb　&　Co。　represented　a　controlling　interest　in　some　of　the　principal　railways　and　banks　in　America。　　Their　favor　was　not　to　be　held　in　light　esteem。

It　was　plain　that　these　rumors　against　Cowperwood　in　New　York；　unless　offset　promptly　by　favorable　events　in　Chicago；　might　mean　in　the　large　banking　quarters；　anyhowthe　refusal　of　all　subsequent　Cowperwood　issues。　　It　might　even　close　the　doors　of　minor　banks　and　make　private　investors　nervous。

Addison's　report　of　all　this　annoyed　Cowperwood　no　little。　　It　made　him　angry。　　He　saw　in　it　the　work　of　Schryhart；　Hand；　and　others　who　were　trying　their　best　to　discredit　him。　　〃Let　them　talk；〃　he　declared；　crossly。　　〃I　have　the　street…railways。　　They're　not　going　to　rout　me　out　of　here。　　I　can　sell　stocks　and　bonds　to　the　public　direct　if　need　be！　There　are　plenty　of　private　people　who　are　glad　to　invest　in　these　properties。〃

At　this　psychological　moment　enter；　as　by　the　hand　of　Fate；　the　planet　Mars　and　the　University。　　This　latter；　from　having　been　for　years　a　humble　Baptist　college　of　the　cheapest　character；　had　suddenly；　through　the　beneficence　of　a　great　Standard　Oil　multimillionaire；　flared　upward　into　a　great　university；　and　was　causing　a　stir　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　educational　world。

It　was　already　a　most　noteworthy　spectacle；　one　of　the　sights　of　the　city。　　Millions　were　being　poured　into　it；　new　and　beautiful　buildings　were　almost　monthly　erected。　　A　brilliant；　dynamic　man　had　been　called　from　the　East　as　president。　　There　were　still　many　things　neededdormitories；　laboratories　of　one　kind　and　another；　a　great　library；　and；　last　but　not　least；　a　giant　telescopeone　that　would　sweep　the　heavens　with　a　hitherto　unparalleled　receptive　eye；　and　wring　from　it　secrets　not　previously　decipherable　by　the　eye　and　the　mind　of　man。

Cowperwood　had　always　been　interested　in　the　heavens　and　in　the　giant　mathematical　and　physical　methods　of　interpreting　them。　　It　so　happened　that　the　war…like　planet；　with　its　sinister　aspect；　was　just　at　this　time　to　be　seen　hanging　in　the　west；　a　fiery　red；　and　the　easily　aroused　public　mind　was　being　stirred　to　its　shallow　depth　by　reflections　and　speculations　regarding　the　famous　canals　of　the　luminary。　　The　mere　thought　of　the　possibility　of　a　larger　telescope　than　any　now　in　existence；　which　might　throw　additional　light　on　this　evasive　mystery；　was　exciting　not　only　Chicago；　but　the　whole　world。　　Late　one　afternoon　Cowperwood；　looking　over　some　open　fields　which　faced　his　new　power…house　in　West　Madison　Street；　observed　the　planet　hanging　low　and　lucent　in　the　evening　sky；　a　warm；　radiant　bit　of　orange　in　a　sea　of　silver。　　He　paused　and　surveyed　it。　　Was　it　true　that　there　were　canals　on　it；　and　people？　Life　was　surely　strange。

One　day　not　long　after　this　Alexander　Rambaud　called　him　up　on　the　'phone　and　remarked；　jocosely：

〃I　say；　Cowperwood；　I've　played　a　rather　shabby　trick　on　you　just　now。　　Doctor　Hooper；　of　the　University；　was　in　here　a　few　minutes　ago　asking　me　to　be　one　of　ten　to　guarantee　the　cost　of　a　telescope　lens　that　he　thinks　he　needs　to　run　that　one…horse　school　of　his　out　there。　　I　told　him　I　thought　you　might　possibly　be　interested。　His　idea　is　to　find　some　one　who　will　guarantee　forty　thousand　dollars；　or　eight　or　ten　men　who　will　guarantee　four　or　five