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pondered　over　the　situation　a　good　deal。　　The　thing　to　do；　he　thought；　if　he　went　to　Mollenhauer　or　Simpson；　or　both　（he　had　never　met　either　of　them；　but　in　view　of　Butler's　desertion　they　were　his　only　recourse）；　was　to　say　that；　although　he　could　not　at　present　return　the　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　if　no　action　were　taken　against　him　now；　which　would　prevent　his　resuming　his　business　on　a　normal　scale　a　little　later；　he　would　pledge　his　word　that　every　dollar　of　the　involved　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　would　eventually　be　returned　to　the　treasury。　　If　they　refused；　and　injury　was　done　him；　he　proposed　to　let　them　wait　until　he　was　〃good　and　ready；〃　which　in　all　probability　would　be　never。　　But；　really；　it　was　not　quite　clear　how　action　against　him　was　to　be　preventedeven　by　them。　The　money　was　down　on　his　books　as　owing　the　city　treasury；　and　it　was　down　on　the　city　treasury's　books　as　owing　from　him。　　Besides；　there　was　a　local　organization　known　as　the　Citizens'　Municipal　Reform　Association　which　occasionally　conducted　investigations　in　connection　with　public　affairs。　　His　defalcation　would　be　sure　to　come　to　the　ears　of　this　body　and　a　public　investigation　might　well　follow。　　Various　private　individuals　knew　of　it　already。　　His　creditors；　for　instance；　who　were　now　examining　his　books。

This　matter　of　seeing　Mollenhauer　or　Simpson；　or　both；　was　important；　anyhow；　he　thought；　but　before　doing　so　he　decided　to　talk　it　all　over　with　Harper　Steger。　　So　several　days　after　he　had　closed　his　doors；　he　sent　for　Steger　and　told　him　all　about　the　transaction；　except　that　he　did　not　make　it　clear　that　he　had　not　intended　to　put　the　certificates　in　the　sinking…fund　unless　he　survived　quite　comfortably。

Harper　Steger　was　a　tall；　thin；　graceful；　rather　elegant　man；　of　gentle　voice　and　perfect　manners；　who　walked　always　as　though　he　were　a　cat；　and　a　dog　were　prowling　somewhere　in　the　offing。　　He　had　a　longish；　thin　face　of　a　type　that　is　rather　attractive　to　women。　　His　eyes　were　blue；　his　hair　brown；　with　a　suggestion　of　sandy　red　in　it。　　He　had　a　steady；　inscrutable　gaze　which　sometimes　came　to　you　over　a　thin；　delicate　hand；　which　he　laid　meditatively　over　his　mouth。　　He　was　cruel　to　the　limit　of　the　word；　not　aggressively　but　indifferently；　for　he　had　no　faith　in　anything。　He　was　not　poor。　　He　had　not　even　been　born　poor。　　He　was　just　innately　subtle；　with　the　rather　constructive　thought；　which　was　about　the　only　thing　that　compelled　him　to　work；　that　he　ought　to　be　richer　than　he　wasmore　conspicuous。　　Cowperwood　was　an　excellent　avenue　toward　legal　prosperity。　　Besides；　he　was　a　fascinating　customer。　　Of　all　his　clients；　Steger　admired　Cowperwood　most。

〃Let　them　proceed　against　you；〃　he　said　on　this　occasion；　his　brilliant　legal　mind　taking　in　all　the　phases　of　the　situation　at　once。　　〃I　don't　see　that　there　is　anything　more　here　than　a　technical　charge。　　If　it　ever　came　to　anything　like　that；　which　I　don't　think　it　will；　the　charge　would　be　embezzlement　or　perhaps　larceny　as　bailee。　　In　this　instance；　you　were　the　bailee。　　And　the　only　way　out　of　that　would　be　to　swear　that　you　had　received　the　check　with　Stener's　knowledge　and　consent。　　Then　it　would　only　be　a　technical　charge　of　irresponsibility　on　your　part；　as　I　see　it；　and　I　don't　believe　any　jury　would　convict　you　on　the　evidence　of　how　this　relationship　was　conducted。　　Still；　it　might；　you　never　can　tell　what　a　jury　is　going　to　do。　　All　this　would　have　to　come　out　at　a　trial；　however。　　The　whole　thing；　it　seems　to　me；　would　depend　on　which　of　you　twoyourself　or　Stenerthe　jury　would　be　inclined　to　believe；　and　on　how　anxious　this　city　crowd　is　to　find　a　scapegoat　for　Stener。　　This　coming　election　is　the　rub。　　If　this　panic　had　come　at　any　other　time〃

Cowperwood　waved　for　silence。　　He　knew　all　about　that。　　〃It　all　depends　on　what　the　politicians　decide　to　do。　　I'm　doubtful。　　The　situation　is　too　complicated。　　It　can't　be　hushed　up。〃　　They　were　in　his　private　office　at　his　house。　　〃What　will　be　will　be；〃　he　added。

〃What　would　that　mean；　Harper；　legally；　if　I　were　tried　on　a　charge　of　larceny　as　bailee；　as　you　put　it；　and　convicted？　How　many　years　in　the　penitentiary　at　the　outside？〃

Steger　thought　a　minute；　rubbing　his　chin　with　his　hand。　　〃Let　me　see；〃　he　said；　〃that　is　a　serious　question；　isn't　it？　The　law　says　one　to　five　years　at　the　outside；　but　the　sentences　usually　average　from　one　to　three　years　in　embezzlement　cases。　　Of　course；　in　this　case〃

〃I　know　all　about　that；〃　interrupted　Cowperwood；　irritably。　　〃My　case　isn't　any　different　from　the　others；　and　you　know　it。　Embezzlement　is　embezzlement　if　the　politicians　want　to　have　it　so。〃　　He　fell　to　thinking；　and　Steger　got　up　and　strolled　about　leisurely。　　He　was　thinking　also。

〃And　would　I　have　to　go　to　jail　at　any　time　during　the　proceedings　before　a　final　adjustment　of　the　case　by　the　higher　courts？〃　Cowperwood　added；　directly；　grimly；　after　a　time。

〃Yes；　there　is　one　point　in　all　legal　procedure　of　the　kind；〃　replied　Steger；　cautiously；　now　rubbing　his　ear　and　trying　to　put　the　matter　as　delicately　as　possible。　　〃You　can　avoid　jail　sentences　all　through　the　earlier　parts　of　a　case　like　this；　but　if　you　are　once　tried　and　convicted　it's　pretty　hard　to　do　anythingas　a　matter　of　fact；　it　becomes　absolutely　necessary　then　to　go　to　jail　for　a　few　days；　five　or　so；　pending　the　motion　for　a　new　trial　and　the　obtaining　of　a　certificate　of　reasonable　doubt。　　It　usually　takes　that　long。〃

The　young　banker　sat　there　staring　out　of　the　window；　and　Steger　observed；　〃It　is　a　bit　complicated；　isn't　it？〃

〃Well；　I　should　say　so；〃　returned　Frank；　and　he　added　to　himself：　〃Jail！　Five　days　in　prison！〃　That　would　be　a　terrific　slap；　all　things　considered。　　Five　days　in　jail　pending　the　obtaining　of　a　certificate　of　reasonable　doubt；　if　one　could　be　obtained！　He　must　avoid　this！　Jail！　The　penitentiary！　His　commercial　reputation　would　never　survive　that。





Chapter　XXXII




The　necessity　of　a　final　conferencee　between　Butler；　Mollenhauer；　and　Simpson　was　speedily　reached；　for　this　situation　was　hourly　growing　more　serious。　　Rumors　were　floating　about　in　Third　Street　that　in　addition　to　having　failed　for　so　large　an　amount　as　to　have　further　unsettled　the　already　panicky　financial　situation　induced　by　the　Chicago　fire；　Cowperwood　and　Stener；　or　Stener　working　with　Cowperwood；　or　the　other　way　round；　had　involved　the　city　treasury　to　the　extent　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars。　　And　the　question　was　how　was　the　matter　to　be　kept　quiet　until　after　election；　which　was　still　three　weeks　away。　　Bankers　and　brokers　were　communicating　odd　rumors　to　each　other　about　a　check　that　had　been　taken　from　the　city　treasury　after　Cowperwood　knew　he　was　to　fail；　and　without　Stener's　consent。　　Also　that　there　was　danger　that　it　would　come　to　the　ears　of　that　very　uncomfortable　political　organization　known　as　the　Citizens'　Municipal　Reform　Association；　of　which　a　well…known　iron…manufacturer　of　great　probity　and　moral　rectitude；　one　Skelton　C。　Wheat；　was　president。　Wheat　had　for　years　been　following　on　the　trail　of　the　dominant　Republican　administration　in　a　vain　attempt　to　bring　it　to　a　sense　of　some　of　its　political　iniquities。　　He　was　a　serious　and　austere　man…one　of　those　solemn；　self…righteous　souls　who　see　life　through　a　peculiar　veil　of　duty；　and　who；　undisturbed　by　notable　animal　passions　of　any　kind；　go　their　way　of　upholding　the　theory　of　the　Ten　Commandments　over　the　order　of　things　as　they　are。

The　committee　in　question　had　originally　been　organized　to　protest　against　some　abuses　in　the　tax　department；　but　since　then；　from　election　to　election；　it　had　been　drifting　from　one　subject　to　another；　finding　an　occasional　evidence　of　its　worthwhileness　in　some　newspaper　comment　and　the　frightened　reformation　of　some　minor　political　official　who　ended；　usually；　by　taking　refuge　behind　the　skirts　of　some　higher　political　powerin　the　last　reaches；　Messrs。　Butler；　Mollenhauer；　and　Simpson。　　Just　now　it　was　without　important　fuel　or　ammunition；　and　this　assignment　of　Cowperwood；　with　its　attendant　crime；　so　far　as　the　city　treasury　was　concerned；　threatened；　as　some　politicians　and　bankers　saw　it；　to　give　it　just　the　club　it　was　looking　for。

However；　the　decisive　conference　took　place　between　Cowperwood　and　the　reigning　political　powers　some　five　days　after　Cowperwood's　failure；　at　the　home　of　Senator　Simpson；　which　was　located　in　Rittenhouse　Squarea　region　central　for　the　older　order　of　wealth　in　Philadelphia。　　Simpson　was　a　man　of　no　little　refinement　artistically；　of　Quaker　extraction；　and　of　great　wealth…breeding　judgment　which　he　used　largely　to　satisfy　his　craving　for　political　predominance。　　He　was　most　liberal　where　money　would　bring　him　a　powerful　or　necessary　political　adherent。　　He　fairly　showered　officescommissionerships；　trusteeships；　judgeships；　political　nominations；　and　executive　positions　generallyon　those　who　did　his　bidding　faithfully　and　without　question。　　Compared　with　Butler　and　Mollenhauer　he　was　more　powerful　than　either；　for　he　represented　the　State　and　the　nation。　　When　the　political　authorities　who　were　trying　to　swing　a　national　election　were　anxious　to　discover　what　the　State　of　Pennsyl