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I'll　be　damned！〃　he　commented。　　〃They've　got　a　nerve！　What？〃

〃I've　been　talking　to　this　fellow　Klemm　of　the　twentieth；〃　said　Mr。　Tiernan；　sardonically。　　〃Say；　he's　a　real　one！　I　met　him　over　at　the　Tremont　talkin'　to　Hvranek。　　He　shakes　hands　like　a　dead　fish。　　Whaddye　think　he　had　the　nerve　to　say　to　me。　　'This　isn't　the　Mr。　Tiernan　of　the　second？'　he　says。

〃'I'm　the　same；'　says　I。

〃'Well；　you　don't　look　as　savage　as　I　thought　you　did；'　says　he。　　Haw…haw！　I　felt　like　sayin'；　'If　you　don't　go　way　I'll　give　you　a　slight　tap　on　the　wrist。'　I'd　like　just　one　pass　at　a　stiff　like　that　up　a　dark　alley。〃　（Mr。　Tiernan　almost　groaned　in　anguish。）　〃And　then　he　begins　to　say　he　doesn't　see　how　there　can　be　any　reasonable　objection　to　allowin'　various　new　companies　to　enter　the　street…car　field。　　'It's　sufficiently　clear；'　he　says；　'that　the　public　is　against　monopolies　in　any　form。'〃　（Mr。　Tiernan　was　mocking　Mr。　Klemm's　voice　and　language。）　〃My　eye！〃　he　concluded；　sententiously。　　〃Wait　till　he　tries　to　throw　that　dope　into　Gumble　and　Pinski　and　Schlumbohmhaw；　haw；　haw！〃

Mr。　Kerrigan；　at　the　thought　of　these　hearty　aldermen　accustomed　to　all　the　perquisites　of　graft　and　rake…off；　leaned　back　and　gave　vent　to　a　burst　of　deep…chested　laughter。　　〃I'll　tell　you　what　it　is；　Mike；〃　he　said；　archly；　hitching　up　his　tight；　very　artistic；　and　almost　English　trousers；　〃we're　up　against　a　bunch　of　pikers　in　this　Gilgan　crowd；　and　they've　gotta　be　taught　a　lesson。　　He　knows　it　as　well　as　anybody　else。　　None　o'　that　Christian　con　game　goes　around　where　I　am。　　I　believe　this　man　Cowperwood's　right　when　he　says　them　fellows　are　a　bunch　of　soreheads　and　jealous。　　If　Cowperwood's　willing　to　put　down　good　hard　money　to　keep　'em　out　of　his　game；　let　them　do　as　much　to　stay　in　it。　　This　ain't　no　charity　grab…bag。　　We　ought　to　be　able　to　round　up　enough　of　these　new　fellows　to　make　Schryhart　and　MacDonald　come　down　good　and　plenty　for　what　they　want。　　From　what　Gilgan　said　all　along；　I　thought　he　was　dealing　with　live　ones。　　They　paid　to　win　the　election。　　Now　let　'em　pay　to　pull　off　a　swell　franchise　if　they　want　it；　eh？〃

〃You're　damn　right；〃　echoed　Tiernan。　　〃I'm　with　you　to　a　T。〃

It　was　not　long　after　this　conversation　that　Mr。　Truman　Leslie　MacDonald；　acting　through　Alderman　Klemm；　proceeded　to　make　a　count　of　noses；　and　found　to　his　astonishment　that　he　was　not　as　strong　as　he　had　thought　he　was。　　Political　loyalty　is　such　a　fickle　thing。　　A　number　of　aldermen　with　curious　namesHorback；　Fogarty；　McGrane；　Sumulskyshowed　signs　of　being　tampered　with。　　He　hurried　at　once　to　Messrs。　Hand；　Schryhart；　and　Arneel　with　this　disconcerting　information。　　They　had　been　congratulating　themselves　that　the　recent　victory；　if　it　resulted　in　nothing　else；　would　at　least　produce　a　blanket　'L'　road　franchise；　and　that　this　would　be　sufficient　to　bring　Cowperwood　to　his　knees。

Upon　receiving　MacDonald's　message　Hand　sent　at　once　for　Gilgan。　　When　he　inquired　as　to　how　soon　a　vote　on　the　General　Electric　franchisewhich　had　been　introduced　by　Mr。　Klemmcould　reasonably　be　expected；　Gilgan　declared　himself　much　grieved　to　admit　that　in　one　direction　or　other　considerable　opposition　seemed　to　have　developed　to　the　measure。

〃What's　that？〃　said　Hand；　a　little　savagely。　　〃Didn't　we　make　a　plain　bargain　in　regard　to　this？　You　had　all　the　money　you　asked　for；　didn't　you？　You　said　you　could　give　me　twenty…six　aldermen　who　would　vote　as　we　agreed。　　You're　not　going　to　go　back　on　your　bargain；　are　you？〃

〃Bargain！　bargain！〃　retorted　Gilgan；　irritated　because　of　the　spirit　of　the　assault。　　〃I　agreed　to　elect　twenty…six　Republican　aldermen；　and　that　I　did。　　I　don't　own　'em　body　and　soul。　　I　didn't　name　'em　in　every　case。　　I　made　deals　with　the　men　in　the　different　wards　that　had　the　best　chance；　and　that　the　people　wanted。　　I'm　not　responsible　for　any　crooked　work　that's　going　on　behind　my　back；　am　I？　I'm　not　responsible　for　men's　not　being　straight　if　they're　not？〃

Mr。　Gilgan's　face　was　an　aggrieved　question…mark。

〃But　you　had　the　picking　of　these　men；〃　insisted　Mr。　Hand；　aggressively。　　〃Every　one　of　them　had　your　personal　indorsement。　　You　made　the　deals　with　them。　　You　don't　mean　to　say　they're　going　back　on　their　sacred　agreement　to　fight　Cowperwood　tooth　and　nail？　There　can't　be　any　misunderstanding　on　their　part　as　to　what　they　were　elected　to　do。　　The　newspapers　have　been　full　of　the　fact　that　nothing　favorable　to　Cowperwood　was　to　be　put　through。〃

〃That's　all　true　enough；〃　replied　Mr。　Gilgan；　〃but　I　can't　be　held　responsible　for　the　private　honesty　of　everybody。　　Sure　I　selected　these　men。　　Sure　I　did！　But　I　selected　them　with　the　help　of　the　rest　of　the　Republicans　and　some　of　the　Democrats。　　I　had　to　make　the　best　terms　I　couldto　pick　the　men　that　could　win。　　As　far　as　I　can　find　out　most　of　'em　are　satisfied　not　to　do　anything　for　Cowperwood。　　It's　passing　these　ordinances　in　favor　of　other　people　that's　stirring　up　the　trouble。〃

Mr。　Hand's　broad　forehead　wrinkled；　and　his　blue　eyes　surveyed　Mr。　Gilgan　with　suspicion。　　〃Who　are　these　men；　anyhow？〃　he　inquired。　〃I'd　like　to　get　a　list　of　them。〃

Mr。　Gilgan；　safe　in　his　own　subtlety；　was　ready　with　a　toll　of　the　supposed　recalcitrants。　　They　must　fight　their　own　battles。　　Mr。　Hand　wrote　down　the　names；　determining　meanwhile　to　bring　pressure　to　bear。　　He　decided　also　to　watch　Mr。　Gilgan。　　If　there　should　prove　to　be　a　hitch　in　the　programme　the　newspapers　should　be　informed　and　commanded　to　thunder　appropriately。　　Such　aldermen　as　proved　unfaithful　to　the　great　trust　imposed　on　them　should　be　smoked　out；　followed　back　to　the　wards　which　had　elected　them；　and　exposed　to　the　people　who　were　behind　them。　　Their　names　should　be　pilloried　in　the　public　press。　　The　customary　hints　as　to　Cowperwood's　deviltry　and　trickery　should　be　redoubled。

But　in　the　mean　time　Messrs。　Stimson；　Avery；　McKibben；　Van　Sickle；　and　others　were　on　Cowperwood's　behalf　acting　separately　upon　various　unattached　aldermenthose　not　temperamentally　and　chronically　allied　with　the　reform　ideaand　making　them　understand　that　if　they　could　find　it　possible　to　refrain　from　supporting　anti…Cowperwood　measures　for　the　next　two　years；　a　bonus　in　the　shape　of　an　annual　salary　of　two　thousand　dollars　or　a　gift　in　some　other　formperhaps　a　troublesome　note　indorsed　or　a　mortgage　taken　care　ofwould　be　forthcoming；　together　with　a　guarantee　that　the　general　public　should　never　know。　　In　no　case　was　such　an　offer　made　direct。　　Friends　or　neighbors；　or　suave　unidentified　strangers；　brought　mysterious　messages。　　By　this　method　some　eleven　aldermenquite　apart　from　the　ten　regular　Democrats　who；　because　of　McKenty　and　his　influence；　could　be　counted　uponhad　been　already　suborned。　　Although　Schryhart；　Hand；　and　Arneel　did　not　know　it；　their　plans　even　as　they　plannedwere　being　thus　undermined；　and；　try　as　they　would；　the　coveted　ordinance　for　a　blanket　franchise　persistently　eluded　them。　　They　had　to　content　themselves　for　the　time　being　with　a　franchise　for　a　single　'L'　road　line　on　the　South　Side　in　Schryhart's　own　territory；　and　with　a　franchise　to　the　General　Electric　covering　only　one　unimportant　line；　which　it　would　be　easy　for　Cowperwood；　if　he　continued　in　power；　to　take　over　at　some　later　time。




Chapter　XL



A　Trip　to　Louisville

The　most　serious　difficulty　confronting　Cowperwood　from　now　on　was　really　not　so　much　political　as　financial。　　In　building　up　and　financing　his　Chicago　street…railway　enterprises　he　had；　in　those　days　when　Addison　was　president　of　the　Lake　City　National；　used　that　bank　as　his　chief　source　of　supply。　　Afterward；　when　Addison　had　been　forced　to　retire　from　the　Lake　City　to　assume　charge　of　the　Chicago　Trust　Company；　Cowperwood　had　succeeded　in　having　the　latter　designated　as　a　central　reserve　and　in　inducing　a　number　of　rural　banks　to　keep　their　special　deposits　in　its　vaults。　　However；　since　the　war　on　him　and　his　interests　had　begun　to　strengthen　through　the　efforts　of　Hand　and　Arneelmen　most　influential　in　the　control　of　the　other　central…reserve　banks　of　Chicago；　and　in　close　touch　with　the　money　barons　of　New　York　there　were　signs　not　wanting　that　some　of　the　country　banks　depositing　with　the　Chicago　Trust　Company　had　been　induced　to　withdraw　because　of　pressure　from　outside　inimical　forces；　and　that　more　were　to　follow。　　It　was　some　time　before　Cowperwood　fully　realized　to　what　an　extent　this　financial　opposition　might　be　directed　against　himself。　　In　its　very　beginning　it　necessitated　speedy　hurryings　to　New　York；　Philadelphia；　Cincinnati；　Baltimore；　Bostoneven　London　at　timeson　the　chance　that　there　would　be　loose　and　ready　cash　in　someone's　possession。　　It　was　on　one　of　these　peregrinations　that　he　encountered　a　curious　personality　which　led　to　various　complications　in　his　life；　sentimental　and　otherwise；　which　he　had　not　hitherto　contemplated。

In　various　sections　of　the　country　Cowperwood　had　met　many　men　of　wealth；　some　grave；　some　gay；　with　whom　he　did　business；　and　among　these　in　Louisville；　Kentucky；　he　encountered　a　certain　Col。　Nathaniel　Gillis；　very　wealthy；　a　horseman；　inventor；　roue；　from　whom　he　occasionally　extracted　loans。　　The　Colonel　was　an　interesting　figure　in　Kentucky　society