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ng　pocket　or　pool　farther　up　on　the　shore。　　Cowperwood；　as　gay　as　a　boy　of　ten；　joined　in　the　chase。　　He　raced　after　them　briskly；　losing　one　school；　but　pocketing　another　a　little　farther　on　and　calling　to　her　to　come。

〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Berenice　at　one　point。　　〃Here　they　are　now。　　Come　quick！　Drive　them　in　here！〃

Her　hair　was　blowy；　her　face　a　keen　pink；　her　eyes　an　electric　blue　by　contrast。　　She　was　bending　low　over　the　waterCowperwood　alsotheir　hands　outstretched；　the　fish；　some　five　in　all；　nervously　dancing　before　them　in　their　efforts　to　escape。　　All　at　once；　having　forced　them　into　a　corner；　they　dived；　Berenice　actually　caught　one。　　Cowperwood　missed　by　a　fraction；　but　drove　the　fish　she　did　catch　into　her　hands。

〃Oh；〃　she　exclaimed；　jumping　up；　〃how　wonderful！　It's　alive。　　I　caught　it。〃

She　danced　up　and　down；　and　Cowperwood；　standing　before　her；　was　sobered　by　her　charm。　　He　felt　an　impulse　to　speak　to　her　of　his　affection；　to　tell　her　how　delicious　she　was　to　him。

〃You；〃　he　said；　pausing　over　the　word　and　giving　it　special　emphasis〃you　are　the　only　thing　here　that　is　wonderful　to　me。〃

She　looked　at　him　a　moment；　the　live　fish　in　her　extended　hands；　her　eyes　keying　to　the　situation。　　For　the　least　fraction　of　a　moment　she　was　uncertain；　as　he　could　see；　how　to　take　this。　　Many　men　had　been　approximative　before。　　It　was　common　to　have　compliments　paid　to　her。　　But　this　was　different。　　She　said　nothing；　but　fixed　him　with　a　look　which　said　quite　plainly；　〃You　had　better　not　say　anything　more　just　now；　I　think。〃　Then；　seeing　that　he　understood；　that　his　manner　softened；　and　that　he　was　troubled；　she　crinkled　her　nose　gaily　and　added：　〃It's　like　fairyland。　　I　feel　as　though　I　had　caught　it　out　of　another　world。〃　Cowperwood　understood。　　The　direct　approach　was　not　for　use　in　her　case；　and　yet　there　was　something；　a　camaraderie；　a　sympathy　which　he　felt　and　which　she　felt。　　A　girls'　school；　conventions；　the　need　of　socially　placing　herself；　her　conservative　friends；　and　their　viewpointall　were　working　here。　　If　he　were　only　single　now；　she　told　herself；　she　would　be　willing　to　listen　to　him　in　a　very　different　spirit；　for　he　was　charming。　　But　this　way　And　he；　for　his　part；　concluded　that　here　was　one　woman　whom　he　would　gladly　marry　if　she　would　have　him。




Chapter　XLVII



American　Match

Following　Cowperwood's　coup　in　securing　cash　by　means　of　his　seeming　gift　of　three　hundred　thousand　dollars　for　a　telescope　his　enemies　rested　for　a　time；　but　only　because　of　a　lack　of　ideas　wherewith　to　destroy　him。　　Public　sentimentcreated　by　the　newspaperswas　still　against　him。　　Yet　his　franchises　had　still　from　eight　to　ten　years　to　run；　and　meanwhile　he　might　make　himself　unassailably　powerful。　　For　the　present　he　was　busy；　surrounded　by　his　engineers　and　managers　and　legal　advisers；　constructing　his　several　elevated　lines　at　a　whirlwind　rate。　　At　the　same　time；　through　Videra；　Kaffrath；　and　Addison；　he　was　effecting　a　scheme　of　loaning　money　on　call　to　the　local　Chicago　banksthe　very　banks　which　were　most　opposed　to　himso　that　in　a　crisis　be　could　retaliate。　　By　manipulating　the　vast　quantity　of　stocks　and　bonds　of　which　he　was　now　the　master　he　was　making　money　hand　over　fist；　his　one　rule　being　that　six　per　cent。　was　enough　to　pay　any　holder　who　had　merely　purchased　his　stock　as　an　outsider。　　It　was　most　profitable　to　himself。　　When　his　stocks　earned　more　than　that　he　issued　new　ones；　selling　them　on　'change　and　pocketing　the　difference。　　Out　of　the　cash…drawers　of　his　various　companies　he　took　immense　sums；　temporary　loans；　as　it　were；　which　later　he　had　charged　by　his　humble　servitors　to　〃construction；〃　〃equipment；〃　or　〃operation。〃　He　was　like　a　canny　wolf　prowling　in　a　forest　of　trees　of　his　own　creation。

The　weak　note　in　this　whole　project　of　elevated　lines　was　that　for　some　time　it　was　destined　to　be　unprofitable。　　Its　very　competition　tended　to　weaken　the　value　of　his　surface…line　companies。　　His　holdings　in　these　as　well　as　in　elevated…road　shares　were　immense。　If　anything　happened　to　cause　them　to　fall　in　price　immense　numbers　of　these　same　stocks　held　by　others　would　be　thrown　on　the　market；　thus　still　further　depreciating　their　value　and　compelling　him　to　come　into　the　market　and　buy。　　With　the　most　painstaking　care　he　began　at　once　to　pile　up　a　reserve　in　government　bonds　for　emergency　purposes；　which　he　decided　should　be　not　less　than　eight　or　nine　million　dollars；　for　he　feared　financial　storms　as　well　as　financial　reprisal；　and　where　so　much　was　at　stake　he　did　not　propose　to　be　caught　napping。

At　the　time　that　Cowperwood　first　entered　on　elevated…road　construction　there　was　no　evidence　that　any　severe　depression　in　the　American　money…market　was　imminent。　　But　it　was　not　long　before　a　new　difficulty　began　to　appear。　　It　was　now　the　day　of　the　trust　in　all　its　watery　magnificence。　　Coal；　iron；　steel；　oil；　machinery；　and　a　score　of　other　commercial　necessities　had　already　been　〃trustified；〃　and　others；　such　as　leather；　shoes；　cordage；　and　the　like；　were；　almost　hourly；　being　brought　under　the　control　of　shrewd　and　ruthless　men。　　Already　in　Chicago　Schryhart；　Hand；　Arneel；　Merrill；　and　a　score　of　others　were　seeing　their　way　to　amazing　profits　by　underwriting　these　ventures　which　required　ready　cash；　and　to　which　lesser　magnates；　content　with　a　portion　of　the　leavings　of　Dives's　table；　were　glad　to　bring　to　their　attention。　On　the　other　hand；　in　the　nation　at　large　there　was　growing　up　a　feeling　that　at　the　top　there　were　a　set　of　giantsTitanswho；　without　heart　or　soul；　and　without　any　understanding　of　or　sympathy　with　the　condition　of　the　rank　and　file；　were　setting　forth　to　enchain　and　enslave　them。　　The　vast　mass；　writhing　in　ignorance　and　poverty；　finally　turned　with　pathetic　fury　to　the　cure…all　of　a　political　leader　in　the　West。　　This　latter　prophet；　seeing　gold　becoming　scarcer　and　scarcer　and　the　cash　and　credits　of　the　land　falling　into　the　hands　of　a　few　who　were　manipulating　them　for　their　own　benefit；　had　decided　that　what　was　needed　was　a　greater　volume　of　currency；　so　that　credits　would　be　easier　and　money　cheaper　to　come　by　in　the　matter　of　interest。　　Silver；　of　which　there　was　a　superabundance　in　the　mines；　was　to　be　coined　at　the　ratio　of　sixteen　dollars　of　silver　for　every　one　of　gold　in　circulation；　and　the　parity　of　the　two　metals　maintained　by　fiat　of　government。　　Never　again　should　the　few　be　able　to　make　a　weapon　of　the　people's　medium　of　exchange　in　order　to　bring　about　their　undoing。　　There　was　to　be　ample　money；　far　beyond　the　control　of　central　banks　and　the　men　in　power　over　them。　　It　was　a　splendid　dream　worthy　of　a　charitable　heart；　but　because　of　it　a　disturbing　war　for　political　control　of　the　government　was　shortly　threatened　and　soon　began。　　The　money　element；　sensing　the　danger　of　change　involved　in　the　theories　of　the　new　political　leader；　began　to　fight　him　and　the　element　in　the　Democratic　party　which　he　represented。　　The　rank　and　file　of　both　partiesthe　more　or　less　hungry　and　thirsty　who　lie　ever　at　the　bottom　on　both　sideshailed　him　as　a　heaven…sent　deliverer；　a　new　Moses　come　to　lead　them　out　of　the　wilderness　of　poverty　and　distress。　　Woe　to　the　political　leader　who　preaches　a　new　doctrine　of　deliverance；　and　who；　out　of　tenderness　of　heart；　offers　a　panacea　for　human　ills。　　His　truly　shall　be　a　crown　of　thorns。

Cowperwood；　no　less　than　other　men　of　wealth；　was　opposed　to　what　he　deemed　a　crack…brained　ideathat　of　maintaining　a　parity　between　gold　and　silver　by　law。　　Confiscation　was　his　word　for　itthe　confiscation　of　the　wealth　of　the　few　for　the　benefit　of　the　many。　Most　of　all　was　he　opposed　to　it　because　he　feared　that　this　unrest；　which　was　obviously　growing；　foreshadowed　a　class　war　in　which　investors　would　run　to　cover　and　money　be　locked　in　strong…boxes。　At　once　he　began　to　shorten　sail；　to　invest　only　in　the　soundest　securities；　and　to　convert　all　his　weaker　ones　into　cash。

To　meet　current　emergencies；　however；　he　was　compelled　to　borrow　heavily　here　and　there；　and　in　doing　so　he　was　quick　to　note　that　those　banks　representing　his　enemies　in　Chicago　and　elsewhere　were　willing　to　accept　his　various　stocks　as　collateral；　providing　he　would　accept　loans　subject　to　call。　　He　did　so　gladly；　at　the　same　time　suspecting　Hand；　Schryhart；　Arneel；　and　Merrill　of　some　scheme　to　wreck　him；　providing　they　could　get　him　where　the　calling　of　his　loans　suddenly　and　in　concert　would　financially　embarrass　him。　〃I　think　I　know　what　that　crew　are　up　to；　he　once　observed　to　Addison；　at　this　period。　　〃Well；　they　will　have　to　rise　very　early　in　the　morning　if　they　catch　me　napping。〃

The　thing　that　he　suspected　was　really　true。　　Schryhart；　Hand；　and　Arneel；　watching　him　through　their　agents　and　brokers；　had　soon　discoveredin　the　very　earliest　phases　of　the　silver　agitation　and　before　the　real　storm　brokethat　he　was　borrowing　in　New　York；　in　London；　in　certain　quarters　of　Chicago；　and　elsewhere。　　〃It　looks　to　me；　said　Schryhart；　one　day；　to　his　friend　Arneel；　〃as　if　our　friend　has　gotten　in　a　little　too　deep。　　He　has　overreached　himself。　　These　elevated…road　schemes　of　his　have　eaten　up　too　much　capital。　　There　is　another　election　coming　on　next　fall；　and　he