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hemes　of　his　have　eaten　up　too　much　capital。　　There　is　another　election　coming　on　next　fall；　and　he　knows　we　are　going　to　fight　tooth　and　nail。　　He　needs　money　to　electrify　his　surface　lines。　　If　we　could　trace　out　exactly　where　he　stands；　and　where　he　has　borrowed；　we　might　know　what　to　do。〃

〃Unless　I　am　greatly　mistaken；〃　replied　Arneel；　〃he　is　in　a　tight　place　or　is　rapidly　getting　there。　　This　silver　agitation　is　beginning　to　weaken　stocks　and　tighten　money。　　I　suggest　that　our　banks　here　loan　him　all　the　money　he　wants　on　call。　　When　the　time　comes；　if　he　isn't　ready；　we　can　shut　him　up　tighter　than　a　drum。　If　we　can　pick　up　any　other　loans　he's　made　anywhere　else；　well　and　good。〃

Mr。　Arneel　said　this　without　a　shadow　of　bitterness　or　humor。　　In　some　tight　hour；　perhaps；　now　fast　approaching；　Mr。　Cowperwood　would　be　promised　salvation〃saved〃　on　condition　that　he　should　leave　Chicago　forever。　　There　were　those　who　would　take　over　his　property　in　the　interest　of　the　city　and　upright　government　and　administer　it　accordingly。

Unfortunately；　at　this　very　time　Messrs。　Hand；　Schryhart；　and　Arneel　were　themselves　concerned　in　a　little　venture　to　which　the　threatened　silver　agitation　could　bode　nothing　but　ill。　　This　concerned　so　simple　a　thing　as　matches；　a　commodity　which　at　this　time；　along　with　many　others；　had　been　trustified　and　was　yielding　a　fine　profit。　　〃American　Match〃　was　a　stock　which　was　already　listed　on　every　exchange　and　which　was　selling　steadily　around　one　hundred　and　twenty。

The　geniuses　who　had　first　planned　a　combination　of　all　match　concerns　and　a　monopoly　of　the　trade　in　America　were　two　men；　Messrs。　Hull　and　Stackpolebankers　and　brokers；　primarily。　　Mr。　Phineas　Hull　was　a　small；　ferret…like；　calculating　man　with　a　sparse　growth　of　dusty…brown　hair　and　an　eyelid；　the　right　one；　which　was　partially　paralyzed　and　drooped　heavily；　giving　him　a　characterful　and　yet　at　times　a　sinister　expression。

His　partner；　Mr。　Benoni　Stackpole；　had　been　once　a　stage…driver　in　Arkansas；　and　later　a　horse…trader。　　He　was　a　man　of　great　force　and　calculationlarge；　oleaginous；　politic；　and　courageous。　　Without　the　ultimate　brain　capacity　of　such　men　as　Arneel；　Hand；　and　Merrill；　he　was；　nevertheless；　resourceful　and　able。　　He　had　started　somewhat　late　in　the　race　for　wealth；　but　now；　with　all　his　strength；　he　was　endeavoring　to　bring　to　fruition　this　plan　which；　with　the　aid　of　Hull；　he　had　formulated。　　Inspired　by　the　thought　of　great　wealth；　they　had　first　secured　control　of　the　stock　of　one　match　company；　and　had　then　put　themselves　in　a　position　to　bargain　with　the　owners　of　others。　　The　patents　and　processes　controlled　by　one　company　and　another　had　been　combined；　and　the　field　had　been　broadened　as　much　as　possible。

But　to　do　all　this　a　great　deal　of　money　had　been　required；　much　more　than　was　in　possession　of　either　Hull　or　Stackpole。　　Both　of　them　being　Western　men；　they　looked　first　to　Western　capital。　　Hand；　Schryhart；　Arneel；　and　Merrill　were　in　turn　appealed　to；　and　great　blocks　of　the　new　stock　were　sold　to　them　at　inside　figures。　By　the　means　thus　afforded　the　combination　proceeded　apace。　　Patents　for　exclusive　processes　were　taken　over　from　all　sides；　and　the　idea　of　invading　Europe　and　eventually　controlling　the　market　of　the　world　had　its　inception。　　At　the　same　time　it　occurred　to　each　and　all　of　their　lordly　patrons　that　it　would　be　a　splendid　thing　if　the　stock　they　had　purchased　at　forty…five；　and　which　was　now　selling　in　open　market　at　one　hundred　and　twenty；　should　go　to　three　hundred；　where；　if　these　monopolistic　dreams　were　true；　it　properly　belonged。　　A　little　more　of　this　stockthe　destiny　of　which　at　this　time　seemed　sure　and　splendidwould　not　be　amiss。　And　so　there　began　a　quiet　campaign　on　the　part　of　each　capitalist　to　gather　enough　of　it　to　realize　a　true　fortune　on　the　rise。

A　game　of　this　kind　is　never　played　with　the　remainder　of　the　financial　community　entirely　unaware　of　what　is　on　foot。　　In　the　inner　circles　of　brokerage　life　rumors　were　soon　abroad　that　a　tremendous　boom　was　in　store　for　American　Match。　　Cowperwood　heard　of　it　through　Addison；　always　at　the　center　of　financial　rumor；　and　the　two　of　them　bought　heavily；　though　not　so　heavily　but　that　they　could　clear　out　at　any　time　with　at　least　a　slight　margin　in　their　favor。　　During　a　period　of　eight　months　the　stock　slowly　moved　upward；　finally　crossing　the　two…hundred　mark　and　reaching　two…twenty；　at　which　figure　both　Addison　and　Cowperwood　sold；　realizing　nearly　a　million　between　them　on　their　investment。

In　the　mean　time　the　foreshadowed　political　storm　was　brewing。　　At　first　a　cloud　no　larger　than　a　man's　hand；　it　matured　swiftly　in　the　late　months　of　1895；　and　by　the　spring　of　1896　it　had　become　portentous　and　was　ready　to　burst。　　With　the　climacteric　nomination　of　the　〃Apostle　of　Free　Silver〃　for　President　of　the　United　States；　which　followed　in　July；　a　chill　settled　down　over　the　conservative　and　financial　elements　of　the　country。　　What　Cowperwoodhad　wisely　proceeded　to　do　months　before；　others　less　far…seeing；　from　Maine　to　California　and　from　the　Gulf　to　Canada；　began　to　do　now。　　Bank…deposits　were　in　part　withdrawn；　feeble　or　uncertain　securities　were　thrown　upon　the　market。　　All　at　once　Schryhart；　Arneel；　Hand；　and　Merrill　realized　that　they　were　in　more　or　less　of　a　trap　in　regard　to　their　large　holdings　in　American　Match。　　Having　gathered　vast　quantities　of　this　stock；　which　had　been　issued　in　blocks　of　millions；　it　was　now　necessary　to　sustain　the　market　or　sell　at　a　loss。　　Since　money　was　needed　by　many　holders；　and　this　stock　was　selling　at　two…twenty；　telegraphic　orders　began　to　pour　in　from　all　parts　of　the　country　to　sell　on　the　Chicago　Exchange；　where　the　deal　was　being　engineered　and　where　the　market　obviously　existed。　　All　of　the　instigators　of　the　deal　conferred；　and　decided　to　sustain　the　market。　　Messrs。　Hull　and　Stackpole；　being　the　nominal　heads　of　the　trust；　were　delegated　to　buy；　they　in　turn　calling　on　the　principal　investors　to　take　their　share；　pro　rata。　Hand；　Schryhart；　Arneel；　and　Merrill；　weighted　with　this　inpouring　flood　of　stock；　which　they　had　to　take　at　two…twenty；　hurried　to　their　favorite　banks；　hypothecating　vast　quantities　at　one…fifty　and　over；　and　using　the　money　so　obtained　to　take　care　of　the　additional　shares　which　they　were　compelled　to　buy。

At　last；　however；　their　favorite　banks　were　full　to　overflowing　and　at　the　danger…point。　　They　could　take　no　more。

〃No；　no；　no！〃　Hand　declared　to　Phineas　Hull　over　the　'phone。　　〃I　can't　risk　another　dollar　in　this　venture；　and　I　won't！　It's　a　perfect　proposition。　　I　realize　all　its　merits　just　as　well　as　you　do。　　But　enough　is　enough。　　I　tell　you　a　financial　slump　is　coming。　That's　the　reason　all　this　stock　is　coming　out　now。　　I　am　willing　to　protect　my　interests　in　this　thing　up　to　a　certain　point。　　As　I　told　you；　I　agree　not　to　throw　a　single　share　on　the　market　of　all　that　I　now　have。　　But　more　than　that　I　cannot　do。　　The　other　gentlemen　in　this　agreement　will　have　to　protect　themselves　as　best　they　can。　　I　have　other　things　to　look　out　for　that　are　just　as　important　to　me；　and　more　so；　than　American　Match。〃

It　was　the　same　with　Mr。　Schryhart；　who；　stroking　a　crisp；　black　mustache；　was　wondering　whether　he　had　not　better　throw　over　what　holdings　he　had　and　clear　out；　however；　he　feared　the　rage　of　Hand　and　Arneel　for　breaking　the　market　and　thus　bringing　on　a　local　panic。　　It　was　risky　business。　　Arneel　and　Merrill　finally　agreed　to　hold　firm　to　what　they　had；　but；　as　they　told　Mr。　Hull；　nothing　could　induce　them　to　〃protect〃　another　share；　come　what　might。

In　this　crisis　naturally　Messrs。　Hull　and　Stackpoleestimable　gentlemen　bothwere　greatly　depressed。　　By　no　means　so　wealthy　as　their　lofty　patrons；　their　private　fortunes　were　in　much　greater　jeopardy。　　They　were　eager　to　make　any　port　in　so　black　a　storm。　　Witness；　then；　the　arrival　of　Benoni　Stackpole　at　the　office　of　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood。　　He　was　at　the　end　of　his　tether；　and　Cowperwood　was　the　only　really　rich　man　in　the　city　not　yet　involved　in　this　speculation。　　In　the　beginning　he　had　heard　both　Hand　and　Schryhart　say　that　they　did　not　care　to　become　involved　if　Cowperwood　was　in　any　way；　shape；　or　manner　to　be　included；　but　that　had　been　over　a　year　ago；　and　Schryhart　and　Hand　were　now；　as　it　were；　leaving　both　him　and　his　partner　to　their　fates。　　They　could　have　no　objection　to　his　dealing　with　Cowperwood　in　this　crisis　if　he　could　make　sure　that　the　magnate　would　not　sell　him　out。　　Mr。　Stackpole　was　six　feet　one　in　his　socks　and　weighed　two　hundred　and　thirty　pounds。　　Clad　in　a　brown　linen　suit　and　straw　hat　（for　it　was　late　July）；　he　carried　a　palm…leaf　fan　as　well　as　his　troublesome　stocks　in　a　small　yellow　leather　bag。　　He　was　wet　with　perspiration　and　in　a　gloomy　state　of　mind。　　Failure　was　staring　him　in　the　facegiant　failure。　　If　American　Match　fell　below　two　hundred　he　would　have　to　close　his　doors　as　banker　and　broker　and；　in　view　of　what　he　was　carrying；　he　and　Hull　would　fail　for　approximately　twenty　million　dollars。　　Messrs。　Hand；　Schryhart；　Arneel；　and　Merrill　would　lose　in　the　neighborhood　of　six　or　eight　millions　between　them。　　The　local　banks　w