ll established
paint company in New York, which had manufactured paints especially
for the house, and invest in a new concern in Chicago, which was
growing and had a promising future. Lester, knowing the members of the
Eastern firm, their reliability, their long and friendly relations
with the house, was in opposition. His father at first seemed to agree
with Lester. But Robert argued out the question in his cold, logical
way, his blue eyes fixed uncompromisingly upon his brother's face. "We
can't go on forever," he said, "standing by old friends, just because
father here has dealt with them, or you like them. We must have a
change. The business must be stiffened up; we're going to have more
and stronger competition."

"It's just as father feels about it," said Lester at last. "I have
no deep feeling in the matter. It won't hurt me one way or the other.
You say the house is going to profit eventually. I've stated the
arguments on the other side."

"I'm inclined to think Robert is right," said Archibald Kane
calmly. "Most of the things he has suggested so far have worked
out."

Lester colored. "Well, we won't have any more discussion about it
then," he said. He rose and strolled out of the office.

The shock of this defeat, coming at a time when he was considering
pulling himself together, depressed Lester considerably. It wasn't
much but it was a straw, and his father's remark about his brother's
business acumen was even more irritating. He was beginning to wonder
whether his father would discriminate in any way in the distribution
of the property. Had he heard anything about his entanglement with
Jennie? Had he resented the long vacations he had taken from business?
It did not appear to Lester that he could be justly chargeable with
either incapacity or indifference, so far as the company was
concerned. He had done his work well. He was still the investigator of
propositions put up to the house, the student of contracts, the
trusted adviser of his father and mother--but he was being
worsted. Where would it end? He thought about this, but could reach no
conclusion.

Later in this same year Robert came forward with a plan for
reorganization in the executive department of the business. He
proposed that they should build an immense exhibition and storage
warehouse on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and transfer a portion of
their completed stock there. Chicago was more central than Cincinnati.
Buyers from the West and