t Mollenhauer and Simpson to scare
Stener so that he won't loan Cowperwood any more money. If you don't,
Cowperwood will run there and get more. Stener's in too far now. If
Cowperwood won't sell out, well and good; the chances are he will bust,
anyhow, and then you can pick up as much on the market as any one
else. I think he'll sell. You can't afford to worry about Stener's five
hundred thousand dollars. No one told him to loan it. Let him look out
for himself. It may hurt the party, but you can look after that later.
You and Mollenhauer can fix the newspapers so they won't talk about it
till after election."

"Aisy! Aisy!" was all the old contractor would say. He was thinking
hard.

Chapter XXV

The residence of Henry A. Mollenhauer was, at that time, in a section of
the city which was almost as new as that in which Butler was living. It
was on South Broad Street, near a handsome library building which had
been recently erected. It was a spacious house of the type usually
affected by men of new wealth in those days--a structure four stories in
height of yellow brick and white stone built after no school which
one could readily identify, but not unattractive in its architectural
composition. A broad flight of steps leading to a wide veranda gave into
a decidedly ornate door, which was set on either side by narrow windows
and ornamented to the right and left with pale-blue jardinieres of
considerable charm of outline. The interior, divided into twenty rooms,
was paneled and parqueted in the most expensive manner for homes of that
day. There was a great reception-hall, a large parlor or drawing-room,
a dining-room at least thirty feet square paneled in oak; and on the
second floor were a music-room devoted to the talents of Mollenhauer's
three ambitious daughters, a library and private office for himself, a
boudoir and bath for his wife, and a conservatory.

Mollenhauer was, and felt himself to be, a very important man. His
financial and political judgment was exceedingly keen. Although he was
a German, or rather an American of German parentage, he was a man of a
rather impressive American presence. He was tall and heavy and shrewd
and cold. His large chest and wide shoulders supported a head of
distinguished proportions, both round and long when seen from different
angles. The frontal bone descended in a protruding curve over the
nose, and projected solemnly over the eyes, which burned with a shrewd,
inqu