.

Cowperwood looked quietly at him. There was nothing more to be said to
his father. "I'm going to make one more appeal to Stener after you leave
here," he said. "I'm going over there with Harper Steger when he comes.
If he won't change I'll send out notice to my creditors, and notify
the secretary of the exchange. I want you to keep a stiff upper lip,
whatever happens. I know you will, though. I'm going into the thing head
down. If Stener had any sense--" He paused. "But what's the use talking
about a damn fool?"

He turned to the window, thinking of how easy it would have been, if
Aileen and he had not been exposed by this anonymous note, to have
arranged all with Butler. Rather than injure the party, Butler, in
extremis, would have assisted him. Now...!

His father got up to go. He was as stiff with despair as though he were
suffering from cold.

"Well," he said, wearily.

Cowperwood suffered intensely for him. What a shame! His father! He felt
a great surge of sorrow sweep over him but a moment later mastered it,
and settled to his quick, defiant thinking. As the old man went out,
Harper Steger was brought in. They shook hands, and at once started
for Stener's office. But Stener had sunk in on himself like an empty
gas-bag, and no efforts were sufficient to inflate him. They went out,
finally, defeated.

"I tell you, Frank," said Steger, "I wouldn't worry. We can tie this
thing up legally until election and after, and that will give all this
row a chance to die down. Then you can get your people together and talk
sense to them. They're not going to give up good properties like this,
even if Stener does go to jail."

Steger did not know of the sixty thousand dollars' worth of hypothecated
securities as yet. Neither did he know of Aileen Butler and her father's
boundless rage.

Chapter XXX

There was one development in connection with all of this of which
Cowperwood was as yet unaware. The same day that brought Edward Butler
the anonymous communication in regard to his daughter, brought almost a
duplicate of it to Mrs. Frank Algernon Cowperwood, only in this case the
name of Aileen Butler had curiously been omitted.

Perhaps you don't know that your husband is running with another woman.
If you don't believe it, watch the house at 931 North Tenth Street.

Mrs. Cowperwood was in the conservatory watering some plants when this
letter was brought by her maid Monday morning. She was most placid in