anies, and this was likely to prove my
most difficult task. I left John Moore, who agreed to hold himself in
readiness at any hour to consult on and approve such settlement as I
could arrange, and energetically started in on the Delaware financier.
It was a trying ordeal. As soon as Addicks saw I had something to work
on he began to demur and object. If he could not have things his way, he
would do nothing. He knew that I had joined a conspiracy to ruin him;
that I was in league with Rogers, who was in league with Braman and
Foster, and that all were banded together to take all he had away from
him. In the course of that two hours' wrestle I was tempted several
times to throw up the whole affair, and there were some bitter and
savage word-passages that left both of us heated. I could do nothing
with him; he must hear from Rogers personally. Finally I got the
"Standard Oil" wire, and Rogers talked so plainly and coldly as
partially to sober him, but ended by agreeing to have his counsel talk
things over with Addicks, which was a distinct concession. A little
later Mr. Rogers' representative was at the Hoffman and he and Addicks
had it hot and heavy. After about fifteen minutes of conference they had
wellnigh come to blows. However, the hot exchanges had begun to tell.
Addicks grew saner, but he insisted on seeing Foster and Braman. I
warned him that he was fast getting our affairs into such shape that no
one could patch them up, but to no avail. He must meet his enemies face
to face if only to ram into their teeth that they were scoundrels.
Finally, I got Braman on the telephone and explained that I was doing my
best to quiet a crazy man, who would consent to nothing until after he
had seen him and Foster and told them what thieves they were. I heard
Braman chuckle. He said: "Bring him along to Foster's house at 10.30,"
and added: "It wouldn't be a bad idea to have an ambulance along, too."
This suggested further complications, for Braman has the reputation on
"the Street" of being more eager to face a wild man on a rampage than a
sick one in a plaster cast, while Foster, although a little bit of a
fellow, was never known to side-step or duck trouble. I slipped word
down to Moore at the Waldorf to follow along to Foster's place in a cab.

There are several "spite houses" in New York. Foster's house was one of
them. It is a narrow strip of a brownstone dwelling at 79 West 54th
Street, built to express the enmity of one pro