u on
account of Butte and other Boston stocks of the second section. Now, I
propose to take a million or two of that and start in on my account to
support the market right from this morning; independent of Flower or
your other operations, I will see if I cannot get up a good feeling."

At once the frown relaxed and his set features broke into a smile of
gratification.

"That's something like it, Lawson," he said. "When you get down to real
business we never have differences. It is only when you start up that
confounded croaking about what we must do for the people, that I get
angry."

"All right, Mr. Rogers," I answered. "Let those things drop and, as you
say, we'll keep down to business. How much can I depend upon drawing
from my account this morning, provided I want it?"

"How will two millions do?" he answered cheerily.

"Plenty," I said.

"All right; I will notify Stillman that you or your brokers may want to
borrow up to that, and if you need the Amalgamated stock, you can have
it at any time. I will leave word to that effect with Curtis."

Curtis was William Rockefeller's secretary and right-hand man, who then
handled the details of all their financial matters.

Before leaving I indicated to Mr. Rogers the details of my proposed
actions, and explained that I had sent for my principal Boston brokers
who would be with me on Wall Street to help steer the craft. Evidently
my plans met his personal approval. Indeed, from the change that had
come over his manner I realized that he felt he had been spared a
disagreeable task and that my shift had been a pleasant surprise to him.
It was plain that he and Stillman had decided that I must be thrown to
the sharks if I kept on my old tack, and were therefore gratified to
find that I was not only ready to assist in steering the ship their way,
but also willing to feed the engines coal at my own expense to keep up
her speed. In spite of Mr. Rogers' confidence in Governor Flower's
ability to take care of the market, it was a great relief to his mind to
know that I should be there, for he realized that no one, however able
and popular--and Governor Flower was both to an unusual degree--could
possibly take up such an intricate bunch of lines as those with which we
had been driving, without a lot of feeling-out practice.

There was another aspect of the situation that had been suggested to me
by a certain passing twitch of his lip that I had noted when I had said
I propo