had to be smoothed over. In all this De Soto Sippens
proved a trump. With Van Sickle, McKibben, and Stimson as his advisers
in different sections of the city he would present tabloid propositions
to Cowperwood, to which the latter had merely to bow his head in assent
or say no. Then De Soto would buy, build, and excavate. Cowperwood
was so pleased that he was determined to keep De Soto with him
permanently. De Soto was pleased to think that he was being given a
chance to pay up old scores and to do large things; he was really
grateful.

"We're not through with those sharpers," he declared to Cowperwood,
triumphantly, one day. "They'll fight us with suits. They may join
hands later. They blew up my gas-plant. They may blow up ours."

"Let them blow," said Cowperwood. "We can blow, too, and sue also. I
like lawsuits. We'll tie them up so that they'll beg for quarter." His
eyes twinkled cheerfully.

Chapter IX

In Search of Victory

In the mean time the social affairs of Aileen had been prospering in a
small way, for while it was plain that they were not to be taken up at
once--that was not to be expected--it was also plain that they were not
to be ignored entirely. One thing that helped in providing a nice
harmonious working atmosphere was the obvious warm affection of
Cowperwood for his wife. While many might consider Aileen a little
brash or crude, still in the hands of so strong and capable a man as
Cowperwood she might prove available. So thought Mrs. Addison, for
instance, and Mrs. Rambaud. McKibben and Lord felt the same way. If
Cowperwood loved her, as he seemed to do, he would probably "put her
through" successfully. And he really did love her, after his fashion.
He could never forget how splendid she had been to him in those old
days when, knowing full well the circumstances of his home, his wife,
his children, the probable opposition of her own family, she had thrown
over convention and sought his love. How freely she had given of hers!
No petty, squeamish bickering and dickering here. He had been "her
Frank" from the start, and he still felt keenly that longing in her to
be with him, to be his, which had produced those first wonderful,
almost terrible days. She might quarrel, fret, fuss, argue, suspect,
and accuse him of flirtation with other women; but slight variations
from the norm in his case did not trouble her--at least she argued that
they wouldn't. She had never had an