FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  
in?" "I have the means," said Cowperwood, "or if I haven't I can get them." Mr. McKenty looked at Mr. Cowperwood very solemnly. There was a kind of mutual sympathy, understanding, and admiration between the two men, but it was still heavily veiled by self-interest. To Mr. McKenty Cowperwood was interesting because he was one of the few business men he had met who were not ponderous, pharasaical, even hypocritical when they were dealing with him. "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do, Mr. Cowperwood," he said, finally. "I'll take it all under consideration. Let me think it over until Monday, anyhow. There is more of an excuse now for the introduction of a general gas ordinance than there would be a little later--I can see that. Why don't you draw up your proposed franchise and let me see it? Then we might find out what some of the other gentlemen of the city council think." Cowperwood almost smiled at the word "gentlemen." "I have already done that," he said. "Here it is." McKenty took it, surprised and yet pleased at this evidence of business proficiency. He liked a strong manipulator of this kind--the more since he was not one himself, and most of those that he did know were thin-blooded and squeamish. "Let me take this," he said. "I'll see you next Monday again if you wish. Come Monday." Cowperwood got up. "I thought I'd come and talk to you direct, Mr. McKenty," he said, "and now I'm glad that I did. You will find, if you will take the trouble to look into this matter, that it is just as I represent it. There is a very great deal of money here in one way and another, though it will take some little time to work it out." Mr. McKenty saw the point. "Yes," he said, sweetly, "to be sure." They looked into each other's eyes as they shook hands. "I'm not sure but you haven't hit upon a very good idea here," concluded McKenty, sympathetically. "A very good idea, indeed. Come and see me again next Monday, or about that time, and I'll let you know what I think. Come any time you have anything else you want of me. I'll always be glad to see you. It's a fine night, isn't it?" he added, looking out as they neared the door. "A nice moon that!" he added. A sickle moon was in the sky. "Good night." Chapter XIII The Die is Cast The significance of this visit was not long in manifesting itself. At the top, in large affairs, life goes off into almost inexplicable tangles of persona
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100  
101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
McKenty
 

Cowperwood

 

Monday

 
looked
 

gentlemen

 
business
 

sweetly

 

matter

 

direct

 

thought


trouble

 
represent
 

significance

 

manifesting

 

Chapter

 

inexplicable

 

tangles

 

persona

 

affairs

 
sickle

concluded

 

sympathetically

 
neared
 

dealing

 

hypocritical

 

ponderous

 

pharasaical

 
consideration
 

finally

 
sympathy

understanding

 

admiration

 

mutual

 

solemnly

 
interesting
 

interest

 

heavily

 
veiled
 

excuse

 

pleased


evidence

 
proficiency
 

surprised

 

blooded

 

squeamish

 

strong

 

manipulator

 

smiled

 

ordinance

 

introduction