ether he could bring himself
ultimately to live in so excavated and scaffolded a world as this or
not. "I only saw a portion of it coming in on the train. I like the
snap of things. I believe Chicago has a future."

"You came over the Fort Wayne, I presume," replied Addison, loftily.
"You saw the worst section. You must let me show you some of the best
parts. By the way, where are you staying?"

"At the Grand Pacific."

"How long will you be here?"

"Not more than a day or two."

"Let me see," and Mr. Addison drew out his watch. "I suppose you
wouldn't mind meeting a few of our leading men--and we have a little
luncheon-room over at the Union League Club where we drop in now and
then. If you'd care to do so, I'd like to have you come along with me
at one. We're sure to find a few of them--some of our lawyers,
business men, and judges."

"That will be fine," said the Philadelphian, simply. "You're more than
generous. There are one or two other people I want to meet in between,
and"--he arose and looked at his own watch--"I'll find the Union Club.
Where is the office of Arneel & Co.?"

At the mention of the great beef-packer, who was one of the bank's
heaviest depositors, Addison stirred slightly with approval. This
young man, at least eight years his junior, looked to him like a future
grand seigneur of finance.

At the Union Club, at this noontime luncheon, after talking with the
portly, conservative, aggressive Arneel and the shrewd director of the
stock-exchange, Cowperwood met a varied company of men ranging in age
from thirty-five to sixty-five gathered about the board in a private
dining-room of heavily carved black walnut, with pictures of elder
citizens of Chicago on the walls and an attempt at artistry in stained
glass in the windows. There were short and long men, lean and stout,
dark and blond men, with eyes and jaws which varied from those of the
tiger, lynx, and bear to those of the fox, the tolerant mastiff, and
the surly bulldog. There were no weaklings in this selected company.

Mr. Arneel and Mr. Addison Cowperwood approved of highly as shrewd,
concentrated men. Another who interested him was Anson Merrill, a
small, polite, recherche soul, suggesting mansions and footmen and
remote luxury generally, who was pointed out by Addison as the famous
dry-goods prince of that name, quite the leading merchant, in the
retail and wholesale sense, in Chicago.

Still another was a Mr. Rambaud