oughly sketch the period of
three years during which the various changes which saw the complete
elimination of Cowperwood from Philadelphia and his introduction into
Chicago took place. For a time there were merely journeys to and fro,
at first more especially to Chicago, then to Fargo, where his
transported secretary, Walter Whelpley, was managing under his
direction the construction of Fargo business blocks, a short street-car
line, and a fair-ground. This interesting venture bore the title of
the Fargo Construction and Transportation Company, of which Frank A.
Cowperwood was president. His Philadelphia lawyer, Mr. Harper Steger,
was for the time being general master of contracts.

For another short period he might have been found living at the Tremont
in Chicago, avoiding for the time being, because of Aileen's company,
anything more than a nodding contact with the important men he had
first met, while he looked quietly into the matter of a Chicago
brokerage arrangement--a partnership with some established broker who,
without too much personal ambition, would bring him a knowledge of
Chicago Stock Exchange affairs, personages, and Chicago ventures. On
one occasion he took Aileen with him to Fargo, where with a haughty,
bored insouciance she surveyed the state of the growing city.

"Oh, Frank!" she exclaimed, when she saw the plain, wooden, four-story
hotel, the long, unpleasing business street, with its motley collection
of frame and brick stores, the gaping stretches of houses, facing in
most directions unpaved streets. Aileen in her tailored
spick-and-spanness, her self-conscious vigor, vanity, and tendency to
over-ornament, was a strange contrast to the rugged self-effacement and
indifference to personal charm which characterized most of the men and
women of this new metropolis. "You didn't seriously think of coming
out here to live, did you?"

She was wondering where her chance for social exchange would come
in--her opportunity to shine. Suppose her Frank were to be very rich;
suppose he did make very much money--much more than he had ever had
even in the past--what good would it do her here? In Philadelphia,
before his failure, before she had been suspected of the secret liaison
with him, he had been beginning (at least) to entertain in a very
pretentious way. If she had been his wife then she might have stepped
smartly into Philadelphia society. Out here, good gracious! She turned
up her pretty nose