“Well, father,” said Owen, after a time, “I don’t see why you need to worry any more than Mollenhauer or Simpson.  If you three want to help him out, you can; but for the life of me I don’t see why you should.  I know this thing will have a bad effect on the election, if it comes out before then; but it could be hushed up until then, couldn’t it?  Anyhow, your street-railway holdings are more important than this election, and if you can see your way clear to getting the street-railway lines in your hands you won’t need to worry about any elections.  My advice to you is to call that one-hundred-thousand-dollar loan of yours in the morning, and meet the drop in your stocks that way.  It may make Cowperwood fail, but that won’t hurt you any.  You can go into the market and buy his stocks.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he would run to you and ask you to take them.  You ought to get Mollenhauer and Simpson to scare Stener so that he won’t loan Cowperwood any more money.  If you don’t, Cowperwood will run there and get more.  Stener’s in too far now.  If Cowperwood won’t sell out, well and good; the chances are he will bust, anyhow, and then you can pick up as much on the market as any one else.  I think he’ll sell.  You can’t afford to worry about Stener’s five hundred thousand dollars.  No one told him to loan it.  Let him look out for himself.  It may hurt the party, but you can look after that later.  You and Mollenhauer can fix the newspapers so they won’t talk about it till after election.”

“Aisy!  Aisy!” was all the old contractor would say.  He was thinking hard.

Chapter XXV

The residence of Henry A. Mollenhauer was, at that time, in a section of the city which was almost as new as that in which Butler was living.  It was on South Broad Street, near a handsome library building which had been recently erected.  It was a spacious house of the type usually affected by men of new wealth in those days—­a structure four stories in height of yellow brick and white stone built after no school which one could readily identify, but not unattractive in its architectural composition.  A broad flight of steps leading to a wide veranda gave into a decidedly ornate door, which was set on either side by narrow windows and ornamented to the right and left with pale-blue jardinieres of considerable charm of outline.  The interior, divided into twenty rooms, was paneled and parqueted in the most expensive manner for homes of that day.  There was a great reception-hall, a large parlor or drawing-room, a dining-room at least thirty feet square paneled in oak; and on the second floor were a music-room devoted to the talents of Mollenhauer’s three ambitious daughters, a library and private office for himself, a boudoir and bath for his wife, and a conservatory.