“Well, yes,” said Butler, draining off the remainder of a brandy and soda that had been prepared for him.  “One thing.  You haven’t seen an avenin’ paper, have you?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Mollenhauer, straightening up.  “Is there one out?  What’s the trouble anyhow?”

“Nothing—­except Chicago’s burning, and it looks as though we’d have a little money-storm here in the morning.”

“You don’t say!  I didn’t hear that.  There’s a paper out, is there?  Well, well—­is it much of a fire?”

“The city is burning down, so they say,” put in Owen, who was watching the face of the distinguished politician with considerable interest.

“Well, that is news.  I must send out and get a paper.  John!” he called.  His man-servant appeared.  “See if you can get me a paper somewhere.”  The servant disappeared.  “What makes you think that would have anything to do with us?” observed Mollenhauer, returning to Butler.

“Well, there’s one thing that goes with that that I didn’t know till a little while ago and that is that our man Stener is apt to be short in his accounts, unless things come out better than some people seem to think,” suggested Butler, calmly.  “That might not look so well before election, would it?” His shrewd gray Irish eyes looked into Mollenhauer’s, who returned his gaze.

“Where did you get that?” queried Mr. Mollenhauer icily.  “He hasn’t deliberately taken much money, has he?  How much has he taken—­do you know?”

“Quite a bit,” replied Butler, quietly.  “Nearly five hundred thousand, so I understand.  Only I wouldn’t say that it has been taken as yet.  It’s in danger of being lost.”

“Five hundred thousand!” exclaimed Mollenhauer in amazement, and yet preserving his usual calm.  “You don’t tell me!  How long has this been going on?  What has he been doing with the money?”

“He’s loaned a good deal—­about five hundred thousand dollars to this young Cowperwood in Third Street, that’s been handlin’ city loan.  They’ve been investin’ it for themselves in one thing and another—­mostly in buyin’ up street-railways.” (At the mention of street-railways Mollenhauer’s impassive countenance underwent a barely perceptible change.) “This fire, accordin’ to Cowperwood, is certain to produce a panic in the mornin’, and unless he gets considerable help he doesn’t see how he’s to hold out.  If he doesn’t hold out, there’ll be five hundred thousand dollars missin’ from the city treasury which can’t be put back.  Stener’s out of town and Cowperwood’s come to me to see what can be done about it.  As a matter of fact, he’s done a little business for me in times past, and he thought maybe I could help him now—­that is, that I might get you and the Senator to see the big bankers with me and help support the market in the mornin’.  If we don’t he’s goin’ to fail, and he thought the scandal would hurt us in the election.  He doesn’t appear to me to be workin’ any game—­just anxious to save himself and do the square thing by me—­by us, if he can.”  Butler paused.