railroads　were　the　strategic　links。　　With　these　in　hand；　certain　favoured
  industrial　concerns　could　be　fed；　and　others　starved　into　submission。
  Adolf　Scherer　might　be　said　to　represent　a　transitional　type。　　For　he　was
  not　only　an　iron…master　who　knew　every　detail　of　his　business；　who　kept
  it　ahead　of　the　times；　he　was　also　a　strategist；　wise　in　his　generation；
  making　friends　with　the　Railroad　while　there　had　yet　been　time；　at　length
  securing　rebates　and　favours。　　And　when　that　Railroad　（which　had　been
  constructed　through　the　enterprise　and　courage　of　such　men　as　Nathaniel
  Durrett）　had　passed　under　the　control　of　the　banker…personality　to　whom　I
  have　referred；　and　had　become　part　of　a　system；　Adolf　Scherer　remained　in
  alliance；　and　continued　to　receive　favours。。。。　　I　can　well　remember　the
  time　when　the　ultimate　authority　of　our　Railroad　was　transferred；
  quietly；　to　Wall　Street。　　Alexander　Barbour；　its　president；　had　been　a
  great　man；　but　after　that　he　bowed；　in　certain　matters；　to　a　greater　one。
  I　have　digressed。。。。　　Mr。　Scherer　unfolded　his　scheme；　talking　about
  〃units〃　as　calmly　as　though　they　were　checkers　on　a　board　instead　of
  huge；　fiery；　reverberating　mills　where　thousands　and　thousands　of　human
  beings　toiled　day　and　nightbeings　with　families；　and　hopes　and　fears；
  whose　destinies　were　to　be　dominated　by　the　will　of　the　man　who　sat
  opposite　me。　　Butdid　not　he　in　his　own　person　represent　the　triumph　of
  that　American　creed　of　opportunity？　　He；　too；　had　been　through　the　fire；
  had　sweated　beside　the　blasts；　had　handled　the　ingots　of　steel。　　He　was
  one　of　the　〃fittest〃　who　had　survived；　and　looked　it。　　Had　he　no　memories
  of　the　terrors　of　that　struggle？。。。　　Adolf　Scherer　had　grown　to　be　a
  giant。　　And　yet　without　me；　without　my　profession　he　was　a　helpless
  giant；　at　the　mercy　of　those　alert　and　vindictive　lawmakers　who　sought　to
  restrain　and　hamper　him；　to　check　his　growth　with　their　webs。　　How
  stimulating　the　idea　of　his　dependence！　　How　exhilarating　too；　the
  thought　that　that　vision　which　had　first　possessed　me　as　an
  undergraduateon　my　visit　to　Jerry　Kymewas　at　last　to　be　realized！　　I
  had　now　become　the　indispensable　associate　of　the　few　who　divided　the
  spoils；　I　was　to　have　a　share　in　these　myself。
  〃You're　young；　Paret；〃　Mr。　Scherer　concluded。　　〃But　Watling　has
  confidence　in　you；　and　you　will　consult　him　frequently。　　I　believe　in　the
  young　men；　and　I　have　alreadyseen　something　of　youso？〃。。。
  When　I　returned　to　the　office　I　wrote　Theodore　Watling　a　letter
  expressing　my　gratitude　for　the　position　he　had；　so　to　speak；　willed　me；
  of　confidential　legal　adviser　to　Adolf　Scherer。　　Though　the　opportunity
  had　thrust　itself　upon　me　suddenly；　and　sooner　than　I　expected　it；　I　was
  determined　to　prove　myself　worthy　of　it。　　I　worked　as　I　had　never　worked
  before；　making　trips　to　New　York　to　consult　leading　members　of　this　new
  branch　of　my　profession　there；　trips　to　Washington　to　see　my　former
  chief。　　There　were；　too；　numerous　conferences　with　local　personages；　with
  Mr。　Dickinson　and　Mr。　Grierson；　and　Judah　B。　　Tallant；whose　newspaper
  was　most　useful；　there　were　consultations　and　negotiations　of　a　delicate
  nature　with　the　owners　and　lawyers　of　other　companies　to　be　〃taken　in。〃
  Nor　was　it　all　legal　work；　in　the　older　and　narrower　sense。　　Men　who　are
  playing　for　principalities　are　making　war。　　Some　of　our　operations　had
  all　the　excitement　of　war。　　There　was　information　to　be　got；　and　it　was
  gotsomehow。　　Modern　war　involves　a　spy　system；　and　a　friendly　telephone
  company　is　not　to　be　despised。　　And　all　of　this　work　from　first　to　last
  had　to　be　done　with　extreme　caution。　　Moribund　distinctions　of　right　and
  wrong　did　not　trouble　me；　for　the　modern　man　labours　religiously　when　he
  knows　that　Evolution　is　on　his　side。
  For　all　of　these　operations　a　corps　of　counsel　had　been　employed；
  including　the　firm　of　Harrington　and　Bowes　next　to　Theodore　Watling；　Joel
  Harrington　was　deemed　the　ablest　lawyer　in　the　city。　　We　organized　in　due
  time　the　corporation　known　as　the　Boyne　Iron　Works；　Limited；　a　trust
  agreement　was　drawn　up　that　was　a　masterpiece　of　its　kind；　one　that
  caused；　first　and　last；　meddling　officials　in　the　Department　of　Justice
  at　Washington　no　little　trouble　and　perplexity。　　I　was　proud　of　the　fact
  that　I　had　taken　no　small　part　in　its　composition。。。。　　In　short；　in
  addition　to　certain　emoluments　and　opportunities　for　investment；　I
  emerged　from　the　affair　firmly　established　in　the　good　graces　of　Adolf
  Scherer；　and　with　a　reputation　practically　made。
  A　year　or　so　after　the　Boyne　Company；　Ltd。；　came　into　existence　I　chanced
  one　morning　to　go　down　to　the　new　Ashuela　Hotel　to　meet　a　New　Yorker　of
  some　prominence；　and　was　awaiting　him　in　the　lobby；　when　I　overheard　a
  conversation　between　two　commercial　travellers　who　were　sitting　with
  their　backs　to　me。
  〃Did　you　notice　that　fellow　who　went　up　to　the　desk　a　moment　ago？〃　asked
  one。
  〃The　young　fellow　in　the　grey　suit？　　Sure。　　Who　is　he？　　He　looks　as　if　he
  was　pretty　well　fixed。〃
  〃I　guess　he　is；〃　replied　the　first。　　〃That's　Paret。　　He's　Scherer's
  confidential　counsel。　　He　used　to　be　Senator　Watling's　partner；　but　they
  say　he's　even　got　something　on　the　old　man。〃
  In　spite　of　the　feverish　life　I　led；　I　was　still　undoubtedly　young…
  looking；　and　in　this　I　was　true　to　the　incoming　type　of　successful　man。
  Our　fathers　appeared　staid　at　six　and　thirty。　　Clothes；　of　course；　made
  some　difference；　and　my　class　and　generation　did　not　wear　the　sombre　and
  cumbersome　kind；　with　skirts　and　tails；　I　patronized　a　tailor　in　New
  York。　　My　chestnut　hair；　a　little　darker　than　my　father's　had　been；
  showed　no　signs　of　turning　grey；　although　it　was　thinning　a　little　at　the
  crown　of　the　forehead；　and　I　wore　a　small　moustache；　clipped　in　a
  straight　line　above　the　mouth。　　This　made　me　look　less　like　a　college
  youth。　　Thanks　to　a　strong　pigment　in　my　skin；　derived　probably　from
  Scotch…Irish　ancestors；　my　colour　was　fresh。　　I　have　spoken　of　my　life　as
  feverish；　and　yet　I　am　not　so　sure　that　this　word　completely　describes
  it。　　It　was　full　to　overflowingone　side　of　it；　and　I　did　not　miss　（save
  vaguely；　in　rare　moments　of　weariness）　any　other　side　that　might　have
  been　developed。　　I　was　busy　all　day　long；　engaged　in　affairs　I　deemed　to
  be　alone　of　vital　importance　in　the　universe。　　I　was　convinced　that　the
  welfare　of　the　city　demanded　that　supreme　financial　power　should　remain
  in　the　hands　of　the　group　of　men　with　whom　I　was　associated；　and　whose
  battles　I　fought　in　the　courts；　in　the　legislature；　in　the　city　council；
  and　sometimes　in　Washington；although　they　were　well　cared　for　there。
  By　every　means　ingenuity　could　devise；　their　enemies　were　to　be　driven
  from　the　field；　and　they　were　to　be　protected　from　blackmail。
  A　sense　of　importance　sustained　me；　and　I　remember　in　that　first　flush　of
  a　success　for　which　I　had　not　waited　too　longwhat　a　secret　satisfaction
  it　was　to　pick　up　the　Era　and　see　my　name　embedded　in　certain　dignified
  notices　of　board　meetings；　transactions　of　weight；　or　cases　known　to　the
  initiated　as　significant。　　〃Mr。　Scherer's　interests　were　taken　care　of　by
  Mr。　Hugh　Paret。〃　　The　fact　that　my　triumphs　were　modestly　set　forth　gave
  me　more　pleasure　than　if　they　had　been　trumpeted　in　headlines。　　Although
  I　might　have　started　out　in　practice　for　myself；　my　affection　and　regard
  for　Mr。　Watling　kept　me　in　the　firm；　which　became　Watling；　Fowndes　and
  Paret；　and　a　new；　arrangement　was　entered　into：　Mr。　Ripon　retired　on
  account　of　ill　health。
  There　were　instances；　however；　when　a　certain　amount　of　annoying
  publicity　was　inevitable。　　Such　was　the　famous　Galligan　case；　which
  occurred　some　three　or　four　years　after　my　marriage。　　Aloysius　Galligan
  was　a　brakeman；　and　his　legs　had　become　paralyzed　as　the　result　of　an
  accident　that　was　the　result　of　defective　sills　on　a　freight　car。　　He　had
  sued；　and　been　awarded　damages　of　15；000。　　To　the　amazement　and
  indignation　of　Miller　Gorse；　the　Supreme　Court；　to　which　the　Railroad　had
  appealed；　affirmed　the　decision。　　It　wasn't　the　single　payment　of　15；000
  that　the　Railroad　cared　about；　of　course；　a　precedent　might　be
  established　for　compensating　maimed　employees　which　would　be　expensive　in
  the　long　run。　　Carelessness　could　not　be　proved　in　this　instance。　　Gorse
  sent　for　me。　　I　had　been　away　with　Maude　at　the　sea　for　two　months；　and
  had　not　followed　the　case。
  〃You've　got　to　take　charge；　Paret；　and　get　a　rehearing。　　See　Bering；　and
  find　out　who　in　the　deuce　is　to　blame　for　this。　　Chesley's　one；　of
  course。　　We　ought　never　to　have　permitted　his　nomination　for　the　Supreme
  Bench。　　It　was　against　my　judgment；　but　Varney　and　Gill　assured　me　that
  he　was　all　right。〃
  I　saw　Judge　Bering　that　evening。　　We　sat　on　a　plush　sofa　in　the　parlour
  of　his　house　in　Baker　Street。
  〃I　had　a　notion　Gorse'd　be　mad；〃　he　said；　〃but　it　looked　to　me　as　if　they
  had　it　on　us；　Paret。　　I　didn't　see　how　we　could　do　anything　else　but
  affirm　without　being　too　rank。　　Of　course；　if　he　feels　that　way；　and　you
  want　to　make　a　motion　for　a　rehearing；　I'll　see　what　can　be　done。〃
  〃Something's　got　to　be　done；〃　I　replied。　　〃Can't　you　see　what　such　a
  decision　lets　them　in　for？〃
  〃All　right；