d　her　to　see　for　herself；　to　wait。　　She　must　think　how　she　would　watch　this　house；　if　at　all。　　Frank　must　not　know。　　If　it　were　Aileen　Butler　by　any　chancebut　surely　notshe　thought　she　would　expose　her　to　her　parents。　　Still；　that　meant　exposing　herself。　　She　determined　to　conceal　her　mood　as　best　she　could　at　dinner…timebut　Cowperwood　was　not　able　to　be　there。　He　was　so　rushed；　so　closeted　with　individuals；　so　closely　in　conference　with　his　father　and　others；　that　she　scarcely　saw　him　this　Monday　night；　nor　the　next　day；　nor　for　many　days。
  For　on　Tuesday　afternoon　at　two…thirty　he　issued　a　call　for　a　meeting　of　his　creditors；　and　at　five…thirty　he　decided　to　go　into　the　hands　of　a　receiver。　　And　yet；　as　he　stood　before　his　principal　creditorsa　group　of　thirty　menin　his　office；　he　did　not　feel　that　his　life　was　ruined。　　He　was　temporarily　embarrassed。　Certainly　things　looked　very　black。　　The　city…treasurership　deal　would　make　a　great　fuss。　　Those　hypothecated　city　loan　certificates；　to　the　extent　of　sixty　thousand；　would　make　another；　if　Stener　chose。　　Still；　he　did　not　feel　that　he　was　utterly　destroyed。
  〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　in　closing　his　address　of　explanation　at　the　meeting；　quite　as　erect；　secure；　defiant；　convincing　as　he　had　ever　been；　〃you　see　how　things　are。　　These　securities　are　worth　just　as　much　as　they　ever　were。　　There　is　nothing　the　matter　with　the　properties　behind　them。　　If　you　will　give　me　fifteen　days　or　twenty；　I　am　satisfied　that　I　can　straighten　the　whole　matter　out。　I　am　almost　the　only　one　who　can；　for　I　know　all　about　it。　　The　market　is　bound　to　recover。　　Business　is　going　to　be　better　than　ever。　　It's　time　I　want。　　Time　is　the　only　significant　factor　in　this　situation。　　I　want　to　know　if　you　won't　give　me　fifteen　or　twenty　daysa　month；　if　you　can。　　That　is　all　I　want。〃
  He　stepped　aside　and　out　of　the　general　room；　where　the　blinds　were　drawn；　into　his　private　office；　in　order　to　give　his　creditors　an　opportunity　to　confer　privately　in　regard　to　his　situation。　He　had　friends　in　the　meeting　who　were　for　him。　　He　waited　one；　two；　nearly　three　hours　while　they　talked。　　Finally　Walter　Leigh；　Judge　Kitchen；　Avery　Stone；　of　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。；　and　several　others　came　in。　　They　were　a　committee　appointed　to　gather　further　information。
  〃Nothing　more　can　be　done　to…day；　Frank；〃　Walter　Leigh　informed　him；　quietly。　　〃The　majority　want　the　privilege　of　examining　the　books。　　There　is　some　uncertainty　about　this　entanglement　with　the　city　treasurer　which　you　say　exists。　　They　feel　that　you'd　better　announce　a　temporary　suspension；　anyhow；　and　if　they　want　to　let　you　resume　later　they　can　do　so。〃
  〃I'm　sorry　for　that；　gentlemen；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　the　least　bit　depressed。　　〃I　would　rather　do　anything　than　suspend　for　one　hour；　if　I　could　help　it；　for　I　know　just　what　it　means。　　You　will　find　assets　here　far　exceeding　the　liabilities　if　you　will　take　the　stocks　at　their　normal　market　value；　but　that　won't　help　any　if　I　close　my　doors。　　The　public　won't　believe　in　me。　　I　ought　to　keep　open。〃
  〃Sorry；　Frank；　old　boy；〃　observed　Leigh；　pressing　his　hand　affectionately。　　〃If　it　were　left　to　me　personally；　you　could　have　all　the　time　you　want。　　There's　a　crowd　of　old　fogies　out　there　that　won't　listen　to　reason。　　They're　panic…struck。　　I　guess　they're　pretty　hard　hit　themselves。　　You　can　scarcely　blame　them。　You'll　come　out　all　right；　though　I　wish　you　didn't　have　to　shut　up　shop。　　We　can't　do　anything　with　them；　however。　　Why；　damn　it；　man；　I　don't　see　how　you　can　fail；　really。　　In　ten　days　these　stocks　will　be　all　right。〃
  Judge　Kitchen　commiserated　with　him　also；　but　what　good　did　that　do？　He　was　being　compelled　to　suspend。　　An　expert　accountant　would　have　to　come　in　and　go　over　his　books。　　Butler　might　spread　the　news　of　this　city…treasury　connection。　　Stener　might　complain　of　this　last　city…loan　transaction。　　A　half…dozen　of　his　helpful　friends　stayed　with　him　until　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　but　he　had　to　suspend　just　the　same。　　And　when　he　did　that；　he　knew　he　was　seriously　crippled　if　not　ultimately　defeated　in　his　race　for　wealth　and　fame。
  When　he　was　really　and　finally　quite　alone　in　his　private　bedroom　he　stared　at　himself　in　the　mirror。　　His　face　was　pale　and　tired；　he　thought；　but　strong　and　effective。　　〃Pshaw！〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃I'm　not　whipped。　　I'm　still　young。　　I'll　get　out　of　this　in　some　way　yet。　　Certainly　I　will。　　I'll　find　some　way　out。〃
  And　so；　cogitating　heavily；　wearily；　he　began　to　undress。　　Finally　he　sank　upon　his　bed；　and　in　a　little　while；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　with　all　the　tangle　of　trouble　around　him；　slept。　　He　could　do　thatsleep　and　gurgle　most　peacefully；　the　while　his　father　paced　the　floor　in　his　room；　refusing　to　be　comforted。　　All　was　dark　before　the　older　manthe　future　hopeless。　　Before　the　younger　man　was　still　hope。
  And　in　her　room　Lillian　Cowperwood　turned　and　tossed　in　the　face　of　this　new　calamity。　　For　it　had　suddenly　appeared　from　news　from　her　father　and　Frank　and　Anna　and　her　mother…in…law　that　Frank　was　about　to　fail；　or　would；　or　hadit　was　almost　impossible　to　say　just　how　it　was。　　Frank　was　too　busy　to　explain。　　The　Chicago　fire　was　to　blame。　　There　was　no　mention　as　yet　of　the　city　treasurership。　Frank　was　caught　in　a　trap；　and　was　fighting　for　his　life。
  In　this　crisis；　for　the　moment；　she　forgot　about　the　note　as　to　his　infidelity；　or　rather　ignored　it。　　She　was　astonished；　frightened；　dumbfounded；　confused。　　Her　little；　placid；　beautiful　world　was　going　around　in　a　dizzy　ring。　　The　charming；　ornate　ship　of　their　fortune　was　being　blown　most　ruthlessly　here　and　there。　　She　felt　it　a　sort　of　duty　to　stay　in　bed　and　try　to　sleep；　but　her　eyes　were　quite　wide；　and　her　brain　hurt　her。　　Hours　before　Frank　had　insisted　that　she　should　not　bother　about　him；　that　she　could　do　nothing；　and　she　had　left　him；　wondering　more　than　ever　what　and　where　was　the　line　of　her　duty。　　To　stick　by　her　husband；　convention　told　her；　and　so　she　decided。　　Yes；　religion　dictated　that；　also　custom。　　There　were　the　children。　　They　must　not　be　injured。　　Frank　must　be　reclaimed；　if　possible。　　He　would　get　over　this。　　But　what　a　blow！
  Chapter　XXXI
  The　suspension　of　the　banking　house　of　Frank　A。　Cowperwood　&　Co。　created　a　great　stir　on　'change　and　in　Philadelphia　generally。　　It　was　so　unexpected；　and　the　amount　involved　was　comparatively　so　large。　　Actually　he　failed　for　one　million　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars；　and　his　assets；　under　the　depressed　condition　of　stock　values；　barely　totaled　seven　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars。　　There　had　been　considerable　work　done　on　the　matter　of　his　balance…sheet　before　it　was　finally　given　to　the　public；　but　when　it　was；　stocks　dropped　an　additional　three　points　generally；　and　the　papers　the　next　day　devoted　notable　headlines　to　it。　Cowperwood　had　no　idea　of　failing　permanently；　he　merely　wished　to　suspend　temporarily；　and　later；　if　possible；　to　persuade　his　creditors　to　allow　him　to　resume。　　There　were　only　two　things　which　stood　in　the　way　of　this：　the　matter　of　the　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　borrowed　from　the　city　treasury　at　a　ridiculously　low　rate　of　interest；　which　showed　plainer　than　words　what　had　been　going　on；　and　the　other；　the　matter　of　the　sixty…thousand…dollar　check。　His　financial　wit　had　told　him　there　were　ways　to　assign　his　holdings　in　favor　of　his　largest　creditors；　which　would　tend　to　help　him　later　to　resume；　and　he　had　been　swift　to　act。　　Indeed；　Harper　Steger　had　drawn　up　documents　which　named　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。；　Edward　Clark　&　Co。；　Drexel　&　Co。；　and　others　as　preferred。　　He　knew　that　even　though　dissatisfied　holders　of　smaller　shares　in　his　company　brought　suit　and　compelled　readjustment　or　bankruptcy　later；　the　intention　shown　to　prefer　some　of　his　most　influential　aids　was　important。　　They　would　like　it；　and　might　help　him　later　when　all　this　was　over。　　Besides；　suits　in　plenty　are　an　excellent　way　of　tiding　over　a　crisis　of　this　kind　until　stocks　and　common　sense　are　restored；　and　he　was　for　many　suits。　　Harper　Steger　smiled　once　rather　grimly；　even　in　the　whirl　of　the　financial　chaos　where　smiles　were　few；　as　they　were　figuring　it　out。
  〃Frank；〃　he　said；　〃you're　a　wonder。　　You'll　have　a　network　of　suits　spread　here　shortly；　which　no　one　can　break　through。　　They'll　all　be　suing　each　other。〃
  Cowperwood　smiled。
  〃I　only　want　a　little　time；　that's　all；〃　he　replied。　　Nevertheless；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　was　a　little　depressed；　for　now　this　business；　to　which　he　had　devoted　years　of　active　work　and　thought；　was　ended。
  The　thing　that　was　troubling　him　most　in　all　of　this　was　not　the　five　hundred　thousand　dollars　which　was　owing　the　city　treasury；　and　which　he　knew　would　stir　political　and　social　life　to　the　center　once　it　was　generally　knownthat　was　a　legal　or　semi…legal　transaction；　at　leastbut　rather　the　matter　of　the　sixty　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　unrestored　city　loan　certificates　which　he　had　not　been　able　to　replace　in　the　sinking…fund　and　could　not　now　even　though　the　necessary　money　should　fall　from　heaven。　　The　fact　of　their　absence　was　a　matter　of　source。　　He　pondered　over　the　situation　a　good　deal。　　The　thing　to　do；　he　thought；　if　he　went　to　Mollenhauer　or