第86章 Chapter XXVI Love and War(1)

It was during the earlier phases of his connection with Chicago street-railways that Cowperwood, ardently interesting himself in Stephanie Platow, developed as serious a sex affair as any that had yet held him. At once, after a few secret interviews with her, he adopted his favorite ruse in such matters and established bachelor quarters in the down-town section as a convenient meeting-ground. Several conversations with Stephanie were not quite as illuminating as they might have been, for, wonderful as she was--a kind of artistic godsend in this dull Western atmosphere --she was also enigmatic and elusive, very. He learned speedily, in talking with her on several days when they met for lunch, of her dramatic ambitions, and of the seeming spiritual and artistic support she required from some one who would have faith in her and inspire her by his or her confidence. He learned all about the Garrick Players, her home intimacies and friends, the growing quarrels in the dramatic organization. He asked her, as they sat in a favorite and inconspicuous resort of his finding, during one of those moments when blood and not intellect was ruling between them, whether she had ever--

"Once," she naively admitted.

It was a great shock to Cowperwood. He had fancied her refreshingly innocent. But she explained it was all so accidental, so unintentional on her part, very. She described it all so gravely, soulfully, pathetically, with such a brooding, contemplative backward searching of the mind, that he was astonished and in a way touched. What a pity! It was Gardner Knowles who had done this, she admitted. But he was not very much to blame, either. It just happened. She had tried to protest, but-- Wasn't she angry? Yes, but then she was sorry to do anything to hurt Gardner Knowles. He was such a charming boy, and he had such a lovely mother and sister, and the like.

Cowperwood was astonished. He had reached that point in life where the absence of primal innocence in a woman was not very significant; but in Stephanie, seeing that she was so utterly charming, it was almost too bad. He thought what fools the Platows must be to tolerate this art atmosphere for Stephanie without keeping a sharp watch over it. Nevertheless, he was inclined to believe from observation thus far that Stephanie might be hard to watch. She was ingrainedly irresponsible, apparently--so artistically nebulous, so non-self-protective. To go on and be friends with this scamp!

And yet she protested that never after that had there been the least thing between them. Cowperwood could scarcely believe it.

She must be lying, and yet he liked her so. The very romantic, inconsequential way in which she narrated all this staggered, amused, and even fascinated him.

"But, Stephanie," he argued, curiously, "there must been some aftermath to all this. What happened? What did you do?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

He had to smile.

"But oh, don't let's talk about it!" she pleaded. "I don't want to. It hurts me. There was nothing more."

She sighed, and Cowperwood meditated. The evil was now done, and the best that he could do, if he cared for her at all--and he did--was to overlook it. He surveyed her oddly, wonderingly.

What a charming soul she was, anyhow! How naive--how brooding! She had art--lots of it. Did he want to give her up?

As he might have known, it was dangerous to trifle with a type of this kind, particularly once awakened to the significance of promiscuity, and unless mastered by some absorbing passion.

Stephanie had had too much flattery and affection heaped upon her in the past two years to be easily absorbed. Nevertheless, for the time being, anyhow, she was fascinated by the significance of Cowperwood. It was wonderful to have so fine, so powerful a man care for her. She conceived of him as a very great artist in his realm rather than as a business man, and he grasped this fact after a very little while and appreciated it. To his delight, she was even more beautiful physically than he had anticipated--a smoldering, passionate girl who met him with a fire which, though somber, quite rivaled his own. She was different, too, in her languorous acceptance of all that he bestowed from any one he had ever known. She was as tactful as Rita Sohlberg--more so--but so preternaturally silent at times.

"Stephanie," he would exclaim, "do talk. What are you thinking of? You dream like an African native."

She merely sat and smiled in a dark way or sketched or modeled him. She was constantly penciling something, until moved by the fever of her blood, when she would sit and look at him or brood silently, eyes down. Then, when he would reach for her with seeking hands, she would sigh, "Oh yes, oh yes!"

Those were delightful days with Stephanie.

In the matter of young MacDonald's request for fifty thousand dollars in securities, as well as the attitude of the other editors--Hyssop, Braxton, Ricketts, and so on--who had proved subtly critical, Cowperwood conferred with Addison and McKenty.

"A likely lad, that," commented McKenty, succintly, when he heard it. "He'll do better than his father in one way, anyhow. He'll probably make more money."

McKenty had seen old General MacDonald just once in his life, and liked him.

"I should like to know what the General would think of that if he knew," commented Addison, who admired the old editor greatly.

"I'm afraid he wouldn't sleep very well."

"There is just one thing," observed Cowperwood, thoughtfully.

"This young man will certainly come into control of the Inquirer sometime. He looks to me like some one who would not readily forget an injury." He smiled sardonically. So did McKenty and Addison.

"Be that as it may," suggested the latter, "he isn't editor yet."

McKenty, who never revealed his true views to any one but Cowperwood, waited until he had the latter alone to observe:

What can they do? Your request is a reasonable one. Why shouldn't the city give you the tunnel? It's no good to anyone as it is.