tanding still--perhaps "drifting" would be the better word.
It did seem a pity; worst of all, he was beginning to feel a little
uncertain of himself.

CHAPTER XLVIII

Lester had been doing some pretty hard thinking, but so far he had
been unable to formulate any feasible plan for his re-entrance into
active life. The successful organization of Robert's carriage trade
trust had knocked in the head any further thought on his part of
taking an interest in the small Indiana wagon manufactory. He could
not be expected to sink his sense of pride and place, and enter a
petty campaign for business success with a man who was so obviously
his financial superior. He had looked up the details of the
combination, and he found that Bracebridge had barely indicated how
wonderfully complete it was. There were millions in the combine. It
would have every little manufacturer by the throat. Should he begin
now in a small way and "pike along" in the shadow of his giant
brother? He couldn't see it. It was too ignominious. He would be
running around the country trying to fight a new trust, with his own
brother as his tolerant rival and his own rightful capital arrayed
against him. It couldn't be done. Better sit still for the time being.
Something else might show up. If not--well, he had his
independent income and the right to come back into the Kane Company if
he wished. Did he wish? The question was always with him.

It was while Lester was in this mood, drifting, that he received a
visit from Samuel E. Ross, a real estate dealer, whose great, wooden
signs might be seen everywhere on the windy stretches of prairie about
the city. Lester had seen Ross once or twice at the Union Club, where
he had been pointed out as a daring and successful real estate
speculator, and he had noticed his rather conspicuous offices at La
Salle and Washington streets. Ross was a magnetic-looking person of
about fifty years of age, tall, black-bearded, black-eyed, an arched,
wide-nostriled nose, and hair that curled naturally, almost
electrically. Lester was impressed with his lithe, cat-like figure,
and his long, thin, impressive white hands.

Mr. Ross had a real estate proposition to lay before Mr. Kane. Of
course Mr. Kane knew who he was. And Mr. Ross admitted fully that he
knew all about Mr. Kane. Recently, in conjunction with Mr. Norman
Yale, of the wholesale grocery firm of Yale, Simpson & Rice, he
had developed "Yalewood." Mr. Kane knew of th