uerading as hers,
and she would not have changed it for worlds; but he wanted her left
in undisturbed possession of everything until she should die. Aileen's
originally assigned portion had never been changed. According to her
father's will, which no power under the sun could have made Mrs. Butler
alter, she was left $250,000 to be paid at Mrs. Butler's death. Neither
this fact nor any of the others contained in the paper were communicated
by Mrs. Butler, who retained it to be left as her will. Aileen often
wondered, but never sought to know, what had been left her. Nothing she
fancied--but felt that she could not help this.

Butler's death led at once to a great change in the temper of the
home. After the funeral the family settled down to a seemingly peaceful
continuance of the old life; but it was a matter of seeming merely. The
situation stood with Callum and Owen manifesting a certain degree of
contempt for Aileen, which she, understanding, reciprocated. She was
very haughty. Owen had plans of forcing her to leave after Butler's
death, but he finally asked himself what was the use. Mrs. Butler, who
did not want to leave the old home, was very fond of Aileen, so therein
lay a reason for letting her remain. Besides, any move to force her out
would have entailed an explanation to her mother, which was not deemed
advisable. Owen himself was interested in Caroline Mollenhauer, whom he
hoped some day to marry--as much for her prospective wealth as for any
other reason, though he was quite fond of her. In the January following
Butler's death, which occurred in August, Norah was married very
quietly, and the following spring Callum embarked on a similar venture.

In the meanwhile, with Butler's death, the control of the political
situation had shifted considerably. A certain Tom Collins, formerly one
of Butler's henchmen, but latterly a power in the First, Second, Third,
and Fourth Wards, where he had numerous saloons and control of other
forms of vice, appeared as a claimant for political recognition.
Mollenhauer and Simpson had to consult him, as he could make very
uncertain the disposition of some hundred and fifteen thousand votes,
a large number of which were fraudulent, but which fact did not modify
their deadly character on occasion. Butler's sons disappeared as
possible political factors, and were compelled to confine themselves to
the street-railway and contracting business. The pardon of Cowperwood
and Stener, w