d. Schryhart
iss out. He sess he vill resign. Very goot. I don't subbose dot vill
make you veep any. It all hintges now on vether you can get dot
fifty-year-franchise ordinance troo de city council or not.
Haeckelheimer sess he prefers you to all utters to run t'ings. He vill
leef everytink positifely in your hands. Frankhauser sess de same.
Vot Haeckelheimer sess he doess. Now dere you are. It's up to you. I
vish you much choy. It is no small chop you haff, beating de
newspapers, unt you still haff Hant unt Schryhart against you. Mr.
Haeckelheimer askt me to pay his complimends to you unt to say vill you
dine vit him next veek, or may he dine vit you--vicheffer iss most
conveniend. So."

In the mayor's chair of Chicago at this time sat a man named Walden H.
Lucas. Aged thirty-eight, he was politically ambitious. He had the
elements of popularity--the knack or luck of fixing public attention.
A fine, upstanding, healthy young buck he was, subtle, vigorous, a
cool, direct, practical thinker and speaker, an eager enigmatic dreamer
of great political honors to come, anxious to play his cards just
right, to make friends, to be the pride of the righteous, and yet the
not too uncompromising foe of the wicked. In short, a youthful, hopeful
Western Machiavelli, and one who could, if he chose, serve the cause of
the anti-Cowperwood struggle exceedingly well indeed.

Cowperwood, disturbed, visits the mayor in his office.

"Mr. Lucas, what is it you personally want? What can I do for you? Is
it future political preferment you are after?"

"Mr. Cowperwood, there isn't anything you can do for me. You do not
understand me, and I do not understand you. You cannot understand me
because I am an honest man."

"Ye gods!" replied Cowperwood. "This is certainly a case of
self-esteem and great knowledge. Good afternoon."

Shortly thereafter the mayor was approached by one Mr. Carker, who was
the shrewd, cold, and yet magnetic leader of Democracy in the state of
New York. Said Carker:

"You see, Mr. Lucas, the great money houses of the East are interested
in this local contest here in Chicago. For example, Haeckelheimer,
Gotloeb & Co. would like to see a consolidation of all the lines on a
basis that will make them an attractive investment for buyers generally
and will at the same time be fair and right to the city. A twenty-year
contract is much too short a term in their eyes. Fifty is the least
they could comfo