g these petty annoyances and going his way about the
big things, he stopped occasionally to fight these petty battles and
complaints, and these simply put him in the light of one who was not
able to maintain profound peace and order in his domain. White was
always bland, helpful, ready with a suave explanation.

"It's just possible that he may not know how to handle these fellows,
after all," he said to Colfax, and then if anyone was discharged it was
a sign of an unstable policy.

Colfax cautioned Eugene occasionally in accordance with White's
suggestions, but Eugene was now so well aware of what was going on that
he could see where they came from. He thought once of accusing White
openly in front of Colfax, but he knew that this would not be of any
advantage for he had no real evidence to go on. All White's
protestations to Colfax were to the effect that he was trying to help
him. So the battle lay.

In the meantime, Eugene, because of this or the thought rather that he
might not always remain as powerful as he was, having no stock in the
concern and not being able to buy any, had been interesting himself in a
proposition which had since been brought to him by Mr. Kenyon C.
Winfield, who, since that memorable conversation at the home of the
Willebrands on Long Island, had not forgotten him. Winfield had thought
of him for a long time in connection with a plan he had of establishing
on the South Shore of Long Island, some thirty-five miles from New York,
a magnificent seaside resort which should outrival Palm Beach and the
better places of Atlantic City, and give to New York, close at hand,
such a dream of beauty and luxury as would turn the vast tide of
luxury-loving idlers and successful money grubbers from the former
resorts to this. Considerable thought had been given by him as to just
what its principal characteristics should be, but he had not worked it
out to suit himself exactly, and he thought Eugene might be interested
from the outlining point of view.

Unfortunately, on the face of it, this was just the sort of scheme which
made an appeal to Eugene from all points of view, in spite of the fact
that he already had his hands as full as they could be. Nothing
interested him quite so much as beauty and luxury in some artistic
combination. A summer resort of really imposing proportions, with
hotels, casinos, pagodas, resident sections, club houses, a wide board
or stone walk along the ocean, and possibly a ga