“I’m sorry, Mr. Stackpole,” he said, sympathetically, after a moment of apparent reflection, “but I cannot possibly help you in this matter. I’m too involved in other things myself, and I do not often indulge in stock-peculations of any kind. I have no particular malice toward any one of the gentlemen you mention. I do not trouble to dislike all who dislike me. I might, of course, if I chose, take these stocks and pay them out and throw them on the market to-morrow, but I have no desire to do anything of the sort. I only wish I could help you, and if I thought I could carry them safely for three or four months I would. As it is—” He lifted his eyebrows sympathetically. “Have you tried all the bankers in town?”
“Practically every one.”
“And they can’t help you?”
“They are carrying all they can stand now.”
“Too bad. I’m sorry, very. By the way, do you happen, by any chance, to know Mr. Millard Bailey or Mr. Edwin Kaffrath?”
“No, I don’t,” replied Stackpole, hopefully.
“Well, now, there are two men who are much richer than is generally supposed. They often have very large sums at their disposal. You might look them up on a chance. Then there’s my friend Videra. I don’t know how he is fixed at present. You can always find him at the Twelfth Ward Bank. He might be inclined to take a good portion of that—I don’t know. He’s much better off than most people seem to think. I wonder you haven’t been directed to some one of these men before.” (As a matter of fact, no one of the individuals in question would have been interested to take a dollar of this loan except on Cowperwood’s order, but Stackpole had no reason for knowing this. They were not prominently identified with the magnate.)
“Thank you very much. I will,” observed Stackpole, restoring his undesired stocks to his bag.
Cowperwood, with an admirable show of courtesy, called a stenographer, and pretended to secure for his guest the home addresses of these gentlemen. He then bade Mr. Stackpole an encouraging farewell. The distrait promoter at once decided to try not only Bailey and Kaffrath, but Videra; but even as he drove toward the office of the first-mentioned Cowperwood was personally busy reaching him by telephone.
“I say, Bailey,” he called, when he had secured the wealthy lumberman on the wire, “Benoni Stackpole, of Hull & Stackpole, was here to see me just now.”