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at the foot of the bed； Carroll brought up the subject。
〃He ought to be named for you；〃 she began timidly。 〃I know that；
Jack； and I'd love to have another Jack Orde in the family； but；
dear； I've been thinking about father。 He's a poor； forlorn old
man； who doesn't get much out of life。 And it would please him so
oh； more than you can imagine such a thing could please anybody！〃
She looked up at him doubtfully。 Orde said nothing； but walked
around the bed to where the baby lay in his little cradle。 He
leaned over and took the infant up in his gingerly awkward fashion。
〃How are you to…day； Bobby Orde？〃 he inquired of the blinking mite。
XXVIII
The first season of the Boom Company was most successful。 Its
prospects for the future were bright。 The drive had been delivered
to its various owners at a price below what it had cost them
severally； and without the necessary attendant bother。 Therefore；
the loggers were only too willing to renew their contracts for
another year。 This did not satisfy Newmark； however。
〃What we want；〃 he told Orde； 〃is a charter giving us exclusive
rights on the river； and authorising us to ask toll。 I'm going to
try and get one out of the legislature。〃
He departed for Lansing as soon as the Assembly opened； and almost
immediately became lost in one of those fierce struggles of politics
not less bitter because concealed。 Heinzman was already on the
ground。
Newmark had the shadow of right on his side； for he applied for the
charter on the basis of the river improvements already put in by his
firm。 Heinzman； however； possessed much political influence； a deep
knowledge of the subterranean workings of plot and counterplot； and
a 〃barrel。〃 Although armed with an apparently incontestable legal
right； Newmark soon found himself fighting on the defensive。
Heinzman wanted the improvements already existing condemned and sold
as a public utility to the highest bidder。 He offered further
guarantees as to future improvements。 In addition were other and
more potent arguments proffered behind closed doors。 Many cases
resolved themselves into a bald question of cash。 Others demanded
diplomacy。 Jobs； fat contracts； business favours； influence were
all flung out freelybribes as absolute as though stamped with the
dollar mark。 Newspapers all over the State were pressed into
service。 These； bought up by Heinzman and his prospective partners
in a lucrative business； spoke virtuously of private piracy of what
are now called public utilities； the exploiting of the people's
natural wealths； and all the rest of a specious reasoning the more
convincing in that it was in many other cases only too true。 The
independent journals； uninformed of the rights of the case； either
remained silent on the matter； or groped in a puzzled and undecided
manner on both sides。
Against this secret but effective organisation Newmark most
unexpectedly found himself pitted。 He had anticipated being absent
but a week； he became involved in an affair of months。
With decision he applied himself to the problem。 He took rooms at
the hotel； sent for Orde； and began at once to set in motion the
machinery of opposition。 The refreshed resources of the company
were strained to the breaking point in order to raise money for this
new campaign opening before it。 Orde； returning to Lansing after a
trip devoted to the carrying out of Newmark's directions as to
finances； was dismayed at the tangle of strategy and cross…strategy；
innuendo； vague and formless cobweb forces by which he was
surrounded。 He could make nothing of them。 They brushed his face；
he felt their influence； yet he could place his finger on no
tangible and comprehensible solidity。 Among these delicate and
complicated cross…currents Newmark moved silent； cold； secret。 He
seemed to understand them； to play with them； to manipulate them as
elements of the game。 Above them was the hollow shock of the
ostensible battlethe speeches； the loud talk in lobbies； the
newspaper virtue； indignation； accusations； but the real struggle
was here in the furtive ways； in whispered words delivered hastily
aside； in hotel halls on the way to and from the stairs； behind
closed doors of rooms without open transoms。
Orde in comic despair acknowledged that it was all 〃too deep for
him。〃 Nevertheless； it was soon borne in on him that the new
company was struggling for its very right to existence。 It had been
doing that from the first； but now； to Orde the fight； the
existence； had a new importance。 The company up to this point had
been a scheme merely； an experiment that might win or lose。 Now；
with the history of a drive behind it； it had become a living
entity。 Orde would have fought against its dissolution as he would
have fought against a murder。 Yet he had practically to stand one
side； watching Newmark's slender； gray…clad； tense figure gliding
here and there； more silent； more reserved； more watchful every day。
The fight endured through most of the first half of the session。
When finally it became evident to Heinzman that Newmark would win；
he made the issue of toll rates the ditch of his last resistance；
trying to force legal charges so low as to eat up the profits。 At
the last； however； the bill passed the board。 The company had its
charter。
At what price only Newmark could have told。 He had fought with the
tense earnestness of the nervous temperament that fights to win
without count of the cost。 The firm was established； but it was as
heavily in debt as its credit would stand。 Newmark himself； though
as calm and reserved and precise as ever； seemed to have turned
gray； and one of his eyelids had acquired a slight nervous twitch
which persisted for some months。 He took his seat at the desk；
however； as calmly as ever。 In three days the scandalised howls of
bribery and corruption had given place in the newspapers to some
other sensation。
〃Joe；〃 said Orde to his partner； 〃how about all this talk？ Is there
really anything in it？ You haven't gone in for that business； have
you？〃
Newmark stretched his arms wearily。
〃Press bought up；〃 he replied。 〃I know for a fact that old Stanford
got five hundred dollars from some of the Heinzman interests。 I
could have swung him back for an extra hundred； but it wasn't worth
while。 They howl bribery at us to distract attention from their own
performances。〃
With this evasive reply Orde contented himself。 Whether it
satisfied him or whether he was loath to pursue the subject further
it would be impossible to say。
〃It's cost us plenty； anyway；〃 he said； after a moment。 〃The
proposition's got a load on it。 It will take us a long time to get
out of debt。 The river driving won't pay quite so big as we thought
it would；〃 he concluded； with a rue