For three years now Lester had been happy in the companionship of
Jennie. Irregular as the connection might be in the eyes of the church and of society, it had brought him peace and comfort, and he was perfectly
satisfied with the outcome of the experiment. His interest in the social
affairs of Cincinnati was now practically nil, and he had consistently
refused to consider any matrimonial proposition which had himself as the
object. He looked on his father's business organisation as offering a real chance for himself if he could get control of it; but he saw no way of
doing so. Robert's interests were always in the way, and, if anything, the two brothers were farther apart than ever in their ideas and aims. Lester had thought once or twice of entering some other line of business or of
allying himself with another carriage company, but he did not feel that he could conscientiously do this. Lester had his salary—fifteen thousand a
year as secretary and treasurer of the company (his brother was vice-
president)—and about five thousand from some outside investments. He
had not been so lucky or so shrewd in speculation as Robert had been;
aside from the principal which yielded his five thousand, he had nothing.
Robert, on the other hand, was unquestionably worth between three and
four hundred thousand dollars, in addition to his future interest in the
business, which both brothers shrewdly suspected would be divided
somewhat in their favour. Robert and Lester would get a fourth each, they thought; their sisters a sixth. It seemed natural that Kane senior should take this view, seeing that the brothers were actually in control and doing the work. Still, there was no certainty. The old gentleman might do
anything or nothing. The probabilities were that he would be very fair and liberal. At the same time, Robert was obviously beating Lester in the
game of life. What did Lester intend to do about it?
There comes a time in every thinking man's life when he pauses and
"takes stock" of his condition; when he asks himself how it fares with his individuality as a whole, mental, moral, physical, material. This time
comes after the first heedless flights of youth have passed, when the
initiative and more powerful efforts have been made, and he begins to
feel the uncertainty of results and final values which attaches itself to everything. There is a deadening thought of uselessness which creeps into many men's minds—the thought which has been best expressed by the
Preacher in Ecclesiastes.
Yet Lester strove to be philosophical. "What difference does it make?" he used to say to himself, "whether I live at the White House, or here at home, or at the Grand Pacific?" But in the very question was the
implication that there were achievements in life which he had failed to
realise in his own career. The White House represented the rise and
success of a great public character. His home and the Grand Pacific were
what had come to him without effort.
He decided for the time being—it was about the period of the death of
Jennie's mother—that he would make some effort to rehabilitate himself.
He would cut out idling—these numerous trips with Jennie had cost him
considerable time. He would make some outside investments. If his
brother could find avenues of financial profit, so could he. He would
endeavour to assert his authority— he would try to make himself of more
importance in the business, rather than let Robert gradually absorb
everything. Should he forsake Jennie?—that thought also came to him.
She had no claim on him. She could make no protest. Somehow he did
not see how it could be done. It seemed cruel, useless; above all (though he disliked to admit it) it would be uncomfortable for himself. He liked
her—loved her, perhaps, in a selfish way. He didn't see how he could
desert her very well.
Just at this time he had a really serious difference with Robert. His
brother wanted to sever relations with an old and well established paint
company in New York, which had manufactured paints especially for the
house, and invest in a new concern in Chicago, which was growing and
had a promising future. Lester, knowing the members of the Eastern firm,
their reliability, their long and friendly relations with the house, was in opposition. His father at first seemed to agree with Lester. But Robert
argued out the question in his cold, logical way, his blue eyes fixed
uncompromisingly upon his brother's face. "We can't go on forever," he said, "standing by old friends, just because father here has dealt with them, or you like them. We must have a change. The business must be
stiffened up; we're going to have more and stronger competition."
"It's just as father feels about it," said Lester at last. "I have no deep feeling in the matter. It won't hurt me one way or the other. You say the house is going to profit eventually. I've stated the arguments on the other side."
"I'm inclined to think Robert is right," said Archibald Kane calmly. "Most of the things he has suggested so far have worked out."
Lester coloured. "Well, we won't have any more discussion about it then,"
he said. He rose and strolled out of the office.
The shock of this defeat, coming at a time when he was considering
pulling himself together, depressed Lester considerably. It wasn't much
but it was a straw, and his father's remark about his brother's business
acumen was even more irritating. He was beginning to wonder whether
his father would discriminate in any way in the distribution of the
property. Had he heard anything about his entanglement with Jennie? Had
he resented the long vacations he had taken from business? It did not
appear to Lester that he could be justly chargeable with either incapacity or indifference, so far as the company was concerned. He had done his
work well. He was still the investigator of propositions put up to the
house, the student of contracts, the trusted adviser of his father and
mother—but he was being worsted. Where would it end? He thought
about this, but could reach no conclusion.
Later in this same year Robert came forward with a plan for
reorganisation in the executive department of the business. He proposed
that they should build an immense exhibition and storage warehouse on
Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and transfer a portion of their completed
stock there. Chicago was more central than Cincinnati. Buyers from the
West and country merchants could be more easily reached and dealt with
there. It would be a big advertisement for the house, a magnificent
evidence of its standing and prosperity. Kane senior and Lester
immediately approved of this. Both saw its advantages. Robert suggested
that Lester should undertake the construction of the new buildings. It
would probably be advisable for him to reside in Chicago a part of the
time.
The idea appealed to Lester, even though it took him away from
Cincinnati, largely if not entirely. It was dignified and not
unrepresentative of his standing in the company. He could live in Chicago and he could have Jennie with him. The scheme he had for taking an
apartment could now be arranged without difficulty. He voted yes. Robert
smiled. "I'm sure we'll get good results from this all around," he said.
As construction work was soon to begin, Lester decided to move to