at the top of the wheel he was shunted off upon a trolley, and went sailing down the room… then dangling by a foot, and kicking in frenzy – and squealing. There were high squeals and low squeals, grunts and wails of agony" as the hog was brutally killed to be converted into pork chops and bacon. That, Mr Armbruster, upset me terribly.'
Armbruster's face had reddened, until he was almost apoplectic. 'Upton Sinclair!' he roared. 'That anarchist trying to destroy the free enterprise system, with his propaganda that some of my workers fell into the sausage machine and came out as sausage links. He's an anarchist, no more.'
Minna tried to soothe him. 'Mr Armbruster, I'd say Upton Sinclair was hardly alone. Vegetarians have ranged from Emanuel Swedenborg to Percy Bysshe Shelley to Count Leo Tolstoi.'
'All anarchists!' Armbruster bellowed. 'I couldn't consider a vegetarian in my company.' He glared at Bruce. 'You can't be serious. Maybe this is an immature eccentricity.'
'Well, maybe,' said Bruce uncertainly.
'I'm sure it is,' insisted Armbruster. 'After dinner, you have a little talk with Judith. She may be able to convince you better than I can. Help you mend the error of your ways. Which reminds me -' Armbruster staggered to his feet. 'Luncheon is served.' He squinted down at Bruce. 'I know that Pearl has prepared a porterhouse steak and a salad. Do you think you can manage that?'
Bruce rose. 'I can say yes to the salad,' he promised. 'I'll decide on the steak when I'm faced with it.'
Rising, Minna told herself that she must restrain her nephew. A vice-presidency in the Armbruster Company was not to be passed up lightly, especially when her brother in Kentucky was facing bankruptcy. Of course, the price for compliance was not only renouncing vegetarianism, but also marrying Judith. Minna decided that she would have to give all of this more thought.
As Armbruster took her arm to lead her into the dining-room, Minna guessed that the entire service would be sterling silver.
In the dining-room, she sighed. Every piece was sterling silver.
That evening in the Everleigh Club, Bruce Lester and Karen Grant sat close together on a sofa.
He had dared to take her hand, and she had not resisted. Bruce continued to recount the adventure at the Arm-brusters'.
'Did you eat the steak?' Karen wanted to know.
'I nibbled at it, so as not to offend him.'
'But bringing up the vegetarianism in the home of a meat-packer,' said Karen. 'Were you serious about that?'
Bruce shrugged. 'I really don't know about becoming a vegetarian, Karen. I do know I wanted to offend Armbruster. He's such a coarse man.'
'How can you resist the offer of a vice-presidency when your father is in such trouble and you need money?'
Bruce scratched his forehead. 'Not easy,' he said. 'On the other hand, I haven't told you the price I was asked to pay to become Armbruster's vice-president.'
'What's that?'
'I'd have to become part of his family. I'd have to marry his daughter Judith.'
Karen studied the man beside her. 'Well, why not do that?'
'For one thing, I don't love her. For another, I care for you. There you have it, Karen. I'm sure of this. I care for you.'
She squeezed his hand tightly. 'And Bruce, I care for you.'
He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She clung to him, kissing him back.
After they parted briefly, she said, 'That was delicious. But Bruce, you've got to be practical. What are you going to do about money?'
'Tomorrow I'm going to Washington Park to sell Frontier. That should bring enough to keep me afloat.' 'I hope so.' 'Come along with me and we'll see what happens.'
SIX
Arriving at the Washington Street main doorway to City Hall, Harold T. Armbruster checked his watch and noted that he was on time.
Entering the marble lobby, he made for the recently installed elevators, and told the operator inside that he wished to go to Mayor Carter Harrison's office suite on the third floor. After the slow ride up, Armbruster stepped into the corridor and headed for the mayor's office.
In the reception room, he was met by a young man who left him to inform the mayor that Armbruster was present. Moments later, the young man returned to guide him through the empty secretarial office into the mayor's own impressive sanctum.
Mayor Harrison was already on his feet, hand outstretched. Armbruster impatiently shook it.
'You wanted to see me,' Armbruster said.
'Yes, yes, please sit down.'
Armbruster sat on the edge of a chair across from the mayor's desk, as Harrison settled into his own high-backed leather chair. The summons from the mayor had been unexpected, and Armbruster was restless with curiosity.
The mayor shuffled some papers and raised his head. 'It's about the matter of Prince Henry's visit to Chicago.'
'I hoped you'd have some news,' Armbruster said. 'He hasn't changed his itinerary, has he?'
'No, he will be here exactly as scheduled. A morning, an afternoon, an evening, before returning to New York, and to Germany the following day.'
'Well, did you inform him of the wedding and the banquet at my home?'
The mayor nodded. 'Up to a point.'
'What does that mean, Mayor?'
'It means I had to follow protocol,' said Mayor Harrison. 'I worked out a schedule with my staff to cover every hour of the prince's visit to Chicago. It included your son's wedding and the banquet to follow. Then, still observing protocol, as I'd been advised, I sent the schedule to the German ambassador in Washington, D.C. I want you to see the schedule so that you will know that I have faithfully kept my promise to you.'
Harrison half lifted himself and handed a sheet of paper to Armbruster.
The meat-packer studied the official schedule. It read:
OFFICIAL PROGRAMME FOR PRINCE HENRY
6:30 a.m. Arrival at Union Station. 10:30 a.m. Visit to Lincoln Park. 11:oo a.m. Choral festival at First Regiment Armoury. 12:30 p.m. Luncheon at Germania Club. 3:00 p.m. Reception with Mayor Harrison and aldermen at City Hall. 7:00 p.m. Grand Banquet at the residence of Mr and Mrs Harold T. Armbruster, to celebrate the prince's visit, as well as the wedding of Mr Alan Armbruster to Miss Cathleen Lester.
Satisfied, Armbruster returned the schedule to the mayor's desk. 'You have it there, and you put it well,' Armbruster said. 'You haven't told me the prince's response.'
'The very reason I wanted to see you,' said the mayor. 'I have a response of sorts, but it is from the German ambassador, and not from Prince Henry. I want you to read it.'
He handed another sheet of paper over his desk to the meat-packer. Armbruster took it. The sheet of heavier paper with a smooth cottony surface was thicker than the sheet that bore the schedule, and the letterhead was embossed with the address of the German Embassy. Armbruster read it carefully:
Dear Honourable Mayor Carter Harrison,
I am most pleased to have received the programme you outlined for the overnight visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to your renowned metropolis.
Of course, Prince Henry will wish to lay a wreath at the foot of the Monument in Lincoln Park. He certainly will be pleased with the luncheon at the Germania Club, aware as he is that the city of Chicago possesses the sixth-largest population of Germans in the entire world.
Regarding the rest of the schedule, including your reception at the City Hall and the banquet to be hosted by the distinguished Mr and Mrs Armbruster, I can only assume that the prince will be honoured and pleased. However, I do not have his official reaction to the plans as it is too soon to have heard from him.