第26章

AdolfScherermightbesaidtorepresentatransitionaltype.Forhewasnotonlyaniron-masterwhokneweverydetailofhisbusiness,whokeptitaheadofthetimes;hewasalsoastrategist,wiseinhisgeneration,makingfriendswiththeRailroadwhiletherehadyetbeentime,atlengthsecuringrebatesandfavours.AndwhenthatRailroad(whichhadbeenconstructedthroughtheenterpriseandcourageofsuchmenasNathanielDurrett)hadpassedunderthecontrolofthebanker-personalitytowhomI

havereferred,andhadbecomepartofasystem,AdolfSchererremainedinalliance,andcontinuedtoreceivefavoursIcanwellrememberthetimewhentheultimateauthorityofourRailroadwastransferred,quietly,toWallStreet.AlexanderBarbour,itspresident,hadbeenagreatman,butafterthathebowed,incertainmatters,toagreaterone.

IhavedigressedMr.Schererunfoldedhisscheme,talkingabout"units"ascalmlyasthoughtheywerecheckersonaboardinsteadofhuge,fiery,reverberatingmillswherethousandsandthousandsofhumanbeingstoileddayandnight——beingswithfamilies,andhopesandfears,whosedestiniesweretobedominatedbythewillofthemanwhosatoppositeme.But——didnotheinhisownpersonrepresentthetriumphofthatAmericancreedofopportunity?He,too,hadbeenthroughthefire,hadsweatedbesidetheblasts,hadhandledtheingotsofsteel.Hewasoneofthe"fittest"whohadsurvived,andlookedit.Hadhenomemoriesoftheterrorsofthatstruggle?AdolfSchererhadgrowntobeagiant.Andyetwithoutme,withoutmyprofessionhewasahelplessgiant,atthemercyofthosealertandvindictivelawmakerswhosoughttorestrainandhamperhim,tocheckhisgrowthwiththeirwebs.Howstimulatingtheideaofhisdependence!Howexhilaratingtoo,thethoughtthatthatvisionwhichhadfirstpossessedmeasanundergraduate——onmyvisittoJerryKyme——wasatlasttoberealized!I

hadnowbecometheindispensableassociateofthefewwhodividedthespoils,Iwastohaveashareinthesemyself.

"You\'reyoung,Paret,"Mr.Schererconcluded."ButWatlinghasconfidenceinyou,andyouwillconsulthimfrequently.Ibelieveintheyoungmen,andIhavealreadyseensomethingofyou——so?"

WhenIreturnedtotheofficeIwroteTheodoreWatlingaletterexpressingmygratitudeforthepositionhehad,sotospeak,willedme,ofconfidentiallegaladvisertoAdolfScherer.Thoughtheopportunityhadthrustitselfuponmesuddenly,andsoonerthanIexpectedit,Iwasdeterminedtoprovemyselfworthyofit.IworkedasIhadneverworkedbefore,makingtripstoNewYorktoconsultleadingmembersofthisnewbranchofmyprofessionthere,tripstoWashingtontoseemyformerchief.Therewere,too,numerousconferenceswithlocalpersonages,withMr.DickinsonandMr.Grierson,andJudahB.Tallant,——whosenewspaperwasmostuseful;therewereconsultationsandnegotiationsofadelicatenaturewiththeownersandlawyersofothercompaniestobe"takenin."

Norwasitalllegalwork,intheolderandnarrowersense.Menwhoareplayingforprincipalitiesaremakingwar.Someofouroperationshadalltheexcitementofwar.Therewasinformationtobegot,anditwasgot——somehow.Modernwarinvolvesaspysystem,andafriendlytelephonecompanyisnottobedespised.Andallofthisworkfromfirsttolasthadtobedonewithextremecaution.Moribunddistinctionsofrightandwrongdidnottroubleme,forthemodernmanlaboursreligiouslywhenheknowsthatEvolutionisonhisside.

Foralloftheseoperationsacorpsofcounselhadbeenemployed,includingthefirmofHarringtonandBowesnexttoTheodoreWatling,JoelHarringtonwasdeemedtheablestlawyerinthecity.WeorganizedinduetimethecorporationknownastheBoyneIronWorks,Limited;atrustagreementwasdrawnupthatwasamasterpieceofitskind,onethatcaused,firstandlast,meddlingofficialsintheDepartmentofJusticeatWashingtonnolittletroubleandperplexity.IwasproudofthefactthatIhadtakennosmallpartinitscompositionInshort,inadditiontocertainemolumentsandopportunitiesforinvestment,I

emergedfromtheaffairfirmlyestablishedinthegoodgracesofAdolfScherer,andwithareputationpracticallymade.

AyearorsoaftertheBoyneCompany,Ltd.,cameintoexistenceIchancedonemorningtogodowntothenewAshuelaHoteltomeetaNewYorkerofsomeprominence,andwasawaitinghiminthelobby,whenIoverheardaconversationbetweentwocommercialtravellerswhoweresittingwiththeirbackstome.

"Didyounoticethatfellowwhowentuptothedeskamomentago?"askedone.

"Theyoungfellowinthegreysuit?Sure.Whoishe?Helooksasifhewasprettywellfixed."

"Iguessheis,"repliedthefirst."That\'sParet.He\'sScherer\'sconfidentialcounsel.HeusedtobeSenatorWatling\'spartner,buttheysayhe\'sevengotsomethingontheoldman."

InspiteofthefeverishlifeIled,Iwasstillundoubtedlyyoung-

looking,andinthisIwastruetotheincomingtypeofsuccessfulman.

Ourfathersappearedstaidatsixandthirty.Clothes,ofcourse,madesomedifference,andmyclassandgenerationdidnotwearthesombreandcumbersomekind,withskirtsandtails;IpatronizedatailorinNewYork.Mychestnuthair,alittledarkerthanmyfather\'shadbeen,showednosignsofturninggrey,althoughitwasthinningalittleatthecrownoftheforehead,andIworeasmallmoustache,clippedinastraightlineabovethemouth.Thismademelooklesslikeacollegeyouth.Thankstoastrongpigmentinmyskin,derivedprobablyfromScotch-Irishancestors,mycolourwasfresh.Ihavespokenofmylifeasfeverish,andyetIamnotsosurethatthiswordcompletelydescribesit.Itwasfulltooverflowing——onesideofit;andIdidnotmiss(savevaguely,inraremomentsofweariness)anyothersidethatmighthavebeendeveloped.Iwasbusyalldaylong,engagedinaffairsIdeemedtobealoneofvitalimportanceintheuniverse.IwasconvincedthatthewelfareofthecitydemandedthatsupremefinancialpowershouldremaininthehandsofthegroupofmenwithwhomIwasassociated,andwhosebattlesIfoughtinthecourts,inthelegislature,inthecitycouncil,andsometimesinWashington,——althoughtheywerewellcaredforthere.

Byeverymeansingenuitycoulddevise,theirenemiesweretobedrivenfromthefield,andtheyweretobeprotectedfromblackmail.

Asenseofimportancesustainedme;andIrememberinthatfirstflushofasuccessforwhichIhadnotwaitedtoolong——whatasecretsatisfactionitwastopickuptheEraandseemynameembeddedincertaindignifiednoticesofboardmeetings,transactionsofweight,orcasesknowntotheinitiatedassignificant."Mr.Scherer\'sinterestsweretakencareofbyMr.HughParet."Thefactthatmytriumphsweremodestlysetforthgavememorepleasurethaniftheyhadbeentrumpetedinheadlines.AlthoughImighthavestartedoutinpracticeformyself,myaffectionandregardforMr.Watlingkeptmeinthefirm,whichbecameWatling,FowndesandParet,andanew,arrangementwasenteredinto:Mr.Riponretiredonaccountofillhealth.

Therewereinstances,however,whenacertainamountofannoyingpublicitywasinevitable.SuchwasthefamousGalligancase,whichoccurredsomethreeorfouryearsaftermymarriage.AloysiusGalliganwasabrakeman,andhislegshadbecomeparalyzedastheresultofanaccidentthatwastheresultofdefectivesillsonafreightcar.Hehadsued,andbeenawardeddamagesof$15,000.TotheamazementandindignationofMillerGorse,theSupremeCourt,towhichtheRailroadhadappealed,affirmedthedecision.Itwasn\'t