Jennie Gerhardt - Драйзер Теодор (книги бесплатно без онлайн .txt) 📗

coming out. He must abandon either Jennie or his prospects in life. What

a dilemma!

Despite Robert's assertion, that so far as he was concerned another

arrangement would have been satisfactory, he was really very well

pleased with the situation; his dreams were slowly nearing completion.

Robert had long had his plans perfected, not only for a thorough

reorganisation of the company proper, but for an extension of the business in the direction of a combination of carriage companies. If he could get

two or three of the larger organisations in the East and West to join with him, selling costs could be reduced, over-production would be avoided,

and the general expenses could be materially scaled down. Through a

New York representative, he had been picking up stock in outside

carriage companies for some time and he was almost ready to act. In the

first place he would have himself elected president of the Kane Company,

and since Lester was no longer a factor, he could select Amy's husband as vice-president, and possibly some one other than Lester as secretary and

treasurer. Under the conditions of the will, the stock and other properties set aside temporarily for Lester, in the hope that he would come to his

senses, were to be managed and voted by Robert. His father had meant,

obviously, that he, Robert, should help him coerce his brother. He did not want to appear mean, but this was such an easy way. It gave him a

righteous duty to perform. Lester must come to his senses or he must let

Robert run the business to suit himself.

Lester, attending to his branch duties in Chicago, foresaw the drift of

things. He realised now that he was permanently out of the company, a

branch manager at his brother's sufferance, and the thought irritated him greatly. Nothing had been said by Robert to indicate that such a change

had taken place—things went on very much as before—but Robert's

suggestions were now obviously law. Lester was really his brother's

employee at so much a year. It sickened his soul.

There came a time, after a few weeks, when he felt as if he could not

stand this any longer. Hitherto he had been a free and independent agent.

The approaching annual stockholder's meeting which hitherto had been a

one-man affair and a formality, his father doing all the voting, would be now a combination of voters, his brother presiding, his sisters very likely represented by their husbands, and he not there at all. It was going to be a great come-down, but as Robert had not said anything about offering to

give or sell him any stock which would entitle him to sit as a director or hold any official position in the company, he decided to write and resign.

That would bring matters to a crisis. It would show his brother that he felt no desire to be under obligations to him in any way or to retain anything which was not his—and gladly so—by right of ability and the desire of

those with whom he was associated. If he wanted to move back into the

company by deserting Jennie he would come in a very different capacity

from that of branch manager. He dictated a simple, straightforward

business letter, saying:

"DEAR ROBERT,

"I know the time is drawing near when the company must be reorganised under your direction. Not having any stock, I am not entitled to sit as a director, or to hold the joint position of secretary and treasurer. I want you to accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from both

positions, and I want to have your directors consider what disposition

should be made of this position and my services. I am not anxious to

retain the branch-managership as a branch-managership merely; at the

same time I do not want to do anything which will embarrass you in your

plans for the future. You see by this that I am not ready to accept the

proposition laid down in father's will—at least, not at present. I would

like a definite understanding of how you feel in this matter. Will you

write and let me know?

"Yours,

"LESTER."

Robert, sitting in his office at Cincinnati, considered this letter gravely. It was like his brother to come down to "brass tacks." If Lester were only as cautious as he was straightforward and direct, what a man he would be!

But there was no guile in the man— no subtlety. He would never do a

snaky thing—and Robert knew, in his own soul, that to succeed greatly

one must. "You have to be ruthless at times—you have to be subtle,"

Robert would say to himself. "Why not face the facts to yourself when you are playing for big stakes?" He would, for one, and he did.

Robert felt that although Lester was a tremendously decent fellow and his brother, he wasn't pliable enough to suit his needs. He was too outspoken, too inclined to take issue. If Lester yielded to his father's wishes, and took possession of his share of the estate, he would become, necessarily, an

active partner in the affairs of the company. Lester would be a barrier in Robert's path. Did Robert want this? Decidedly he did not. He much

preferred that Lester should hold fast to Jennie, for the present at least, and so be quietly shelved by his own act.

After long consideration, Robert dictated a politic letter. He hadn't made up his mind yet just what he wanted to do. He did not know what his

sisters' husbands would like. A consultation would have to be held. For

his part, he would be very glad to have Lester remain as secretary and

treasurer, if it could be arranged. Perhaps it would be better to let the matter rest for the present.

Lester cursed. What did Robert mean by beating around the bush? He

knew well enough how it could be arranged. One share of stock would be

enough for Lester to qualify. Robert was afraid of him— that was the

basic fact. Well, he would not retain any branch- managership, depend on

that. He would resign at once. Lester accordingly wrote back, saying that he had considered all sides, and had decided to look after some interests of his own, for the time being. If Robert could arrange it, he would like to have some one come on to Chicago and take over the branch agency.

Thirty days would be time enough. In a few days came a regretful reply,

saying that Robert was awfully sorry, but that if Lester was determined he did not want to interfere with any plans he might have in view. Imogene's husband, Jefferson Midgely, had long thought he would like to reside in

Chicago. He would undertake the work for the time being.

Lester smiled. Evidently Robert was making the best of a very subtle

situation. Robert knew that he, Lester, could sue and tie things up, and

also that he would be very loath to do so. The newspapers would get hold

of the whole story. This matter of his relationship to Jennie was in the air, anyhow. He could best solve the problem by leaving her. So it all came

back to that.

CHAPTER XLIV

For a man of Lester's years—he was now forty-six—to be tossed out in

the world without a definite connection, even though he did have a

present income (including this new ten thousand) of fifteen thousand a

year, was a disturbing and discouraging thing. He realised now that,

unless he made some very fortunate and profitable arrangements in the

near future, his career was virtually at an end. Of course he could marry Jennie. That would give him the ten thousand for the rest of his life, but it would also end his chance of getting his legitimate share of the Kane

estate. Again, he might sell out the seventy-five thousand dollars' worth of moderate interest-bearing stocks, which now yielded him about five