Jennie Gerhardt: A Novel

  CHAPTER XXIV

  The problem of the Gerhardt family and its relationship to himselfcomparatively settled, Kane betook himself to Cincinnati and to hisbusiness duties. He was heartily interested in the immense plant,which occupied two whole blocks in the outskirts of the city, and itsconduct and development was as much a problem and a pleasure to him asto either his father or his brother. He liked to feel that he was avital part of this great and growing industry. When he saw freightcars going by on the railroads labelled "The Kane ManufacturingCompany--Cincinnati" or chanced to notice displays of thecompany's products in the windows of carriage sales companies in thedifferent cities he was conscious of a warm glow of satisfaction. Itwas something to be a factor in an institution so stable, sodistinguished, so honestly worth while. This was all very well, butnow Kane was entering upon a new phase of his personalexistence--in a word, there was Jennie. He was conscious as herode toward his home city that he was entering on a relationship whichmight involve disagreeable consequences. He was a little afraid of hisfather's attitude; above all, there was his brother Robert.

  Robert was cold and conventional in character; an excellentbusiness man; irreproachable in both his public and in his privatelife. Never overstepping the strict boundaries of legal righteousness,he was neither warm-hearted nor generous--in fact, he would turnany trick which could be speciously, or at best necessitously,recommended to his conscience. How he reasoned Lester did notknow--he could not follow the ramifications of a logic whichcould combine hard business tactics with moral rigidity, but somehowhis brother managed to do it. "He's got a Scotch Presbyterianconscience mixed with an Asiatic perception of the main chance."Lester once told somebody, and he had the situation accuratelymeasured. Nevertheless he could not rout his brother from hispositions nor defy him, for he had the public conscience with him. Hewas in line with convention practically, and perhapssophisticatedly.

  The two brothers were outwardly friendly; inwardly they were farapart. Robert liked Lester well enough personally, but he did nottrust his financial judgment, and, temperamentally, they did not agreeas to how life and its affairs should be conducted. Lester had asecret contempt for his brother's chill, persistent chase of thealmighty dollar. Robert was sure that Lester's easy-going ways werereprehensible, and bound to create trouble sooner or later. In thebusiness they did not quarrel much--there was not so much chancewith the old gentleman still in charge--but there were certainminor differences constantly cropping up which showed which way thewind blew. Lester was for building up trade through friendlyrelationship, concessions, personal contact, and favors. Robert wasfor pulling everything tight, cutting down the cost of production, andoffering such financial inducements as would throttle competition.

  The old manufacturer always did his best to pour oil on thesetroubled waters, but he foresaw an eventual clash. One or the otherwould have to get out or perhaps both. "If only you two boys couldagree!" he used to say.

  Another thing which disturbed Lester was his father's attitude onthe subject of marriage--Lester's marriage, to be specific.Archibald Kane never ceased to insist on the fact that Lester ought toget married, and that he was making a big mistake in putting it off.All the other children, save Louise, were safely married. Why not hisfavorite son? It was doing him injury morally, socially, commercially,that he was sure of.

  "The world expects it of a man in your position," his father hadargued from time to time. "It makes for social solidity and prestige.You ought to pick out a good woman and raise a family. Where will yoube when you get to my time of life if you haven't any children, anyhome?"

  "Well, if the right woman came along," said Lester, "I suppose I'dmarry her. But she hasn't come along. What do you want me to do? Takeanybody?"

  "No, not anybody, of course, but there are lots of good women. Youcan surely find some one if you try. There's that Pace girl. Whatabout her? You used to like her. I wouldn't drift on this way, Lester;it can't come to any good."

  His son would only smile. "There, father, let it go now. I'll comearound some time, no doubt. I've got to be thirsty when I'm led towater."

  The old gentleman gave over, time and again, but it was a sorepoint with him. He wanted his son to settle down and be a real man ofaffairs.

  The fact that such a situation as this might militate against anypermanent arrangement with Jennie was obvious even to Lester at thistime. He thought out his course of action carefully. Of course hewould not give Jennie up, whatever the possible consequences. But hemust be cautious; he must take no unnecessary risks. Could he bringher to Cincinnati? What a scandal if it were ever found out! Could heinstall her in a nice home somewhere near the city? The family wouldprobably eventually suspect something. Could he take her along on hisnumerous business journeys? This first one to New York had beensuccessful. Would it always be so? He turned the question over in hismind.

  The very difficulty gave it zest. Perhaps St. Louis, or Pittsburg,or Chicago would be best after all. He went to these placesfrequently, and particularly to Chicago. He decided finally that itshould be Chicago if he could arrange it. He could always make excusesto run up there, and it was only a night's ride. Yes, Chicago wasbest. The very size and activity of the city made concealment easy.After two weeks' stay at Cincinnati Lester wrote Jennie that he wascoming to Cleveland soon, and she answered that she thought it wouldbe all right for him to call and see her. Her father had been toldabout him. She had felt it unwise to stay about the house, and so hadsecured a position in a store at four dollars a week. He smiled as hethought of her working, and yet the decency and energy of it appealedto him. "She's all right," he said. "She's the best I've come acrossyet."

  He ran up to Cleveland the following Saturday, and, calling at herplace of business, he made an appointment to see her that evening. Hewas anxious that his introduction, as her beau, should be gotten overwith as quickly as possible. When he did call the shabbiness of thehouse and the manifest poverty of the family rather disgusted him, butsomehow Jennie seemed as sweet to him as ever. Gerhardt came in thefront-room, after he had been there a few minutes, and shook handswith him, as did also Mrs. Gerhardt, but Lester paid little attentionto them. The old German appeared to him to be merelycommonplace--the sort of man who was hired by hundreds in commoncapacities in his father's factory. After some desultory conversationLester suggested to Jennie that they should go for a drive. Jennie puton her hat, and together they departed. As a matter of fact, they wentto an apartment which he had hired for the storage of her clothes.When she returned at eight in the evening the family considered itnothing amiss.