“Come in,” calls Trueman.

“Good evening, Mr. Trueman.”  It is William Nevins who speaks.

“O, it is you, Mr. Nevins,” exclaims Trueman.

“I owe you an apology,” he continues, “for being surprised at seeing you; but the fact is I am a stranger in Chicago and have had no visitors.  When your card came I could not imagine who could wish to see me.”

“I am well aware that you are a stranger in this city,” Nevins replies.  “And as I am little better off I thought that I would drop in to have a chat with you.”

“We were delegates at the Anti-Trust Conference and will have much to discuss,” says Trueman, in his most affable manner.  “I certainly am glad you thought of me.  Take a seat, and make yourself as comfortable as the quarters will permit.”

They seat themselves near the table.  A pipe and a jar of tobacco lie on the table.

“Will you smoke?”

Nevins shakes his head negatively, saying as he does so: 

“I cannot talk and smoke at the same time.  To-night I want to talk.

“The fact is I have become interested in you since your speech at the close of the conference.

“You will remember it was I who suggested that the committee appointed to investigate the Trust question be increased to forty.

“When I made that motion I had an object in view.  I was anxious to have you become one of the committeemen.”

“Then the full committee has been appointed?” Trueman asks.

“The forty committeemen have been named.  You are not among them, and the reason is that the chairman is jealous of you.”

“He can have no reason to be jealous of me.”

“The fact remains that he is.  I strove to get him to appoint you.  He flatly refused to do so.  I could get no reason from him.  So I concluded that he fears you would outshine him in the work that the committee contemplates doing.  Your speech was masterly.  I am not given to flattery.  I say candidly that it was the best delivered at the conference.

“Since I failed to get you on the committee of forty, I come to see if you will aid me in a project that will make the committee superfluous; I have an idea that the trust question, monopoly and the other social problems can be speedily solved.”

“You did not speak at the conference; that was the place to propound such an idea,” interposes Trueman.

“Quite true.  But I held my peace there, because it was not a place to bring forth the plan that I have evolved.  You will agree with me if you will hear me through.

“My plan requires in the first place the services of an honest man—­one who is proof against the blandishments of the Plutocrats—­who will spurn the offers of gold and office that will be tendered him by the men of wealth when they perceive that he is on the eve of winning the popular support.