in connection with the scheme to make Texas a State of the Union, a bill
was passed providing a contribution on the part of the United States of
five million dollars, to be applied to the extinguishment of this old
debt. Grund knew of this, and also of the fact that some of this debt,
owing to the peculiar conditions of issue, was to be paid in full, while
other portions were to be scaled down, and there was to be a false
or pre-arranged failure to pass the bill at one session in order to
frighten off the outsiders who might have heard and begun to buy the old
certificates for profit. He acquainted the Third National Bank with this
fact, and of course the information came to Cowperwood as teller. He
told his wife about it, and so his son, in this roundabout way, heard
it, and his clear, big eyes glistened. He wondered why his father did
not take advantage of the situation and buy some Texas certificates for
himself. Grund, so his father said, and possibly three or four others,
had made over a hundred thousand dollars apiece. It wasn't exactly
legitimate, he seemed to think, and yet it was, too. Why shouldn't such
inside information be rewarded? Somehow, Frank realized that his father
was too honest, too cautious, but when he grew up, he told himself, he
was going to be a broker, or a financier, or a banker, and do some of
these things.

Just at this time there came to the Cowperwoods an uncle who had not
previously appeared in the life of the family. He was a brother of Mrs.
Cowperwood's--Seneca Davis by name--solid, unctuous, five feet ten in
height, with a big, round body, a round, smooth head rather bald, a
clear, ruddy complexion, blue eyes, and what little hair he had of
a sandy hue. He was exceedingly well dressed according to standards
prevailing in those days, indulging in flowered waistcoats, long,
light-colored frock-coats, and the invariable (for a fairly prosperous
man) high hat. Frank was fascinated by him at once. He had been a