Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 104: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE AMERICAN SYNDICATE. 95 aS soon as you can with your memo- randum, and then I will give you a Iet- ter that will enable you to talk with the furniture dealers. “Tt’s a pity,” thought Joe, as he walked away, “ that I have to leave the office closed during any hour of the business day, but I have got to find Don Octavio at once, and rig a derrick on him which shall lift me up and set me down in St. Thomas with money enough at least to put on the proper front with Seeborg & Company. The promotion of Porto Rico’s business interests and the salvation of the American Syndicate depends at this moment upon ice cream. At the risk of trolley lines and all other enterprises, the monopoly in ice cream must be es- tablished.” He went up to the don’s house, think- ing all the way. Arrived there, he was informed by the porter that Don Oc- tavio was not at home. The function- ary at the entrance did not know where the don had gone, or when he would return. Too disturbed by this information even to inquire for the ladies of the household, Joe turned about and went back to his office. Of course nothing could make him aware of it at that time, but the fact was, as he learned much later; that he passed within a few feet of Don Octavio, both on his way to that gentleman’s house and on the return from it. The slight distance that separated them was effectively magnified by a house wall, for early that morning the don had-gone to the home of his friend Hernandez, to confer with him and the other capitalists whom he had intro- duced to Joe. They had their heads together over the American’s ideas and propositions al] through the forenoon. The don had chosen his possible partners well. Every one of them, like himself, had foreseen a great revival in business through the advent of the Americans, and each one of them was intensely eager to profit personally out 7 OA of the business boom that seemed cer- tain to be inaugurated. To that extent, then, Joe had estimated them correctly, and could count himself fortunate in having come in contact so early with men who were eager to enter into new enterprises, but they were not the sim- ple minded, untrained men of affairs that he might have hoped to meet. They had heard much about Ameri- can energy and enterprise, but they had also heard of American shrewd- ness. Especially since the beginning of the war had their journals been filled with accounts of Americans that gave to the people of the States anything but a highly moral character. Among those who cherished any lingering sympathy for the Spanish régime, it was held as a cardinal doctrine that all Americans are unscrupulous in business. Hence, the atmosphere of caution which Joe had noticed in the conversation of these men. ' ! This came back with oppressive force to his memory during the several hours that elapsed between the time when he made his useless call at the don’s house and the middle of the afternoon. He spent the time mainly at his office, ho- ping that the don would cail. Nobody came, except his secretary and some of the retail dealers with . whom it was possible that he might wish to make bargains for furnishing his new café. Before them he kept a placid countenance and a general man- ner of financial ease, and the afternoon was not old before he had materially increased his obligations by contract- ing for the purchase of such articles as were required for the café outfit. The last bargain of this kind had been made, and Joe was beginning to feel an uncomfortable desperation. This would not do at all, for only with a ground work of perfect self confi- dence could he venture to “ strike ” the don for a cash advance. That he must do when it came even- ing, and in order to overcome his threatened apprehensicr.,. be tind +>-— eo