The plan Cowperwood developed after a few days' meditation will be plain enough to any one who knows anything of commercial and financial manipulation, but a dark secret to those who do not.

In the first place, the city treasurer was to use his (Cowperwood's) office as a bank of deposit.

He was to turn over to him, actually, or set over to his credit on the city's books, subject to his order, certain amounts of city loans--two hundred thousand dollars at first, since that was the amount it was desired to raise quickly--and he would then go into the market and see what could be done to have it brought to par.

The city treasurer was to ask leave of the stock exchange at once to have it listed as a security.

Cowperwood would then use his influence to have this application acted upon quickly.