Part 7 (2/2)

”Did you ever hear of this man Vanderpoel, young man?”

”Well, yes,” said Jack, with a modest laugh. ”Fact is, _I myself am Horace Vanderpoel_.”

The stranger gazed at him in amazement.

”Well, by ginger!” he said. ”I--I--I'm dee-lighted to meet you, sir.

This is my daughter Amanda, sir. I--I--I'm proud to make your acquaintance.”

”It is a pleasure to meet you, sir,” said Jack, pleasantly, removing his hat and bowing to the young woman. ”You are Mr.--”

”Dobbins, sir,” returned the old man, effusively. ”Joshua Dobbins. I thought I was going some on the money question, with seven gold mines in Nevada, but I must take off my hat to you, sir. Any man who has the nerve to buy New York--heavens!”

The old fellow took off his hat and mopped his brow, which had begun to perspire freely.

”Oh, I don't take any credit to myself for that,” said Jack, modestly.

”When a boy has a great-grandfather who dies and leaves forty million dollars to him in trust for fifty years before he was born, and that money acc.u.mulates until the unborn beneficiary is twenty-one years old, it means a rather tidy stockingful, I admit, but it isn't as if I'd made the money myself.”

”Fuf-forty million acc.u.mulating interest for seventy-one years!” gasped Dobbins.

”Compound,” said Jack, smiling sweetly at the girl at his side. ”That's the deuce of it. I--I've got to do something to keep the income invested, and New York real estate, being the most expensive thing in sight, I've gone in for that as being the easiest way out.”

”I--I suppose you are living here now?” asked Mr. Dobbins.

”No,” said Jack. ”Personally I don't care particularly for New York. I am just in town for a few days, stopping at the Waldorf.”

”Why, so are we,” interrupted the girl.

”Then,” said Jack, gallantly, ”the Waldorf possesses even greater attractions than I had supposed.”

The girl blushed a rosy red, and the old gentleman fairly beamed.

”Glad to have you take dinner with us, Mr. Vanderpoel,” he said.

”Thank you,” said Jack. ”I shall be charmed to do so if I can. I sort of half promised Mr. Bondifeller to take a snack with him this evening, but”--this with a killing glance at the blus.h.i.+ng Miss Dobbins ”but I guess he can wait. To tell you the truth, Mr. Dobbins, these New York millionaires bore me to death. At what time shall we foregather?”

”Suppose we say seven?” said the old gentleman.

”My lucky number,” said Jack, with a gracious smile, which set the heart of Miss Dobbins all of a-flutter.

So pa.s.sed the hours away. Jack found himself growing momentarily more deeply impressed with the beauty of the maiden at his side, and by the time the young people had reached the hotel it had become a p.r.o.nounced case of pure and ardent love. As they entered the Waldorf one of the employees of the hotel rushed excitedly up to the young billionaire, breathless with the importance of a communication intrusted to him.

”Mr. Rockernegie is on the wire--wants to speak to you immediately, sir,” he panted.

”Tell him I'm busy,” said Jack, entering the tea-room and ordering a slight repast for Miss Dobbins and her father. A moment later the messenger returned, more breathless than before.

”Sorry, sir,” said the boy, ”but Mr. Rockernegie says he must see you right away, sir.”

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