Mower County transcript., 1903-12-16

If he was ever. an L. D. B.?" these cabal-
; istic letters standing for .'illicit s>dta-
mond buyer .-.,., ,.....S
ROT" rejoined Ashby. "He doesn't
belong to the Barney Barnato crowd,
that's all. Everything he does is well
done, and there's none of their heath
enish display and barbaric push about
Kane. He's a gentleman at heart,
whatever his origin, or I miss nv
guess. Why, he goes everywhere, and
you'll find his name on the subscrip-
ton list OF every hospital and charity
in London
':I'd like to know how he does it"
sighed young Appleby, who took an
occasional flyer in stocks.
"Why don't you ask him." said one
of the group jokingly. 80
II did," was the naive reply. Says
he, I've starved, I've tramped, I've
almost begged, but things came my
! way at last!'"
"sort of orphic revelation, that" )"
laughed Renniss. "Do you suppose It
can be true?'
shouldn't wonder bit; I'll wager
hat that those cool eyes and that
smooth face have looked on some rare
F! doings"
When Kane threw open his Park
Lane mansion all the world and his
wife flocked thither, no less to be seen
than to see the enigma of man who
had literally captured the realms Of
fashion and finance single-handed.
AS he stood to receive his guests,
with polished ease, as though to the
manner born, one saw man five feet
ten inches in height, of rather spare
yet hardy frame, delicately chiselled
features cleanly shaven as an abbe's,
with hair closely cropped, slightly
tinged with gray at the temples, and a
pair of blue eyes that had a curious
trick Of dilating and contracting, of
darkening and Tightening, according to
the mood that possessed their owner
In age he might be anywhere from IS
to SO.
| On being presented to his host old
General Scarlet remarked
'They tell me you have been quite a
traveller, Mr. kane?"
Il have seen quite little of the
! world,' was the smiling reply, "but
very few know the ups and downs that
have fallen to my lot. l was born in
! America. but my fatheS I never saw
to remember him. l was Wait, an
outcast of the Sierra camps, adopted by
an old miner who had nothing to give
me but his name and surname"
But for the interruption occasioned
by the arrival Of more guests Kane
| might have added that he had been a
veritable Jack-of-all-t ll-trades-teamster
mail carrier, prospector, miner and
gambler in that free-for-all country
known as the West" Drifting around
the world to South Africa, he success
sively clerked in an up-country store,
dealt faro and played the piano in
dance-houses in Kim berley and Johan-
nesburg, where he had also picked up
some knowledge of the diamond
country.
How had he come by his wealth in
! diamOnds?' Found them, like many
another man. of course. Success had
come to him very suddenly-a strike, -
he called it-and then changed the sub
ject.
Men sought his society for the mar
ket tips he could give; women liked
him for the air of quiet power which
pervaded every word and action
Said one titled dame to some init
' mates over their afternoon tea:
my dears, his house is marvel of
chaste elegance, and his weekly din
ners are dream! In his waking hours
he is surrounded by crowds of clients,
guests, or dependents. How he stands
the pace is more than I can fathom
yet he is always smiling and debonair,
cool and collected, and never at loss
for timely word or suitable remark
De Lacy says he seems equally at home
with dowagers or debutantes, with
dukes or cab-drivers, with money-kings
or crossing-sweepers'
And it was true, every word of it.
One episode, widely reported at that
time, throws flood of light upon the
character of this much-canvassed per-
sOnage.
Kane had manipulated a big corner
in "Cochineal Consols," one of the fan
cy stocks of the day, and had the mar
ket at his mercy. Among the Shorts
was small speculator named Ackerly,
who on more than one occasion had run
foul Of Kane and his schemes. When
settling day" came, Ackerly stood to
be ruined if Kane chose to force mat
ters. 1t so happened that his daugh-
ter, Rose Ackerly, who had been stu
! dying music. was to make her pro
fessional debut the same night at
Queens Hall -.. -.
Upon the, eyentful morning that
would seal her fathers fate she drove
up TO- Kane's office and besought an
interview with the great man. Her
eyes suhnsed with tears, and her voice
trembling with emotion, she begged
4 the hnancier's Indulgence for her
father. f{'
| Women should not NEEDLE with
such matters" was Kane's curt and
stern comment Then 4
Does yOur fathor Inoxy of +b;o