Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-20


NOUS hnancier was then approaching
the zenith Of his power over Wall
street and Lombard street. 1t had just
been announced that he had absorb
ed the Great Eastern and Western
railway system--of course by the meth
DDS which have made some men and
some newspapers habitually speak Of
him rs ''the royal bandit" The city
editor hal two reasons for sending
Dayton-tirst, because he did not like
him; secolM. because any other man on
the staff would walk about for an hour
and come back with the report that
Mountain had refused to receive him,
effort
Dayton turned in at the Equitable
building and went up to the floor occu-
pied by Mountain, Ranger & Blakehill.
He nodded to the attendant at the door
Of Mountains own suit of Offices, stroll
ed TRANQUILITY down the aisle between
several rows of desks at which sat
Mountains personal clerks and knock
ed at the glass door on which was
printed "Mr Mountain" in small gilt
letters.
Comet" 1t was an angry voice -
Mountains at It's worst.
Dayton opened the door. Mountain
glanced up from the mass of papers
before him. His red forehead became
network Of wrinkles. and his scant
white eyebrows bristled. "And who
are you?" he snarled.
"NYy name Il Dayton-Fenimore Day
tom reptile, the reporter. with grace
fully polite bow. "A1r. Mountain, be-
lieveg'
1t wes impossible for Mr.. Mountain
sltogetl,er to resist the Impulse to bow
N return. Dayton's manner was COM
pelling.
"And what the dev-what can do
for you!"
I'm reporter from tho
"Whatv' reared Mountain, leaping to
his feet in purple, swollen veined
furv. "'Eow dare you enter hereT
"But-why not?" Dayton looked sur
prised. mo one tried to stop me-"
"Impuaence!"
"Parlon me-not impotence" Day
ton smiled agreeably. "Inipudence II
unsuccessful audacity. For example
If you had failed to get the Great East
ern and Western. they'd have said yor
were impudent to try. AS it Is, men
call 1t audacity. Now. If I'd failed to
get here-perhaps"
Mountain listened with grim smile
He saw in young Dayton the signs OF
a quality he especially admired. He
couldn't help softening toward him. II
stand corrected" he said gruiliy. Then
he laid his hand on the young mans
shoulder and pointed toward the large
room. "Do you see those clerks?" he
demanded.
Il do said Dayton.
."fhere are thigty-seven Of them, and
that lis numskuii at the door makes
thirty eight | employ those thirty
eight men to save me from audacity
such as yours. Yet here you are, in my
private office! How do you explain tt?'
Dayton laughed His laugh was very
contagious. Il don't know, I'm sure"
he said perhaps if they were the sort
Of men who could outwit me they'd be
doing my work and I'd be doing
theirs"
Mountains eyes smiled. The longer
he looked at Dayton's refined yet reso-
lutte face the better he liked 1t. "Sit
down." he said In an ironic tone of
mock resignation. But be quick. and
be careful not to irritate me with ques-
tons that are-audacious. Ny diges-
ton is poor, and. therefore, my temper
Is not what it might be"
That is the first recorded story OF
Dayton's Colossal cheek" Now for the
last one-the one since which his
''cheek" has been thought of and spo-
ken of, admired and envied as "Nap0-
leonic daring"
He soon rose to be q notable special
correspondent. One winter afternoon
at musicale in the studio Of his
friend, Brownlee the artist, he met a
girl with whom he straightway fell In
love- She was Elsie Grant, the only
daughter Of Mrs. James Wexford
Grant. She had spent most of her life
abroad, and her mother was even then
negotiating for an Italian prince who
thought we'll of Elsie and also Of her
large dot. And then Dayton had come,
and he was never the man to shy at OBJ
stacles.
He beguiled her mother into not
seeing what was going on. He made
love to her daughter in straightfor-
ward way. TO elsie, who then could
think only in terms of the Almanach
de Gotha, it seemed the way OF Ru-
dolph Of Hapsburg issuing from bis
barren mountain farm in Switzerland
to conquer men with his sword and
women with his smile and to found an
empire. When the Grants went abroad
in March he succeeded in getting row
ing European commission from his
newspaper and went In the same
steamer. He put the issue squarely
before her the day before they landed.
He did not speak of love until she had
given him the right not only by encour-
aging him, but also by making 1t plain
that she passionately wished to hear
the words that lay behind bis looks and
tones. Don't answer me now" he
said 81 don't want you on impulse.
You're going down into the country
for week. When you come up to
London you Will know"
He went on to London and began to
cast about for something out OF the