The Washington herald., 1908-05-12
CHAPTER Ill


Abdul Won Tarsenheim's letter had TAX
en- a firm grip on his imagination
Chimerieal. fantastic, as the idea seemed
he clung to the possibility of it with both
hands. He knew he would be laughed
at for entertaining it-that % out of 100
would have regarded 1t as one more
scheme for trapping the willy millionaire.
But he also knew that II IS not the
ninety-nine, but the one. who has always
done the impossible in this world,
Hypnotism? Now. what could have
seemed more unlikely than that. before
it was demonstrated? The vast wealth
his father had made so quickly men
would have regarded as an impossible
ity few years before. A French nov
elist had once projected the idea of the
possession OF a fabulous fortune. For a
few years, people had said, What Won
drous imagination And now-why. he
himself could have bought up a dozen
Monte Cristos and kept them for pets.
He remembered his father saying 10 him
once, Anything which can be thought
Of can be done and the judgment of a
father who had made $200,o00oo0 is not
TO be desplsed.
Vandraken was possessed with the idea
OF spending bat had, as yet no very
clear idea of how ne would go about H.
He had come over 10 England, believing
it to contain more mOney-sPending ma
ehinery than other countries. He felt
the ferment of youth working within him,
urging him on 10 all manner OF physi-
cal qualification: but that. he knew
i H..~r~ nd "A 70
placed by other desires. Still while that
part OF his life lasted, he wanted 10 live
il to the utmost. so that he could look
back and see that. from his point Of view
as a spender, those years had not beer
wasted.
But a specter always stalked In upoF
these dreams, 1t was a picture Of him
self as he would be after a few years
of the life: a bloated. purple-faced crea
ture, to whom women sold themselves
with a shudder: whose appetites we-'
nothing but habits; whose nerves were
so blunted that he could no longer dis
tinguish between pleasure and pain, be
tween the ugly and the beautiful.
creature so repulsiye, that no matter nov
tired he got of the life, he could neve
lead and OuheT-Wiu the love Of som
really nice girl, be the patron and pro
moter of all. that was best in art hteia
tuTe, and the drama, be the best sho
ana the best rider OF his day. carry on
a single one Of the plans for the mex
phase OF his life.
The abtnty 70 look forward. which nat
enabled his father 10 see and remove al
obstacles before he came 10 them, hai
been transm tied 10 the son. VandrakeI
knew that unless he could find some wa
to remove the grisly specter he w0ul
have TO abandon that part OF mis- dreams
and only SOW "a thin crop Of wild oats
such as any poor devil on ten thousan
a year could SOW. crop which would b
no credit to any one, Ieast OF all 10 tn
richest young man in the world. Ever
day he lived he was reminded more an
more foTcibly of this fact, SO that IN
mlnd-whlch had really been working TO
a long time on this subject-was abso
Iutely prepared for the suggestion con
tanned in Abdul Won TaTsenheim's letter
Instead of appearing, as it would hav
appeared 20 any ordinary mind, as
monstrous absurdity, it simply filed
Vandraken's a long-felt want.
curious crowd had collected Outsid
the Ritz Hotel for II had leaked out tha
the motor waiting at the entrance %
longed to Vandraken. The halfpenn
lie curiosity about him b. constantly f'
ferring TO him as tile richest young ma
in the wOrl1 FFaTC We're, Of course, sc
eral fortunes far and away bigger tina
Vandraken's but they all belonged I
elderly men: ana there is nothing thrill
ing about a r.'h OLD niaA, except his te.
tamentary dispositions. But the though
of youth ard weal,h combined is diffei
ent; men speculated on what they woul
do If they were Vandraken. One pape
offered a prize competition for the mo;
original answer. ApCtner paper. mOI
economical. aska1 foi answers to II
questions. Would any woman refuse
marry him. and, Of course, gTef
many WOm-a wrcte to say they wOul
refuse, and bought the paper TO see the
names IN punL-
Vandraken had become blase about b
ing advertised; the yellow papers
America had given him a surfeit OF 4
but all the samoa small crowd IN Pi'
cadilly!-he knew it generally took roy
atty to gather that. He heard one ma
say. Wouldn't mind being run over b
that motor A jury'd give proper dan
ages against i'm"
Another man hazarded the opinion tn;
"'E was going down 20 the bank to ST
If is coin ad arrived from America. 3"
Vandraken smiled to himself as
thought of their astonishment If the
knew his real err9nd.
Abdul Won Tarsenheim was at hOm
and Vandraken was ushered into
dingy room which smelt OF chemical
An object like a large cupboard occt
pied one corner; It was concealed
curtains.
Much more Ike a blackmailer's do
than a scientists laboratory" thong
Vandraken only slightly reassured
the smell Of chemicals. Won Tarsenhei
did not keep him waiting long, but
stood at the door and scrutinized b
guest. instead Of speaking. His lor
neck, thrust outward and upward fro
his rounded shoulders. made his visit
think of a vulture He was tall and vel
swarthy His hooked nose, and Ion
dark. pointed beard, suggested an A
CHAN. His eyes, piercing and dominan
were meshed in network Of speculati'
lines. His general expression was
mOcking smile, as though he regardt
all the world from a point OF tremendol
superiority. His accent was only sligh
" foreign but he had peculiar modes
expression, suggesting the foreigne
without giving any clew to his nationa
ity. His age might have been anythiT
over forty. There was something tr
mendously forcible about him which d
not go with age; but while his hair W;
black. his face had the wrinkles of
wise old man who has lived a life of COZ
centrated thought
He kept his steady gaze al Mandrake
as though he could do 1t forever.
"The beggar's doing il for effect
thought the young man, growing res
less under that silent scrutiny It's
TO him to speak first" But being vi
able to stand the situation any longe
he burst out; Il suppose you spea
Englsh?'
"Oh, yes, I speak the English! also,
understand the American. I have lived
that country
Vandraken laughed. Then we will &
along all right. I came to see you abo