The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-11
BOOK H..
The CareW Case.
CHAPTER !.
The Man Of Iron.

Whoever it was that dubbed Theo-
dore Van Vechten the Man OF 1ron,"
he displayed pretty wit. For the
phrase was descriptive of the man,
both figuratively and literally.
His Offices were in New Street, just
off of Wall, and quite close to the
Stock Exchange; location unrvaled
for his purposes, which were both
tremendous and infinitely various. Ha
has also been likened to fat spider
lurking in the midst Of his web, the
filaments of which radiate in all di.
rectons throughout the contiguous
territory, and every one of them
guiding steady stream Of gold into
the Van Vechten Golfers.
Theodore Van Vechten typified
Power.
There was, first of all, the prestige
of the enormous Van Vechten for.
tune; and then the regulation and su-
pervision of all the money stocks and
bonds within rifle shot of his office;
which is to say, the entire country,
for even the United States subtreas-
ury-its parent also for that mat.
ter-is not excluded from this sweep.
+; ing statement.
AS head of the Consolidated Metals
Company, he was a shining target for
the United States Attorney.General-
and, it Is no doubt needless to add,
an invulnerable target There was not
a metal article manufactured and
marketed, from pin or q wire
clothesline to locomotive, motor-car
or battleship, that did net contribute
along one or another of the webs fila
ments to the aforementioned Van
Vechten fortune. Hence, literally, he
was the Man of Iron"
He was big man physically as
well as mentally, which was as it
should have been. His activity de.
manded prodigious physical strength
and vitality, and these two factors in
his makeup, together with an infex.
ible will, showed never so advanta.
geously as in his habitual reserve, his
steady, answering self-assurance,
which made obstacles of no more i'm
portance than so many sheets of pa
per opposed to speeding bullet.
As for his personal appearance, It's
general effect was one of iron gray.
ness the smooth-shaven lips were a
straight, thin, uncompromising line
that scarcely moved even when he
spoke; the bare chin was square, mas
sive, iron.like, and the closely
trimmed gray "sideboards" were we'll.
nigh eclipsed by these more salient
features. His eyes, under thatch Of
gray brows, were simply a metallic
glitter beyond whose surface no man
had ever seen. His moments OF weak
ness, If he had any. would have been
another mans strength.
There was only one person who had
ever been wholly at ease in this mans
seq ce-his nephew, Rudolph Van
- OF the hundreds who came
-. CNt out Of the New Street
't -Culg man alone seemed
IS of the fact, or indif-
mat Theodore Van Vech-
to utter the word, and
eXtinguished.
~ paid his uncle a visit on
! ,GHday afternoon that Tom Phin.
! was cruising around Long Island
9und in his friends catboat. He
entered the inner shrine, and of
course found his uncle busy. The cir
. cumstance was pointed out to him.
. Rudolph Ignored the other two men
, present.
81 see that you are" he retorted
carelessiy, land | am sorry that |
. have to intrude. But you always are
> engaged, you know, and it would be
: idiotic to wait. I'll hurry up and get
i. through"
, The forceful regard rested pointed.
ly upon the young mans monogramed
, cigarette. Unmoved, Rudolph tipped
! 1t away.
Pardon me-" he said: 81 forgot
| your aversion. l came to see YOU
l about Paige"
Perhaps ten seconds it was that Mr.
/ Van Nechten considered. Then
!. "Caa you take dinner with me?"
q "Hcme?"
"Yes."
" This was an invitation which any
;. one of New Yorks industrial captains
|. would have coveted. Nevertheless
" Rudolph hesitated. Mentally, he ran
q over his engagements. He knew there
t was nothing of sufficient Importance
a to interfere with an acceptance. but
!. ne did not fancy dining tete-a.tete
t with his uncle in the gloomy Fifth
a Avenue palace-untenanted. save h,
q the latter and an army of servants
SO, with comprehensive gesture that
d took In lie two men (thoush he die
(CQntfnuad IN pero 90