Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-23

reporter his city editor sent hiih "
interview James Mountain. That IA
nous financier was then approaching
the zenith of his power over Wali
street ami Lombard street. 1t had
Just been announced that he had "ab-
sorbed" the Great Eastern and Wes-
tern railway sTStem-of course, by the
methods which have made some men
and some newspapers habitually speak
of him as "the royal Bandit" The city
editor had two reasons for sending
Dayton-first, because he did not like
him; second, 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, while Dayton would make an hon
est effort.
Seeing Dayton saunter down Nassau
street-tall. slender, calm and cheer
ful-you would never have thought that
he was on his way to interview one OF
the worst-tempered men in New York,
for a newspaper which that man peculi-
arly detested, and on subject which
he did not care to discuss with the pub
lie. Dayton turned In at the Equitable
building and went up to the floor oc-
cupied by Mountain, Ranger and
Blakehill. He nodded to the attendant
at the door Of Mountains own suite Of
offices. strolled TRANQUILITY down the
aisle between the several rows of desks
at which sat Mountains personal
clerks, and knocked at the glass door
on which was printed 'Mr. Mountain"
in small gilt letters.
"Come!" 1t was an angry voice
Mountains at It's worst.
Dayton opened the door. Mountain
glanced UP from the mass of papers
bore him. His red forehead became a
network of wrinkles and his scant
white eyebrows bristled. "And who
are your" he snarled.
my name is Dayton-Fenimore
Dayton" replied the reporter with
gracefully polite bow. 'Mr. Mountain,
1 believer"
It was impossible for Mr.. Mountain
altogether to resist the impulse to bow
In return. Dayton's manner was COM
pelling.
And what the dev-what can I do
for your"
I'm a reporter from the"
What" roared Mountain, leaping to
his feet In purple, swollen-veined
fury. The short hair on the nape OF
his fiery neck rose; his eye-teeth
cleaned through the hairs Of his
drooping, ragged mustache. Dayton re-
turned his blazing gaze calmly-he had
a curious power Of remaining calm be-
fore storms of anger without exasper-
ating the stormer. .....
How dare you enter here?" Noun
tain's voice was low. All its force was
going into intensity, leaving none for
loudness.
'But-why not? Dayton looked sur
prised. mo one tried to stop me-"
"Impudence!"
Pardon me-not impudence." Day
ton smiled agreeably. "Impudence Is
unsuccessful audacity. For example, II
you had failed to get the Great Eas-
tern and Western, they'd have said
you were impudent to try. AS it Is,
men call it audacity. Now, If I'd failed
to get here perhaps"
Mountain listened with a grim smile.
He saw in young Dayton the signs OF
a quality he especially admired-he
couldn't help softening toward him. Il
stand corrected" he said gruftiy. Then
he laid his hand on the young mans
shoulder and pointed toward the large
room. do you see those clerks?" he
demanded.
II do" said Dayton.
There are thirty-seven Of them
and that big numskull at the door
makes thirty eight. l employ those
thirty eight men to save me from-au-
dacity such as yours. Yet here you
are-in my private office! How do you
explain it?"
Dayton laughed-his laugh was very
contagious. II 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 eye smiled. The longer
he looked at Dayton's refined yet reso-
Lutte face, the better he liked ! Sit
down." he said In an ironic me OF
mock resignation. But be quick, and
be careful not to irritate me with ques-
tions that are-audacious. My diges-
ton Is poor, and therefore my temper
is not what 1t 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 spoken
of, admired and envied, as "Napoleonic
daring"
He soon rose to a notable special
correspondent. One winter afternoon
at a 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 ther
negotiating for an Italian prince who
thought we'll of Elsie and also Of hel
large dot. AS for Elsie, she had beer
brought up to the fate Of marrying 9
nobleman, educated for 1t, convinced
that any other marriage would be g
failure. But her winter in New YORK
she had mingled with a mixed crowd
Mrs. Grant was a patron Of arts anc
letters, as became a grande dame who
a freak of fate had condemned to one
earthly pilgrimage as a common
American woman. Elsie had quicl
mind and a latent streak of American.
ism-unsuspected by her mother, ant
at first shamefacedly concealed by her.
self even from herself. And then Day.