The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-02-13


territory, and every one of them
guiding steady stream of gold into
the Van Vechten Golfers.
Theodore Van Vechten typifed |
Power.
There was, first Of all, the prestige |
of the enormous Van Vechten for.
tune; and then the regulation and SUI
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 sub-treas-
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 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 a pin or a wire
clothesline to a locomotive, motor-car
or battleship, that did not 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 a big man physically as
we'll 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 inflex-
ible will, showed never so advanta.
geously as in his habitual reserve, his
steady, answering eelf-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, Its
general effect was one of iron gray
ness: the smooth-shaven lips were
straight, thin, incorporating 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
presence-his nephew, Rudolph Van
Vechten. OF the hundreds who came
into and> went out of the New Street
offices, this young man alone seemed
wholly oblivious Of the fact, or indif-
ferent to it, that Theodore Van Vech-
ten had but to utter the word, and
he would be extinguished.
Rudolph paid his uncle a visit on
the Monday afternoon that Tom Phin-
ney was cruising around Long Island
Sound 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.
Il see that you are," he retorted
carelessly, "and l am sorry that
have to intrude But you always are
engaged, you know, and it would he
idiotic to wait. I'll hurry up and get
through"
The forceful regard rested pointed
ly upon the young mans monogramed
cigarette. Unmoved, Rudolph tipped
it away.
Pardon me-" he said, II forgot
your aversion. came to see yor
about Paige
Perhaps ten seconds it was that Mr.
Van Vechten considered. Then
4 Can you take dinner with me"
Homer"
EYES,"
This was an invitation which any
one Of New Yorks industrial captains
would have coveted Nevertheless
Rudolph hesitated. Mentally, he raj
over his engagements. He knew there
was nothing of sufficient Importance
to interfere with an acceptance, bu
he did not fancy dining tete-a-tet'
with his uncle in the gloomy Fiftl
Avenue palace-untenanted save b.
the latter and an army of servants
So, with comprehensive gesture tina
took in the two men Though he di'
not so much as glance at them), h
said:
Cant you chuck it?"
Chuck It'll" echoed Mr.. Van Vech
ten, blankly.
Eyes. Postpone for a minute o
two whatever you are doing now. IT.
too beastly hot to go anywhere"
The Man of Iron simply glared
What words could affect such sui
timely unconscious cheek? The tw
strangers, who knew that they wer
not the objects OF that look, sat wit
bated breath; but Rudolph seemed &c
renely unaware of it.
, Rudolphs request, however, froI
his standpoint was not impudent. Hi
uncle was under more of an obligs
/ ton to concern himself about Paig
} Carew than he was, for Paige was tn
elder mans niece and ward. Youn
, Van Vechten recognized the fact tina