The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24

white collar was of the easy httins
variety and was worn with a dark,
characterless four-ln-hand lie.
Close scrutiny of his face showed
that it was long, just a little sallow.
and when he moved the folded up news
paper from before his mouth ii was
seen that he wore a closely cropped
mustache and a pointed beard, both
inclined to he sandy. His eyes. which
might have been blue, or greensh, or
brown, or a combination OF all three
had a tired look and the lids Were
heavy at their outer corners and had
little wrinkles in them like those In his
tan shue~.
you ought to have a pretty good
mental photograph of him by this
time, said the man who knows every
body. cant YOU size up man quicker
than that! Well. what's his llne?"
You can search me" said the friend
Maybe he's a real estate agent-suh-
urban property. or he may be only e
clerk, although the material Of his
clothes is little better than that. But
/ could make a better guess at what
lie isn't. He doesn't cut much of
figure in whatever business he follows.
Makes $500 a year; perhaps not So
much
Here's the local" said the man who
knows everybody. Get in the same car
and l II tell you who he is"
The tall, slender man after hesitatng
between a side door and an end door
finally followed the crowd through
side door and dropped quietly into
seat between very untidy looking fat
nan and "a poorly dressed young woman
in, l., l.. Let
out Of the newspaper and held it before
nm as If to read; but his eyes, after
following a line or two, wandered Off
ana gaZed vacantly through the oppo-
site window.
Then the guard called out: Times
Squar-r-c!' The slender man gave
Elle star; and folded up his paper
again. lie followed the half dozen pa
aengcrs who left the car by the side
door and before he passed through II
the platform guard had shouted three
times: Mind your step"
The tan blucher on the tall, slender
mans right foot was not lifted high
enough and its heel caught on the edge
Of the platform. 1t had a narrow escape
from going down through the six inch
space between the door sill and the plat
form. Its wearer, however pulled him
self together instantly and recovered
his balance while an alert expression
came into his blue green-broWn eyes
They glanced back quickly at the place
where their owner had trlpped and then
at the platform guard, who had started
forward as if to inquire whether the
passenger had been hurt.
Then the alert look faded from the
slender mans eyes and "A thoughtful eN-
precision took its place. II was quite
apparent that he was thinking: -
heard that guards warning. ! wonder
why | didn't heed it,
As the tall, slender man disappeared
up the station stairway the man VINO
knows everybody said
"Now III tell you who he is. When
marry his father said; so, my son
not that one our tall friend said:
That's the girl | shall make my wife
IF YOU do says father, 'youll get no
part of my money when | die AN
right; hut IN marry the girl | love
declared the slender gentleman, and he
did.
when The old man died he left our
tall friend s. or something like that
instead Of S5.00O,000. Later on his
brothers, who got his share were de-
cent enough TO divide with him and he
quito comfortable. thank YOU. That was
Cornelius Vanderbilt"
"Who him? An, Cwdn.' and tho
;gl,ai 81 :hC man who knows every
body laughed incredulously.