"Vanderpoel Building, eh?" said the old gentleman. "Any relation to the feller that's bought the Flatiron?" "Same man, sir. He's the only Vanderpoel," replied puss. "Must have seven or eight dollars to spare," said the sight-seer. "Ten or twelve, sir," laughed puss. "It is said that he is trying to buy a controlling interest in the whole city. Negotiating for the Astor estate, they say." "Great Scott!" gasped the sight-seer. "What's he going to do with it when he gets it?" "Don't know, sir," replied puss, gayly. "Kind of suspect he's thinking of annexing it to Kansas City, sir." The car proceeded until the party reached the Plaza. "On the left is the Plaza Hotel, another property of the Vanderpoel syndicate," said puss; "said to have cost the Kansas City millionaire ten millions, and paid for in cash." "_Gee!_" gasped the young woman's father, and Jack indorsed the observation unreservedly. "That's a pretty house, Popper," said the young woman as the car reached the Ninety-sixth Street entrance to the Park, pointing toward Mr. Rockernegie's residence. "Formerly the residence of Andrew Rockernegie," said puss, "but recently sold to Mr. Vanderpoel for three million dollars." "It's mighty funny I never heard of this Vanderpoel feller before," said the old man. "Just come into his fortune, sir," vouchsafed puss. "Very young man just come of age, sir." The old man leaned forward and, addressing Jack, inquired: "Did you ever hear of this man Vanderpoel, young man?" "Well, yes," said Jack, with a modest laugh. "Fact is, _I myself am Horace Vanderpoel_." The stranger gazed at him in amazement. "Well, by ginger!" he said. "I--I--I'm dee-lighted to meet you, sir. This is my daughter Amanda, sir. I--I--I'm proud to make your acquaintance." "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," said Jack, pleasantly, removing his hat and bowing to the young woman. "You are Mr.--" "Dobbins, sir," returned the old man, effusively. "Joshua Dobbins. I thought I was going some on the money question, with seven gold mines in Nevada, but I must take off my hat to you, sir. Any man who has the nerve to buy New York--heavens!" The old fellow took off his hat and mopped his brow, which had begun to perspire freely. "Oh, I don't take any credit to myself for that," said Jack, modestly. "When a boy has a great-grandfather who dies and leaves forty million dollars to him in trust for fifty years before he was born, and that money accumulates until the unborn beneficiary is twenty-one years old, it means a rather tidy stockingful, I admit, but it isn't as if I'd made the money myself." "Fuf-forty million accumulating interest for seventy-one years!" gasped Dobbins. "Compound," said Jack, smiling sweetly at the girl at his side. "That's the deuce of it. I--I've got to do something to keep the income invested, and New York real estate, being the most expensive thing in sight, I've gone in for that as being the easiest way out."