The Substitute Millionaire — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Substitute Millionaire
John Stuart Mill · en
His watch informed him that it was eight o'clock. He picked up the
lamp, and with a last look around the strange room turned to leave. He
had a feeling that that place marked a turning point in his life. He
would never again be quite the light-hearted boy that had entered it.
He had forgotten the dog. The little beast seeing his purpose, and
terrified of being left alone again, threw himself against Jack's legs
in a desperate appeal to be taken along.
Jack stooped to caress him. "Poor old fellow!" he said. "I wonder how
long it is since you saw the light of the sun. I can't take you now,
honest I can't. But you be patient. I'll be back to-morrow."
But the tiny animal thrust himself into Jack's embrace and would not be
denied. Jack finally picked him up and thrust him in his coat pocket.
He settled down quite contentedly, only his nozzle and his bright eyes
showing.
"Well I guess you must be accustomed to this mode of travel," said
Jack. "I'm going to call you Jumbo because that's not your name."
Carefully locking all the doors behind him, he left the lamp in the
hotel sitting-room, and made his way out by the private entrance. His
impulse was to seek his own hall bedroom, the nearest thing to home
that he knew, and there alone, amidst familiar surroundings, to try to
bring some order out of his whirling thoughts.
Jack's boarding house was in the West Forties near Eighth avenue, in
the center of that vast colony of boarders. His way from the
Madagascar lay up Broadway for three short blocks, then westward for a
long one. He passed through the throng hurrying theaterward without
seeing anybody; he forgot that he had had no dinner; he forgot that his
pocket was full of money and was tempted by none of the alluring
show-windows.
The burden of his thoughts was: "It's a big job! A big job! I can't
afford to make any mistake at the start!"
In front of a corner newsstand he was brought up all standing by a
glimpse of the staring headlines of the night editions.
HEIR TO THE GYDE MILLIONS
FOUND IN A HALL BEDROOM
A POOR BOY IS ENRICHED BEYOND THE DREAMS OF
AVARICE
_Old Romance in the Dead Millionaire's Life Revealed_
Jack bought several papers, and standing in a doorway out of the press
of the crowd, experienced the first wonderful thrill of finding himself
famous. There is nothing else quite like it. How you became famous is
a secondary matter. To find yourself on the first page is enough: to
see the shape of your name in print. Many a good head has been turned
for life by it.