The Substitute Millionaire — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Substitute Millionaire
John Stuart Mill · en
All the papers offered sensational versions of Jack's story, more or
less accurate. It had apparently been given out at Delamare's office
in the first place, and so far they had it pretty straight. But they
went on to embroider it. The more reckless sheets even printed
interviews which caused Jack to grind his teeth, they made him out such
a fool. One paper printed an alleged photograph, but it was a safely
fuzzy photograph that might have been taken for almost anybody. They
had discovered the address of his boarding-house, but in his absence
his landlady, Mrs. Regan, had refused to be drawn out.
"Good old girl!" thought Jack.
The soberer sheets promised an interview in later editions.
"They're looking for me now!" thought Jack.
Being human, Jack could not but feel a pleasurable thrill, but his head
was not quite turned. He glanced at the hurrying passers-by
whimsically.
"They wouldn't rush by so fast if they knew this was he," he thought.
But he had no intention of calling their attention to the fact. Silas
Gyde's reference to the danger of too much publicity was present in his
mind.
He turned into his own street keeping a wary eye ahead. Mrs. Regan's
boarding house was three-quarters of the way down the block, one of a
long row of dwellings with little grass plots in front and iron
railings. Sure enough by the light of a street lamp Jack made out the
figures of a group of men at her gate. As he came closer he saw that
several of them carried cameras with flash light attachments.
His first impulse was to flee, but recollecting that they could not
possibly know yet what he looked like, he walked boldly up to the
group, and asked the New Yorker's stock question of a street crowd:
"Somepin the matter here?"
One replied: "This where Jack Norman lives. We're waitin' for him to
come home."
He was already so famous no further explanation was deemed necessary.
"Gee!" said Jack with a glance at the shabby façade. "I guess he'll
soon be moving."
A laugh greeted this witty sally.
"Oh boy!" groaned one youth. "Think of having a hundred millions
handed you, just like that. It's too much!"
A photographer said: "Well, I'm gonna ast him for one million. He'd
never miss it."
"What like fellow is he?" asked Jack.
"Same aged guy as us."
"Worked for twelve per until this morning. Say his old boss was sore
as a pup when he heard what he come in for."
"They say he's a bad actor all right."
"Sure, a whale! They say he's already burned up Broadway from Herald
Square to the Circle."
"You're wrong, fellow! I heard his roll's as adhesive as rubber tape.
Same as the old man's before him. Wouldn't even pry off a nickel to
give the poor boy who told him the news."
"Say, when a guy once gets in the papers, scandal begins!" said Jack
disgustedly. Seeing Mrs. Regan at her parlor window, and fearful that
she might give him away, he walked on.