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AboutthistimeanambitiousyoungreporterfromNewYorkarrivedonemorningatGatsby’sdoorandaskedhimifhehadanythingtosay. “Anythingtosayaboutwhat?”inquiredGatsbypolitely. “Why—anystatementtogiveout.” IttranspiredafteraconfusedfiveminutesthatthemanhadheardGatsby’snamearoundhisofficeinaconnectionwhichheeitherwouldn’trevealordidn’tfullyunderstand.Thiswashisdayoffandwithlaudableinitiativehehadhurriedout“tosee.” Itwasarandomshot,andyetthereporter’sinstinctwasright.Gatsby’snotoriety,spreadaboutbythehundredswhohadacceptedhishospitalityandsobecomeauthoritiesuponhispast,hadincreasedallsummeruntilhefelljustshortofbeingnews.Contemporarylegendssuchasthe“undergroundpipelinetoCanada”attachedthemselvestohim,andtherewasonepersistentstorythathedidn’tliveinahouseatall,butinaboatthatlookedlikeahouseandwasmovedsecretlyupanddowntheLongIslandshore.JustwhytheseinventionswereasourceofsatisfactiontoJamesGatzofNorthDakota,isn’teasytosay. JamesGatz—thatwasreally,oratleastlegally,hisname.Hehadchangeditattheageofseventeenandatthespecificmomentthatwitnessedthebeginningofhiscareer—whenhesawDanCody’syachtdropanchoroverthemostinsidiousflatonLakeSuperior.ItwasJamesGatzwhohadbeenloafingalongthebeachthatafternooninatorngreenjerseyandapairofcanvaspants,butitwasalreadyJayGatsbywhoborrowedarowboat,pulledouttotheTuolomee,andinformedCodythatawindmightcatchhimandbreakhimupinhalfanhour. Isupposehe’dhadthenamereadyforalongtime,eventhen.Hisparentswereshiftlessandunsuccessfulfarmpeople—hisimaginationhadneverreallyacceptedthemashisparentsatall.ThetruthwasthatJayGatsbyofWestEgg,LongIsland,sprangfromhisPlatonicconceptionofhimself.HewasasonofGod—aphrasewhich,ifitmeansanything,meansjustthat—andhemustbeaboutHisFather’sbusiness,theserviceofavast,vulgar,andmeretriciousbeauty.SoheinventedjustthesortofJayGatsbythataseventeen-year-oldboywouldbelikelytoinvent,andtothisconceptionhewasfaithfultotheend. ForoverayearhehadbeenbeatinghiswayalongthesouthshoreofLakeSuperiorasaclam-diggerandasalmon-fisherorinanyothercapacitythatbroughthimfoodandbed.Hisbrown,hardeningbodylivednaturallythroughthehalf-fierce,half-lazyworkofthebracingdays.Heknewwomenearly,andsincetheyspoiledhimhebecamecontemptuousofthem,ofyoungvirginsbecausetheywereignorant,oftheothersbecausetheywerehystericalaboutthingswhichinhisoverwhelmingself-absorptionhetookforgranted. Buthisheartwasinaconstant,turbulentriot.Themostgrotesqueandfantasticconceitshauntedhiminhisbedatnight.Auniverseofineffablegaudinessspunitselfoutinhisbrainwhiletheclocktickedonthewashstandandthemoonsoakedwithwetlighthistangledclothesuponthefloor.Eachnightheaddedtothepatternofhisfanciesuntildrowsinesscloseddownuponsomevividscenewithanobliviousembrace.Forawhilethesereveriesprovidedanoutletforhisimaginationtheywereasatisfactoryhintoftheunrealityofreality,apromisethattherockoftheworldwasfoundedsecurelyonafairy’swing. Aninstincttowardhisfuturegloryhadledhim,somemonthsbefore,tothesmallLutheranCollegeofSt.Olaf’sinsouthernMinnesota.Hestayedtheretwoweeks,dismayedatitsferociousindifferencetothedrumsofhisdestiny,todestinyitself,anddespisingthejanitor’sworkwithwhichhewastopayhiswaythrough.ThenhedriftedbacktoLakeSuperior,andhewasstillsearchingforsomethingtodoonthedaythatDanCody’syachtdroppedanchorintheshallowsalongshore. Codywasfiftyyearsoldthen,aproductoftheNevadasilverfields,oftheYukon,ofeveryrushformetalsinceseventy-five.ThetransactionsinMontanacopperthatmadehimmanytimesamillionairefoundhimphysicallyrobustbutonthevergeofsoft-mindedness,and,suspectingthis,aninfinitenumberofwomentriedtoseparatehimfromhismoney.ThenonetoosavouryramificationsbywhichEllaKaye,thenewspaperwoman,playedMadamedeMaintenontohisweaknessandsenthimtoseainayacht,werecommonpropertyoftheturgidjournalismin1902.HehadbeencoastingalongalltoohospitableshoresforfiveyearswhenheturnedupasJamesGatz’sdestinyinLittleGirlBay.