Chapter 6

           AboutthistimeanambitiousyoungreporterfromNewYorkarrivedonemorningatGatsby’sdoorandaskedhimifhehadanythingtosay.

           "Anythingtosayaboutwhat?"inquiredGatsbypolitely.

           "Why—anystatementtogiveout."

           IttranspiredafteraconfusedfiveminutesthatthemanhadheardGatsby’snamearoundhisofficeinaconnectionwhichheeitherwouldn’trevealordidn’tfullyunderstand.Thiswashisdayoffandwithlaudableinitiativehehadhurriedout"tosee."

           Itwasarandomshot,andyetthereporter’sinstinctwasright.Gatsby’snotoriety,spreadaboutbythehundredswhohadacceptedhishospitalityandsobecomeauthoritiesonhispast,hadincreasedallsummeruntilhefelljustshortofbeingnews.Contemporarylegendssuchasthe"undergroundpipe-linetoCanada"attachedthemselvestohim,andtherewasonepersistentstorythathedidn’tliveinahouseatall,butinaboatthatlookedlikeahouseandwasmovedsecretlyupanddowntheLongIslandshore.JustwhytheseinventionswereasourceofsatisfactiontoJamesGatzofNorthDakota,isn’teasytosay.

           JamesGatz—thatwasreally,oratleastlegally,hisname.Hehadchangeditattheageofseventeenandatthespecificmomentthatwitnessedthebeginningofhiscareer—whenhesawDanCody’syachtdropanchoroverthemostinsidiousflatonLakeSuperior.