Five Thousand an Hour: How Johnny Gamble Won the Heiress

had made tentative plans-and had jerked back with quivering tentacles; for all the property in that neighborhood was about a thousand degrees Fahrenheit. The present increase of value and tha

ing facts to his friend Loring wi

dy wants to collect the profits that are g

hnny informed him. "Well, that's the regu

ote a hotel against such infla

has to have a hotel. The sporty merchant

, Johnny! By the way, President Close of the Fourth National, has

ust," surmised Johnny, and telephoned to the bank

s papers. "This weather would tempt a mole outdoo

There's a thirty-five-thousand-dollar day almost gone. All I can credit mysel

hirty Lori

the game, Johnny?" he ob

usand an hou

ll smiling. "I just saw Constan

ed several sheets of

me in your car?"

's plenty of room-but you really ought to stay h

d Johnny briskly, and put away

Bouncer, and Sammy Chirp; and Gresham watched her discontentedly as she shook hands with Gamble. He did not like the cordiality of that hand-shake, nor yet the animation o

inquired, and then sat down in Gresham's own chair, next to t

ied Johnny, sitting comfortably beside her wi

in a sinister line across his foreh

m to be watching it on

Polly quickly reminded him. "Y

ance at Johnny. "My trance-day before yesterday-c

never will!"

and reaching over to slap Gamble affectionately on the shoulder. "He's

nel, I want to talk with you about some stock i

. "I nearly got tangled up in my friend Courtn

llard & Tyne's office this afternoon. They told me that he has t

ey's company blew so high that none of the pieces has come down yet. Meantime

ommented Johnny. "How could a man

d the difference between a promise and a promissory note. He nailed his stock subscribers down with hasty conversation only, and then r

it," guessed Johnny smilin

hem. Gamble, who had captained his village nine, had that ball out of the air and was bowing jovially

pplause; and Constance shocked the p

shed cheeks when Gresham came out of his cyclone cellar-

m more than three men to bat in each half, while the score board presented a most appropriate double procession of naughts. Spectators, warmly praising that smoothly oiled mechanical process of one, two,

vagant respect for Constance, and who had heartily wished himself out of it during the last two or three innings, now h

ed with kee

with the ruddy face and th

pirate," asser

d to introduce me to at the ra

ve him to tell his troubles to you. It isn't too late yet. Come on u

get three men on bases with two out, and then muft a high fly out against the fence, and boot the ball all over the field while four of the Reds gallop home-I'll stay an

he colonel; and then, turning directly to Constance, he added with a

ion, the official scorer insists upon saying good-

h both pleasure and reluc

m on Johnny," Polly confided to Loring. "I could see it in his eye

n Courtney," Gresham c

'll guarantee that any proposition

great many sharp practices are

ork with a straighter and cleaner record than Gamble's. Every man with whom he has ever done business, except pos

attachment for fifteen thousand dollars resting again

n gave way immediat

ying to get him on the 'pho

sharply, "how do you come to

ing this slip; and he was the more uncomfortable because not only Lori

rapidly in commercial cir

Gresham laughed shortly. "It isn't Johnny!" she indignantly asserted. "I know how Johnny's

ooked at each othe

s claim-let alone the attachment. The operations of his big irrigation failure were so extensive that, with the books lost, he can never tell when an additional claim may be

nt," suggested Gresham wit

impatiently. "I wish he would let m

," Polly

le; "would this unpaid attachment at Mr. Gamble's bank interfere with his present success

ery seriously,"

e a clean two-bagger down the right foul line; the second man laid down his life nobly with a beautiful bunt; the Boston pitcher gave a correct imitation of Orville Wright and presented free rides to the next two Highlanders; big Sweeney stalked to

ay go home in Mr. Lorin

ed Polly, with a spite

ng man, had shaken hands with Mr. Gamble quite cordially, had studied him through and through and thro

ll sorts of kind things about

ed Johnny, smiling into Mr. C

e colonel's always blowing about his frien

ed Johnny. "The colonel's been telling me

looking at the colonel in perple

onel affably reminded him, an

Courtney. "I don't see why yo

to know it though. He's the shrewdest young man of my acquaintance

some money out of it myself,

invited Courtney. "If you can pull me ou

that a bargain,"

nds on it in the good old-fashioned way." And they did s

. "If it were my case, Ben, I'd be yelling

all the money necessary to finance the thing. I found that the big vacant plot across from the station was held at a prohibitive price. Mallard & Tyne had, with a great deal of labor, collected the selling option on the adjoining block, fronting the terminal. They held it

in Mexico; the third secretary of a second-rate life-insurance company died and Wall Street put crape on the door. All your friends got cold feet and it was the othe

t was a contract. If I don't pay the remainder at the end of the ninety days they'

ed his should

ll," he decided. "It's your propert

hat he intended to buy the big piece and build in competition; and they ran like your horse-Angora-last Saturday, Ga

ve thousand you've already spent," figured Gamble. "Nic

had one!" declared

ere electrifying plays down there; but, "fan" though he was, he did not see t

Courtney," he suggested w

" Shrieks, howls and bellows resounded upon every hand; purple-faced fans held t

shouted Courtney

tract," yelled Johnny be

peated Courtney at

w crimson-visaged colonel. He was standing on his cha

"Pay you fifteen thousand now, fifty thousa

e twinkling of an eyelash, in a dismal depthless gulf o

, so vociferously that all the grandstand turned in that

I'll tell you," whisp

ked Polly in the groaning calm which f

rivate medal for the bu

anker, i

ic oiler, and supplies

scular for her. Suppose you take her for a spin after the game and del

my conscience doesn't hurt me in the

ley," insinuated Gresham. "You mi

d him. "I'd be very glad to have you come along now; but

he persisted, Gresham hinted no more and, very much to h

tues of his car and Constance listened with patient attention; but during the f

istory of Mr. Gamble's partnersh

tfully, and he looked at her in astonishment. "Of

friend of yours als

while Johnny stayed here to sell rose-bordered farms to romantic city home seekers. Collaton spent money faster than Johnny could get it, and operations had to be discontinued. Johnny has been paying the debts of the concern ever since. Every time he thinks he has them cleared off, a new set bobs up; and, since the books and all t

h silent for

e should just happen to attach his bank-account on the very day he was expected t

her a star

m strange,"

een informed by some one who knew Mr. Gamble's

ng, with professional caution, gravely reminded h

e agreed. "What does Mr.

utwardly assuming-and where Collaton is certain to have it repeated to him-that Collaton was merely unfortunate; but I believe

nstance with such sudden vind

violent partisanship," he cha

elieve I have a very even temper, but it angers me to see any one so op

oy too," commented

he is," she pet

r she was even more charming than he had ever thought her before. "If I had so tantalizingly pretty a girl so interested

d him. "Can't you get Mr. Gamble to make you his receiv

ive attempt to make his million dollars that I think I could p

asserted Constance almost indignant

ing, but with a shake of his head. "He can't do it, though, if

drew a d

y," she said crisply. "Mr. Gamble is

ays make money,"

u have expended, after you have wound up the Gam

n find a fountain-pe

nd pay that attachment, or whatever it is, at his bank. Naturally I do not want Mr. Gamble to know that I am interested; an

s silly; but I'm glad you're doing it. Moreover, I feel certain that, if this entanglement is straightened out,

erest in this quixotic attempt of Mr. Gamble's to make his million. It's like a fasci

f fair play is aro