CHAPTER VI
IN WHICH CONSTANCE DECIDES ON A FAIR GAME
By three o'clock Johnny Gamble had acquired so much hotel informationthat his head seemed stuffed. Every bright-eyed financier in the cityhad nursed the happy thought of a terminal hotel and had made tentativeplans--and had jerked back with quivering tentacles; for all theproperty in that neighborhood was about a thousand degrees Fahrenheit.The present increase of value and that of the next half-century hadbeen gleefully anticipated, and the fortunate possessor of aninety-nine-year lease on a peanut stand felt that he was providinghandsomely for his grandchildren.
Mr. Gamble detailed these depressing facts to his friend Loring withmuch vigor and picturesqueness.
"The trouble with New York is that everybody wants to collect theprofits that are going to be made," Loring sagely concluded.
"It's the only way they can get even," Johnny informed him. "Well,that's the regular handicap. Guess I'll have to take it."
"You don't mean to try to promote a hotel against such inflatedvalues!" protested Loring.
"Why not?" returned Johnny. "That section has to have a hotel. Thesporty merchants of the Middle West will pay the freight."
"I guess so," agreed Loring thoughtfully. "Well, good luck to you,Johnny! By the way, President Close of the Fourth National, has calledyou up twice this afternoon. I suppose he's gone, by now."
"No, I think he stays to sweep out for the gold-dust," surmised Johnny,and telephoned to the bank. Mr. Close, however, had gone home an hourbefore.
"He's sensible," approved Loring, putting away his papers. "Thisweather would tempt a mole outdoors. I'm going to the ball game. Bettercome along."
"Too frivolous for me," declared Johnny, eying his little bookregretfully. "There's a thirty-five-thousand-dollar day almost gone.All I can credit myself with is a flivver. I'm going to stay right hereon the job and figure hotel."
At three-thirty Loring returned.
"So you're not going to the game, Johnny?" he observed with a sly smile.
"At five thousand an hour! Nev-ver!"
"Too bad," regretted Loring still smiling. "I just saw Constance andPolly. They're going out."
Johnny promptly slammed several sheets of figures into a drawer.
"Is there room for me in your car?" he asked anxiously.
"Val Russel and Bruce Townley are with me. There's plenty of room--butyou really ought to stay here and figure on your hotel," Loring advisedhim.
"I can figure any place," stated Johnny briskly, and put away hislittle book. "Are we ready?"
The eyes of Constance Joy lighted with pleasure as she saw the groupwhich filed into the box adjoining the one in which she sat with PollyParsons, Paul Gresham, Colonel Bouncer, and Sammy Chirp; and Greshamwatched her discontentedly as she shook hands with Gamble. He did notlike the cordiality of that hand-shake, nor yet the animation of hercountenance. Neither did he like her first observation, which consistednot of any remarks about health or the weather, but about Johnny'sintimate personal affairs.
"How is the million dollars coming on?" she had interestedly inquired,and then sat down in Gresham's own chair, next to the dividing rail."You know, I promised to keep score for you."
"You may mark me a goose-egg for today," replied Johnny, sittingcomfortably beside her with only the thin board partition between them.
Gresham, his dark eyebrows meeting in a sinister line across hisforehead, smiled with grim satisfaction.
"People with money seem to be watching it on Mondays," he observed.
"They have to sleep some time," Polly quickly reminded him. "Your dayfor a nap was Saturday."
"I'm guilty," admitted Gresham with a frowning glance at Johnny. "Mytrance--day before yesterday--cost me fifteen thousand. I shan't forgetit soon."
"I'll bet you never will!" Polly agreed.
"Johnny was awake that day," declared Colonel Bouncer, laughingheartily and reaching over to slap Gamble affectionately on theshoulder. "He's fifteen thousand better off; and I guess he won'tforget that in a hurry."
"I've forgotten it now," asserted Johnny. "Colonel, I want to talk withyou about some stock in a big hotel opposite the new terminal station."
"Bless my soul--NO!" almost shouted the colonel. "I nearly got tangledup in my friend Courtney's terminal hotel scheme--and I'm scared yet."
"Courtney?" repeated Johnny. "That's the name they gave me at Mallard &Tyne's office this afternoon. They told me that he has tied up the onlyavailable block the railroad company overlooked."
"Tied it up!" exploded the colonel. "Bless my soul, it has him tied up!Courtney's company blew so high that none of the pieces has come downyet. Meantime his enthusiasm is likely to cost him a round two and aquarter million dollars."
"He must have had a high fever," commented Johnny. "How could a man beso forgetful of that much money?"
"He thought his friends were game," explained the colonel; "and, inspite of his long and successful business experience, he over-lookedthe difference between a promise and a promissory note. He nailed hisstock subscribers down with hasty conversation only, and then rushedoff and grabbed the six collected parcels of that block, for fear itmight get away before he had his company legally organized."
"And now he can't unspike it," guessed Johnny smilingly. "Watch out,Colonel!"
There was a lively scramble in the two boxes as the first foul tip ofthe season whizzed directly at them. Gamble, who had captained hisvillage nine, had that ball out of the air and was bowing jovially tothe applause before Gresham had quite succeeded in squeezing himselfdown behind the door of the box.
Naturally it was Polly who led the applause; and Constance shocked theprecise Gresham by joining in heartily.
She was looking up at Johnny with sparkling eyes and flushed cheekswhen Gresham came out of his cyclone cellar--and, if he had dislikedGamble before, now he hated him.
It is a strange feature of the American national game that the moreperfectly it is played the duller it is. This was a pitchers' battle;and the game droned along, through inning after inning, with seldommore than three men to bat in each half, while the score boardpresented a most appropriate double procession of naughts. Spectators,warmly praising that smoothly oiled mechanical process of one, two,three and out, and telling each other that this was a great game,nevertheless yawned and dropped their score cards, and put away theirpencils, and looked about the grandstand in search of faces they knew.
In such a moment Colonel Bouncer, who had come into this box because ofa huge admiration for Polly and an almost extravagant respect forConstance, and who had heartily wished himself out of it during thelast two or three innings, now happily discovered a familiar face onlya few rows back of him. "By George, Johnny, there's Courtney now!" heannounced.
Gamble looked with keen interest.
"Do you mean that gentleman with the ruddy face and the white beard?"he inquired.
"That's the old pirate," asserted the colonel.
"Why, that's the man you wanted to introduce me to at the race-track inBaltimore Saturday."
"Bless my heart, so I did!" he remembered. "I thought it might relievehim to tell his troubles to you. It isn't too late yet. Come on up andI'll introduce you--that is, unless you want to watch this game."
"I'm pleased to pass up this game till somebody makes an error," Johnnywillingly decided. "If they'll hand out a base on balls and a safe buntand hit a batter, so as to get three men on bases with two out, andthen muft a high fly out against the fence, and boot the ball all overthe field while four of the Reds gallop home--I'll stay and help lynchthe umpire; otherwise not. Show me to your friend Courtney." He turnedto take courteous leave of the others and his eyes met the friendlyglance of Constance.
"Let's catch Mr. Courtney at the end of the game," he suggested to thecolonel; and then, turning directly to Constance, he added with alaugh: "I think I'll play hooky. I don't want to break up the party."
"If you think you see an opportunity for that mil
lion, the officialscorer insists upon saying good-by," she laughed in return, and heldout her hand.
Johnny shook the hand with both pleasure and reluctance, and obedientlyleft.
"I'm offering my pet vanity parasol against a sliver of chewing-gum onJohnny," Polly confided to Loring. "I could see it in his eye that Mr.Courtney will be invited to help him make that million."
"Somebody ought to warn Courtney," Gresham commented sarcastically.
"Why warn him?" demanded Loring. "I'll guarantee that any propositionJohnny makes him will be legitimate."
"No doubt," agreed Gresham. "A great many sharp practices areconsidered legitimate nowadays."
"I object, also, to the term 'sharp practices'," responded Loringwarmly. "I don't believe there's a man in New York with a straighterand cleaner record than Gamble's. Every man with whom he has ever donebusiness, except possibly yourself, speaks highly of him and wouldtrust him to any extent; and he does not owe a dollar in the world."
"Doesn't he?" snarled Gresham. "There's an unsatisfied attachment forfifteen thousand dollars resting against him at the Fourth NationalBank at this very moment."
Loring's indignation gave way immediately to grave concern.
"So that's why Close was trying to get him on the 'phone allafternoon!" he mused.
"Mr. Gresham," called Polly sharply, "how do you come to know aboutthis so quickly?"
Gresham cursed himself and the blind hatred which had led him intomaking this slip; and he was the more uncomfortable because not onlyLoring and Polly but Constance had turned upon him gravely questioningeyes.
"Such things travel very rapidly in commercial circles," he lamelyexplained.
"I had no idea that you were a commercial circle," retorted Polly. "Iwonder who's crooked." Gresham laughed shortly. "It isn't Johnny!" sheindignantly asserted. "I know how Johnny's fifteen thousand was savedfrom this attachment, but I wouldn't tell where it is--even here."
Polly and Loring looked at each other understandingly.
"I suppose that was an old Gamble-Collaton account," Loring surmisedwith another speculative glance at Gresham. "I am quite certain thatJohnny knows nothing whatever of this 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 befiled against him. If suit is made in an obscure court, and Collaton,who hasn't a visible dollar, answers summons and confesses judgment forthe firm, Johnny has no recourse."
"Except to repudiate payment," suggested Gresham with a shrug of hisshoulders.
"I wish he would," returned Loring impatiently. "I wish he would let mehandle his affairs in my own way."
"He won't," Polly despaired.
"Tell me, Mr. Loring," interposed Constance, who had been silentlythoughtful all this while; "would this unpaid attachment at Mr.Gamble's bank interfere with his present success if Mr. Courtney--orany one else whom Mr. Gamble might try to interest--were to hear of it?"
"It might--and very seriously," returned Loring.
The long somnolent game was suddenly awakened by two blissful errors,which gave the audience something to jeer at. A tally slipped home forBoston. A sharp double play redeemed the errors and closed the inning.The first man up for the Yankees drove a clean two-bagger down theright foul line; the second man laid down his life nobly with abeautiful bunt; the Boston pitcher gave a correct imitation of OrvilleWright and presented free rides to the next two Highlanders; bigSweeney stalked to bat--and the congregation prayed, standing. Undercover of all this quivering excitement, and with Gresham more absorbedthan ever upon the foul which might yet slay him, Constance turned toPolly with an intent decisiveness which was quite new to her.
"Arrange it so that I may go home in Mr. Loring's car," she directed.
"Three cheers!" approved Polly, with a spiteful glance at Gresham.
Mr. Courtney, a live-looking elderly gentleman who kept himself morecarefully groomed than many a young man, had shaken hands with Mr.Gamble quite cordially, had studied him through and through and throughin about half a second of time, and had finished the hand-shake morecordially than he had begun it.
"The colonel has been saying all sorts of kind things about you,"--hevery graciously stated.
"So he has about you," returned Johnny, smiling into Mr. Courtney'seyes and liking him.
"I suppose so," admitted Mr. Courtney. "The colonel's always blowingabout his friends, so we mustn't trust each other too far."
"That's a good way to start anyhow," laughed Johnny. "The colonel'sbeen telling me you're so trusting that you stung yourself."
"How's that?" asked Mr. Courtney, looking at the colonel in perplexity."I don't quite understand."
"On that hotel deal," the colonel affably reminded him, and was unkindenough to laugh.
"You old reprobate!" protested Courtney. "I don't see why you want topublish my disgrace."
"You deserve it," chuckled the colonel. "It won't hurt for Johnny toknow it though. He's the shrewdest young man of my acquaintance, and hemight be able to figure a way out of your dilemma for you."
"I might even be able to make some money out of it myself," Johnnyfrankly acknowledged.
"Jump right in and welcome, young man," invited Courtney. "If you canpull me out whole I don't care how much you make."
"We'll consider that a bargain," offered Gamble.
"All right," returned Courtney, smiling. "We'll shake hands on it inthe good old-fashioned way." And they did so, under Colonel Bouncer'searnestly interested approval.
"Tell him your troubles," urged the colonel. "If it were my case, Ben,I'd be yelling for help as long as I had breath in my body."
"It's very simple," explained Courtney. "I imagined that a big hotel atthe new terminal station would be the best investment in New York. Ispoke to a number of my financially active friends about it and theywere enthusiastic. I had verbal promises in one day's work of all themoney necessary to finance the thing. I found that the big vacant plotacross from the station was held at a prohibitive price. Mallard & Tynehad, with a great deal of labor, collected the selling option on theadjoining block, fronting the terminal. They held it at two and aquarter millions. My friends, at an infernal luncheon, authorized me,quite orally, indeed, to secure the cheaper site without a moment'sdelay, especially since it was rumored that Morton Washer wascontemplating the erection of a hotel upon that very spot."
"I see the finish," laughed Johnny. "Mad with fear, you dashed rightdown there and broke yourself! Then Union Pacific fell off an eighth;they killed an insurrecto in Mexico; the third secretary of asecond-rate life-insurance company died and Wall Street put crape onthe door. All your friends got cold feet and it was the other fellowwho had urged you to buy that property. The colonel says you dropped ahundred and twenty-five thousand. That's a stiff option. Can't you getany of it back?"
"Get it back!" groaned Courtney. "They're after the balance. It wasn'tan option--it was a contract. If I don't pay the remainder at the endof the ninety days they'll sue me; and I have several million dollars'worth of property that I can't hide."
Gamble shrugged his shoulders resignedly.
"Your only chance is to build or sell," he decided. "It's yourproperty, all right. Have you offered it?"
"Old Mort Washer wants it--confound him! I've discovered that the dayafter I bought this ground he told my friends that he intended to buythe big piece and build in competition; and they ran like yourhorse--Angora--last Saturday, Gamble. Now Washer offers to buy thisground for two and an eighth millions--just the amount for which I willbe sued."
"Leaving you to try to forget the hundred and twenty-five thousandyou've already spent," figured Gamble. "Nice cheery thought ofWasher's! Of course you applauded?"
"With a brick--if I'd had one!" declared Courtney still angry.
Johnny smiled and looked thoughtfully out over the sunlit greensward.There were electrifying plays down there; but, "fan" though he was, hedid not see them. Something
in the tingle of it, however, seemed toquicken his faculties.
"Sell me that block, Mr. Courtney," he suggested with a suddeninspiration.
The mad mob rose to its feet just then and pleaded with Sweeney to "Hit'er out!" Shrieks, howls and bellows resounded upon every hand;purple-faced fans held their clenched fists tight to their breasts sothat they could implore the louder.
"On what terms?" shouted Courtney into Johnny's ear.
"I'll take over your contract," yelled Johnny beneath Courtney's hatbrim.
"On what terms?" repeated Courtney at the top of his voice.
"Bless your heart, Sweeney, slam it!" shrieked the now crimson-visagedcolonel. He was standing on his chair, with distended eyes, and wavinghis hat violently.
"Your original price!" loudly called Johnny. "Pay you fifteen thousandnow, fifty thousand in thirty days and the balance in sixty."
Sweeney fanned. The atrocious tumult was drowned, in the twinkling ofan eyelash, in a dismal depthless gulf of painful silence. One couldhave heard a mosquito wink.
"Where's my security?" bellowed Courtney in Johnny's ear, sovociferously that all the grandstand turned in that direction and threepark policemen headed for the riot.
"Just come outside and I'll tell you," whispered Johnny with a grin.
"Ashley, how do you like your car?" asked Polly in the groaning calmwhich followed Sweeney's infamous strike-out.
"I'm just designing a private medal for the builder," replied Loring.
"Self-cranker, isn't it?"
"Self-cranker, automatic oiler, and supplies its own gasolene. Why?"
"Well, Constance is talking of buying one, and mine is a little toomuscular for her. Suppose you take her for a spin after the game anddeliver her safely to her Aunt Pattie. I'll take the boys back in mycar."
"I'm cheating you in the exchange, but my conscience doesn't hurt me inthe least," accepted Loring with alacrity.
"I've never been in your car, Ashley," insinuated Gresham. "You mightinvite me to try it out too."
"At five-thirty to-morrow evening," Ashley coolly advised him. "I'd bevery glad to have you come along now; but the car is engaged for astrictly private demonstration."
Since the others were prepared to guy him unmercifully if he persisted,Gresham hinted no more and, very much to his discomfort, saw Loringgaily drive away with Constance.
On Riverside Drive, Loring spent the first fifteen minutes in extollingthe virtues of his car and Constance listened with patient attention;but during the first convenient silence she surprised Loring with a bitof crisp business talk.
"Would you mind telling me the history of Mr. Gamble's partnership withMr. Collaton?" she asked.
"I guess I heard what you said," he returned doubtfully, and he lookedat her in astonishment. "Of course you know that Johnny is a client ofmine."
"I know that he is a friend of yours also," she reminded him.
"On that basis I'll tell you anything you want to know," laughedLoring. "Johnny was doing an excellent business in real estatespeculation when this man Collaton came to him with an enormousirrigation scheme. They formed a partnership. Collaton went out West tosuperintend the reclaiming of some thousands of acres of arid land,while Johnny stayed here to sell rose-bordered farms to romantic cityhome seekers. Collaton spent money faster than Johnny could get it, andoperations had to be discontinued. Johnny has been paying the debts ofthe concern ever since. Every time he thinks he has them cleared off, anew set bobs up; and, since the books and all the papers are lost, hecan't prove or disprove anything. Johnny can't even dissolve thepartnership so long as there are indefinite outstanding accounts. Now,Constance, I'm not a good lawyer or I would not, even in strictconfidence like this, say the following, to wit and namely: I thinkCollaton is a plain ordinary sneak-thief."
They were both silent for a little time.
"Doesn't it seem rather strange that the people who hold claims againstMr. Gamble should just happen to attach his bank-account on the veryday he was expected to make a deposit, and for the identical amount?"Constance asked in a puzzled way.
Loring gave her a startled glance.
"It does seem strange," he admitted.
"It would almost seem as if these people had been informed by some onewho knew Mr. Gamble's circumstances quite intimately," she went on.
"That is a very delicate matter to discuss," Loring, with professionalcaution, gravely reminded her, fearing that she might mention Gresham'sname.
"You are quite right," she agreed. "What does Mr. Gamble think about itall?"
"Johnny does a lot of thinking and a lot of talking, but you can't hearwhat he thinks," replied Loring with a smile. "He is outwardlyassuming--and where Collaton is certain to have it repeated tohim--that Collaton was merely unfortunate; but I believe he is onlywaiting for a proof--and then I imagine he will drop on Collaton andwhoever is helping him like a ton of pig-iron."
"I hope he does!" declared Constance with such sudden vindictivenessthat Loring laughed.
"You seem to have acquired a violent partisanship," he charged her witha curious smile.
"Yes, I have," she admitted with a slight flush. "I like fair play. Ibelieve I have a very even temper, but it angers me to see any one soopen and manly and generous as Mr. Gamble made a victim of meantrickery."
"He's a handsome boy too," commented Loring, grinning.
"Well, suppose he is," she petulantly laughed.
"He has a right to be," granted Loring, looking at her with renewedadmiration. With a slight flush of confusion upon her she was even morecharming than he had ever thought her before. "If I had sotantalizingly pretty a girl so interested in my fortunes I wouldn'tcare whether they perfected aeroplanes or not," he ventured with thefreedom of an old friend.
"You may come down now, thank you," she sweetly informed him. "Can'tyou get Mr. Gamble to make you his receiver or trustee, or something,for the irrigation company?"
"I might now," mused Loring. "He's so interested in the impulsiveattempt to make his million dollars that I think I could persuade him.He seems to be really serious about that million."
"Of course he's serious about it," asserted Constance almostindignantly. "Don't you suppose he can do it?"
"Well, this is the age of financial miracles," acknowledged Loring, butwith a shake of his head. "He can't do it, though, if Collaton gobblesup all he makes and injures his credit besides."
Constance drew a deep breath.
"I wish you to act as my agent, Ashley," she said crisply. "Mr. Gambleis certain to make some money, is he not?"
"Johnny will always make money," he assured her.
"If you bring in a bill against him for money you have expended, afteryou have wound up the Gamble-Collaton affairs, he will, of course, payit."
"As quickly as he can find a fountain-pen and a check-book."
"I wish to loan him some money without his knowledge. I want you totake fifteen thousand dollars early to-morrow morning and pay thatattachment, or whatever it is, at his bank. Naturally I do not want Mr.Gamble to know that I am interested; and I look to you to manage it sothat, when the money is returned to me, he shall imagine that you haveadvanced the funds."
"I can arrange that easily enough," Loring promised her. "Constance, Isuppose I ought to advise you that this is silly; but I'm glad you'redoing it. Moreover, I feel certain that, if this entanglement isstraightened out, Johnny may take a new interest in the irrigationcompany and, by handling it himself, may recover all his losses."
"I sincerely hope so," returned Constance earnestly. "You know I'vetaken a queer interest in this quixotic attempt of Mr. Gamble's to makehis million. It's like a fascinating game, and I almost feel as if Iwere playing it myself--I'm so eager about it."
"And your spirit of fair play is aroused," Loring said.
Five Thousand an Hour: How Johnny Gamble Won the Heiress Page 6