CHAPTER XXV
IN WHICH JOHNNY KEEPS ON DOING BUSINESS TILL THE CLOCK STRIKES FOUR
The hired auto had plenty to do. It carried Johnny to court, where hemade a deposition against Gresham; it carried him to the office of theAmalgamated Steel Company, where he had the bonds that Gresham hadtransferred to him registered in his own name; it carried him to theappointment with Washburn's lawyer, who destroyed a full hour and ahalf of palpitating time; and it carried all of them to Loring'soffice, into which they burst triumphantly at twenty minutes of four.
At that hour Loring's office was crowded with loafers, the same beingColonel Bouncer, Morton Washer, Joe Close, Ben Courtney, Val Russel andBruce Townley.
"This being a sporting event of some note, I gathered up a nice littlebunch of sports to see the finish," explained Val Russel with agraceful bow. "Loring passed me the word that he expected you to noseunder the wire in record time. You must show us the million dollars youwere to have by four P. M., on Wednesday, May thirty-first."
"I don't have to flash it for twenty minutes," claimed Johnny happily."At that hour I will show you a certificate of deposit on Joe Close'sbank for half a million in bonds, and a sure-enough check for fivehundred and ten thousand dollars."
"No fair!" objected Val. "You were to have only an even million, andyou've shot ten thousand over the mark."
"I owe Polly five thousand," explained Johnny as he hung his hat on ahook and pushed back his sleeves, "and I provided for the other fivethousand in order to give a party. May I wash my face while I'm waitingfor the time to be up?"
Courtney noticed that Constance had moved over toward the ratherinadequately screened basin in the corner in unconscious accompanimentof Johnny.
"We'll excuse you if you'll answer one question," Courtney venturedwith twinkling eyes. "It has been generally understood among yourfriends that when you really secured your million dollars--"
"That will do," interrupted Polly Parsons. "You interfered once beforewith Johnny's love affairs--Well, I'm not giving anything away!" shehotly retorted to a blazing glance from Constance.
The door opened and a boy brought in a package for Mr. Gamble. Loring,guessing the contents from its size, tore off the wrapper.
"Collaton sticks, anyhow, Johnny," he called. "Here are the lost books."
"Cheap at half the price," laughed Johnny as he splashed in the water."By the way, Loring, you never did tell me how you steered off thatfirst bogus attachment for fifteen thousand."
Constance and Loring looked at each other in dismay.
"I'll bring in a bill for that after four o'clock," promised Loring,laughing as lightly as he could.
"After four," repeated Johnny, coming from behind the screen with atowel in his hands. "You didn't pay it, did you?"
"That's an entirely separate deal," evaded Loring.
"Where did you get the money?" demanded Johnny, and scrutinizing theconfused face of Constance, he knew.
Johnny smiled gratefully at her and patted her on the shoulder as hewalked quietly behind the screen. Great Scott! He glanced over thescreen at the clock. Where could he make ten thousand dollars infifteen minutes? He had to have that million and it must be clear! Hereached for a comb with one hand and for his hat with the other.
Winnie and Sammy Chirp rushed into the office--Winnie in a bewilderingnew outfit of pure white, beaming all over with importance, and Sammysmiling as he had never smiled before.
"Where on earth have you been?" demanded Polly. "I've been telephoningfor you all day."
"Well," explained Winnie volubly, "I took a notion to marry Sammy. Ijust thought that if I mentioned it to you you'd want me to wait awhile, and when it did happen it would be a regular fussy affair."
"Honestly, child, I don't know whether to scold you or kiss you," brokein Polly. "Sammy, come here."
Sammy came, not only obediently but humbly, though he never ceased tosmile; and he looked her squarely in the eyes.
Polly surveyed him long and earnestly.
"I guess it's the best thing that could have happened to both of you,but I'll have a dreadful time looking after such a pair!"
"I'll look after my husband myself, if you please!" indignantlyprotested Winnie.
Everybody laughed, and Polly started the popular ceremony of kissingthe bride.
Johnny Gamble came thoughtfully from behind the screen. He had notheard the commotion, nor was he even now aware that Winnie and Sammyhad been added to the party. He had a broken comb in his hand.
"Bruce," said he, looking steadfastly at the comb, "did you ever feelthe need of a comb of your own in a public wash room?"
"I've sent a boy six blocks to buy one," responded Bruce with a surgeof recurrent indignation.
"It's the curse of the nation," Val earnestly assured him. "You areready for the theater. You have fifteen minutes to spare. You drop intoa gilded palace of crime to drink a highball. In your earnestness youmuss your hair. You retire to primp. A comb hangs before you, with oneserviceable tooth. A brush with eight bristles hangs by its side. Yousmooth your hair with your towel and go away saddened for ever!"
"The trouble is," said Colonel Bouncer, "that every man thinks he'sgoing to carry a neat little pocket-comb in a neat little case, and hebuys dozens of them; but he never has one with him."
"Thanks," acknowledged Johnny. "Now suppose you could step into anybarber shop, theater, hotel, saloon or depot wash room, drop a nickelin a slot and take out a nice papier-mache comb, paraffined andmedicated and sealed in an oiled-paper wrapper. Would you do it?"
"Just as fast as I could push the button," agreed Bruce with enthusiasm.
"Well, I've just invented that comb," explained Johnny, smiling. "Doyou think there would be a good business in manufacturing it?"
Courtney, who had been considering the matter gravely, now nodded hishead emphatically.
"There's a handsome fortune in it," he declared. "It is one of thoselittle things of which there are enormous quantities used and thrownaway each day. If you want to organize a company to put it on themarket, Johnny, I'll take any amount of stock you think proper--notonly for the investment, but for the pure philanthropy of it."
"Also for the pure selfishness of it," laughed Joe Close. "Courtneywants to be sure to find a private comb in every public wash room."
"When you get your factory going I wish you'd send a salesman to myhead supply man," requested Mort Washer. "I'll buy them by the ton, andevery guest who comes into one of my hotels will find a fresh comb inan aseptic wrapper by the side of his individual soap."
"That will be up to Bruce," Johnny informed him. "Bruce intends tomanufacture this device at his papier-mache factory."
"Thanks," acknowledged Bruce. "I hadn't contemplated enlarging thefactory, but I see I shall need to."
"Johnny isn't kidding, Bruce," Val shrewdly warned him.
"Neither am I," maintained Bruce stoutly. "I'll have that comb on themarket so quickly that you can almost afford to wait for it. Royalty,Johnny?"
"No," denied Johnny promptly. "I'll sell it to you outright for tenthousand dollars, me to sign any sort of papers you need and you to paythe patent lawyer."
"I'd be robbing you," protested Bruce. "I should think you'd want toretain an interest in the manufacture, or at least a royalty. There'dbe a lot more money in it for you."
"Wait just a minute," directed Loring, sitting down at his typewritingmachine from which the neat operator had fled at the very beginning ofthe social invasion.
For the next two or three minutes the rapidfire click of the keys underLoring's practiced fingers drowned all other sound, and then he jerkedoff a paper.
"Now, Johnny, you sign this," he ordered. "It is a rather legaltransfer, in line with your other dubious operations of the day, of allyour rights in the Johnny Gamble comb to one Bruce Townley, herepresent. Bruce, give Johnny your check for the ten thousand dollars."
"All right, if you fellows are bound to have it that way," agreedBruce. "I haven't
a check-book with me, Johnny, but I'll send it up toyou from the office to-morrow."
"But, Bruce, that won't do!" hastily urged Constance. "He must have thecheck right now. Don't you see he only has a million and ten thousanddollars? He owes Polly five thousand and me fifteen thousand, and ifyou give him ten thousand dollars for his invention he'll have amillion and how much? I'm all mixed up! But I do know this: that he'llhave his million dollars left exactly to the cent!"
"I--I see," stuttered Bruce in a fever of anxiety to help Johnnyachieve his million in the specified time. "I--I'm sorry I haven't mycheck-book," and he looked about him hopelessly.
Just in front of his chest was suspended a check, already made out infavor of Johnny Gamble, in the amount of ten thousand dollars, properlydated and lacking only Bruce's signature. It was smiling Sammy Chirpwho had been quietly thoughtful enough to remember that he and Brucedid business at the same bank.
"The nation is saved!" cheered Val Russel as Bruce dropped down atLoring's desk. Johnny was already busy writing.
"Do hurry!" urged Constance. "It's two minutes of four!"
Johnny jumped up with two checks on the First National Bank and passedone to Constance and one to Polly.
"Tough luck!" suddenly commented Val Russel. "It just occurs to me thatour friend Johnny will have to break into his million to pay for hisblow-out."
"I'm glad of it," snapped Morton Washer. "He took an eighth of thatmillion out of my pocket. He can afford to give a dinner, with saltedalmonds and real imported champagne at every plate."
"And a glass-scratching diamond souvenir from the million-dollarbride," added Polly with a wicked glance at Constance.
"Are we positive that he has won a bride?" demanded Courtney, gatheringcourage from the fact that Polly was not crushed.
"I don't know myself," boasted Johnny with an assumption of masculinemasterfulness which he knew he could never maintain. "Will you marryme, Constance?"
"I decline to discuss that in public," declared Constance withwell-feigned haughtiness.
Johnny kissed her, anyhow, and the mob cheered.
"Listen!" ordered Constance.
The little clock above Loring's desk struck four.
Five Thousand an Hour: How Johnny Gamble Won the Heiress Page 25