Five Thousand an Hour | Page 9

thousand and one hundred
dollars in captivity.
CHAPTER III
IN WHICH JOHNNY MIXES BUSINESS AND PLEASURE

A general desire to bet on the last race had sent all the occupants of the
Boyden box, except Constance, Polly and Gresham, down to the
betting shed when Gamble returned; and he was very glad there was
room enough for him to sit down and enjoy himself. He had evil
designs upon Gresham.
"This is my lucky day," he observed, smiling upon Miss Joy. "I began
this afternoon to pile up an exact million. A near horse gave me a
five-thousand-dollar start."
"If you keep on at the rate of five thousand dollars an hour you'll have
your million in two hundred hours," Constance figured for him.
"I won't work Sundays, evenings, holidays or birthdays," he objected.
"How fussy!" commented Polly. "Which was the kind horse?"
"A goat by the name of Angora," he replied.
"That race should call for an inquiry," sternly stated Gresham.
"You must have bet on the favorite," returned Gamble, and laughed
when Gresham winced. Not a shade of Gresham's expression was
escaping him now.
"We all did," acknowledged Constance smilingly. "This is the first time

I ever bet on the races; and I sent down to bet on every horse in this last
one, so I'll be sure to win just once. I suppose you attend the races
frequently, Mr. Gamble?"
"I'll give you one more guess," he returned. "I don't like to walk home."
"You won't have to walk this time," she reminded him.
"Not while I ride!" asserted Polly stoutly.
"I'm so glad you won, Johnny. I guess you'll stay in Baltimore now."
"And give this back? I'll get an injunction against myself first. Polly, I
owe you twenty-five hundred dollars. Here's the money."
"This is so sudden," she coyly observed. "My memory's poor, though,
Johnny."
"It's a promise I made myself: If I won this bet half of the winnings
belonged to the babies' hotel."
"Wait, Johnny," objected Polly, pushing the money away from her. "I'd
rather have you on the new subscription list, by and by, for the
furnishing and remodeling fund."
"I'll go on both of them," he offered, putting the money in her lap. "You
ought to know that I stick."
"Yes, you do," she sighed, and passed him the list, covertly pointing
out Gresham's name as she did so and showing the amount opposite it
to be one hundred dollars.
"Mr. Gamble wants to make sure that you'll get it," sneered Gresham,
and laughed. He was anxious to belittle Gamble in the eyes of
Constance.
"If Johnny Gamble puts his name down it's as good as paid!" flared
Polly. "By the way, Mr. Gresham, I have that Corn Exchange check
blank for you now."

She handed him the blank and her fountain-pen; and, with some slight
reluctance, Mr. Gresham paid his subscription.
"Thanks," said Polly briskly. "Johnny, did you say I should put you on
the other list for the same amount?"
Constance leaned hastily forward, with the impulse to interfere against
so foolhardy a thing, but caught herself; and, leaning back, she looked
at Johnny Gamble in profile and smiled. There was something
fascinating about the fellow's clear-eyed assurance as he cheerfully
answered: "If you please, Polly."
"It will take you four hundred hours now to make your million,"
Gresham advised him, with scarcely concealed contempt.
"I'm no loafer," Gamble declared.
They all laughed at that.
"I beg your pardon," apologized Gresham. "Let's see. How long will it
take you to make your million at the rate of five thousand an hour?
How many hours a day?"
"About seven on regular days; three on Saturdays."
Both the girls were still laughing at the absurdity of it all.
"Counting off for Sundays, you should have your million in about forty
days," persisted Gresham, figuring it with pencil and paper.
Johnny studied the problem carefully.
"All right; I'll do it," he announced, and looked at his watch.
"Bravo!" applauded Constance. "If you could succeed in that you
would display a force which nothing could resist."
Gresham looked at her with a quick frown.

"And if he failed he would display a presumption which nothing could
forgive," he paraphrased. "If it's not asking too much, Mr. Gamble, I'm
curious to know how you propose to accumulate your million." And he
smiled across at Miss Joy, who turned to Gamble, waiting interestedly
for his reply.
"Work a lot of neglected stunts. I never wanted to make a million till
now. I know how, though. I think I'll start with real estate." And he
watched Gresham narrowly.
"That's a dismal enough opening," announced Gresham with a pained
expression. "It is impossible to secure a decent price for property,
especially when you want to sell it."
"If you