“You may come down now, thank you,” she sweetly informed him.  “Can’t you 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 impulsive attempt 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 almost indignantly.  “Don’t you suppose he can do it?”

“Well, this is the age of financial miracles,” acknowledged Loring, but with a shake of his head.  “He can’t do it, though, if Collaton gobbles up 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. Gamble is 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, after you have wound up the Gamble-Collaton affairs, he will, of course, pay it.”

“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 to take fifteen thousand dollars early to-morrow morning and pay that attachment, 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 so that, when the money is returned to me, he shall imagine that you have advanced the funds.”

“I can arrange that easily enough,” Loring promised her.  “Constance, I suppose I ought to advise you that this is silly; but I’m glad you’re doing it.  Moreover, I feel certain that, if this entanglement is straightened out, Johnny may take a new interest in the irrigation company and, by handling it himself, may recover all his losses.”

“I sincerely hope so,” returned Constance earnestly.  “You know I’ve taken a queer interest in this quixotic attempt of Mr. Gamble’s to make his million.  It’s like a fascinating game, and I almost feel as if I were playing it myself—­I’m so eager about it.”

“And your spirit of fair play is aroused,” Loring said.

CHAPTER VII

IN WHICH JOHNNY DREAMS OF A MAGNIFICENT TWENTY-STORY HOTEL

The other terminal hotel projects had been kept very quiet, indeed, lest the jealous promoters of similar enterprises might be whetted into greediness; but no such modesty seemed to attend the plans of the Terminal Hotel Company; in fact, it seemed to court publicity—­ and, since Johnny Gamble was known and liked by a host of newspaper men, it received plenty of attention.  After the ball game Johnny rode down to Mr. Courtney’s club with him to dinner; and when he was through talking to Courtney he immediately called on his newspaper friends.

When Loring arrived at the office in the morning he found Johnny immersed in a pile of papers—­and gloating.