Courtney turned for a careful inspection of the colonel.  That gentleman, daintily picking a fleck of dust from his cuff, looked unconcernedly off into the sky, whistling softly, and Courtney, pushing his hand into the discard, lighted a cigar, while the colonel met Washer’s raise and added a tantalizing white chip.

It was now Washer’s turn for consideration, and he studied his only remaining opponent with much interest.

“Give me one card, Joe; mostly kings,” he requested as he pushed in his one white chip.  “What’s your scheme, Johnny?” And he looked up, quite indifferent to the card he was tossing away.  He picked up the one Close carefully dealt him and, without looking at it, slid it in among the other four.

“I’m ready to close with you for that Bronx subdivision,” responded Johnny, acutely watching Colonel Bouncer as that gentleman asked for one card, received it and studied its countenance with polite admiration.  “It’s the proposition I’ve previously explained to all of you, but had to lay aside because I couldn’t nail down the property.”

“I suppose you have it now,” observed Morton, pushing forward with gentle little shoves of his middle finger a very tall stack of chips arranged in three distinct and equal red, white and blue layers.  He had not yet looked at his fifth card, and at Colonel Bouncer he directed but a brief and passing glance.  Did he care what the colonel held?

“I have the Wobbles estate in my pocket,” replied Johnny, still watching the colonel absorbedly.  “I must get you together Monday if possible.”

“Wobbles!” exploded Courtney.  “Did you buy that Bronx property at my party from my guests to sell to us?”

“I did,” confessed Johnny with a grin.  “This is a lovely party.”

The poker game suspended itself for a minute, while all four of the gentlemen looked at him in contemplative admiration.

“He’s a credit to the place,” observed Joe Close.  “Here’s where the Texas land grab was arranged, and the wool trust formed, and the joker inserted into the rebate bill.”

“Nevertheless, if Johnny Gamble sits in this game I’ll cash in my chips and quit,” declared Morton Washer.

“He’s good enough company for me,” blustered Colonel Bouncer, scrutinizing his cards one by one.

“I suppose so,” agreed Washer with a smile at Johnny, “but he’s so full of young tricks and we’re outclassed.  What’s that property going to cost us?”

“Three and a half million,” stated Johnny quietly.

Colonel Bouncer, having now made up his mind, deliberately and with nice care measured up blue chips and red chips and white chips matching Washer’s, and added to them all the blue ones he had in his possession.

“Taking any stock yourself, Johnny?” he softly asked.

“Can’t afford it,” confessed Johnny with a smile.

“The property’s quite worth three and a half million,” announced Courtney decisively, watching the face of Morton Washer as that calm player stared at the colonel’s chips.  “I’m willing to take a million of the stock.”