“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.