then----"

"I know the answer, Bunch," I sighed, "You followed Ike's clues and
finished fainting. I'm wise. But, say! Bunch, didn't you pipe me
with the neck bruises often enough in the old days to profit by my
experience? Didn't I go up against that horse game so hard that I
shook the whole community, and aren't you on to the fact that the
only sure thing about a race track is a seat on a trolley car going
in the opposite direction?"

"I know, John," Bunch replied, "but this looked awfully good to me,
and I went after it."

"Did they sting you for the whole bundle?" I asked.

"Not quite," Bunch answered sadly; "but they certainly put a crimp
in my wallet. I'm only $1,500 strong now, and that's not enough to
tip the porter on the honeymoon journey. You know, John, I'm only
drawing $100 a week from the brokerage business, and I'll get
nervous if I can't make up a purse quicker than that. I'll simply
have to go to Alice and Uncle William Grey and get a set-back,
and--say, John! I'm a polish, for fair! Alice is making all her
preparations, and has her mind fastened to the date, and all that
sort of thing, and like a chump I go up against that----"

"Oh, get back from the funeral, get back, Bunch!" I advised. "How
often have I told you not to cut a beef about the has-happened?
You went to Bennings, got dizzy, did a couple of Arabs and lose the
price of a wedding trip--that's all. Now we must get that money
back before the minister steps up to start the fight."