"I don't suppose I shall ever understand it," she confessed.

"I don't, myself," observed Gamble, passing the colonel's check
between his fingers quite happily. "I can loaf three hours now on
that two-hundred-hour stunt, thanks to you, Gresham."

"You had your start by luck," Gresham reminded him.

"Not at all," insisted Gamble cheerfully. "I would have borrowed the
money from the colonel to buy that option. How's that for ethics,
Miss Joy?"

"It's quite in keeping with your methods of the day," rejoined
Gresham. "I still insist that you took an unfair advantage of me."

The colonel, who regretted to be compelled to dislike anybody,
turned upon Gresham a dissatisfied eye.

"Oh, play the game or stay out of it!" he advised. "I'll see you at
my lawyer's to-morrow at eleven. Come with me a minute, Johnny. I
want you to meet a friend of mine who has a big real estate deal on
tap, and he may not go back on our train to-night."

Johnny Gamble made his adieus from the Boyden box with reluctance.
The horses were lining up at the barrier for the last race, and he
might not return in time. While he was bidding a thoroughly
inadequate good-by to Constance, Loring came up hastily and called
Polly from the box.

"Sammy Chirp called my attention to Gresham and Collaton talking