For the next two or three minutes the rapidfire click of the keys under Loring"s practiced fingers drowned all other sound, and then he jerked off a paper.
"Now, Johnny, you sign this," he ordered. "It is a rather legal transfer, in line with your other dubious operations of the day, of all your rights in the Johnny Gamble comb to one Bruce Townley, here present. Bruce, give Johnny your check for the ten thousand dollars."
"All right, if you fellows are bound to have it that way," agreed Bruce. "I haven"t a check-book with me, Johnny, but I"ll send it up to you from the office to-morrow."
"But, Bruce, that won"t do!" hastily urged Constance. "He must have the check right now. Don"t you see he only has a million and ten thousand dollars? He owes Polly five thousand and me fifteen thousand, and if you give him ten thousand dollars for his invention he"ll have a million and how much? I"m all mixed up! But I do know this: that he"ll have his million dollars left exactly to the cent!"
"I--I see," stuttered Bruce in a fever of anxiety to help Johnny achieve his million in the specified time. "I--I"m sorry I haven"t my check-book," and he looked about him hopelessly.
Just in front of his chest was suspended a check, already made out in favor of Johnny Gamble, in the amount of ten thousand dollars, properly dated and lacking only Bruce"s signature. It was smiling Sammy Chirp who had been quietly thoughtful enough to remember that he and Bruce did business at the same bank.
"The nation is saved!" cheered Val Russel as Bruce dropped down at Loring"s desk. Johnny was already busy writing.
"Do hurry!" urged Constance. "It"s two minutes of four!"
Johnny jumped up with two checks on the First National Bank and pa.s.sed one to Constance and one to Polly.
"Tough luck!" suddenly commented Val Russel. "It just occurs to me that our friend Johnny will have to break into his million to pay for his blow-out."
"I"m glad of it," snapped Morton Washer. "He took an eighth of that million out of my pocket. He can afford to give a dinner, with salted almonds and real imported champagne at every plate."
"And a gla.s.s-scratching diamond souvenir from the million-dollar bride," added Polly with a wicked glance at Constance.
"Are we positive that he has won a bride?" demanded Courtney, gathering courage from the fact that Polly was not crushed.
"I don"t know myself," boasted Johnny with an a.s.sumption of masculine masterfulness which he knew he could never maintain. "Will you marry me, Constance?"
"I decline to discuss that in public," declared Constance with well-feigned haughtiness.
Johnny kissed her, anyhow, and the mob cheered.
"Listen!" ordered Constance.
The little clock above Loring"s desk struck four.