"Do you think Collaton's crooked?" Johnny asked with a queer smile. 

 "I can think he's crooked without batting an eyelash. I can think it about Gresham too." 

 "Why do you have that idea about Gresham?" 

 "Because I don't like him," she triumphantly argued. 

 "Shake!" invited Johnny. "I know six reasons why I can do without him. What are your six?" 

 "One is because I don't like him, and another is because he's going to marry Constance, and the other four are because I don't like him," she calmly summed up. 

 "Does Constance say he's going to marry her?" he inquired crisply. 

 "Not in so many words." 

 "Then I don't believe it. I wouldn't marry him for six millions." 

 "Constance can't be so careless. If they break you they can't sprint fast enough to keep it; but if they take it away from Constance she's broke." 

 "It's ten-forty!" groaned Johnny. "I'm slow on that million. Constance'll think I'm loafing." 

 "Is she interested?" 

 "She promised last night to keep score. Gresham was there. I looked, any minute, to see him bite himself in the neck and die of poison. Polly, he can't have her." 

 "You'd better tell Constance about that," laughed Polly. "Why, Johnny, you had never seen her or heard of her forty-eight hours ago!" 

 "I know; I didn't have the right chances when I was young!" 

 Polly gazed upon him admiringly. 

 "I've seen swift love affairs before, but you've set a new record!" she exclaimed. "Well, I'm for you, Johnny. Since poor Billy's parents adopted me and made me a cousin of Constance, I can trot up her stone steps any minute; and she treats me as if I'd had my first bottle in a pink-silk boudoir. I'll make it my business to run up there twice a day and boost for you." 

 "Don't be too strong!" Johnny hastily warned her. "Boost half of the time if you want to, but be sure and knock the other half." 

 "I guess it 

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