Gresham was very thoughtful. He was more logically calculating than most people thought him. It was Polly's cousinship which puzzled Johnny Gamble. "When you picked a cousin you made some choice," he complimented her. "How did you do it?" "They made me," she explained. "You know that Billy Parsons was the only man I ever wanted to marry—or ever will, I guess. His folks met me once and wouldn't stand for me at all; then Billy took sick and went out of his head. He cried for me so that the doctor said he had to have me; so I canceled the best engagement I ever had. I wasn't a star, but I was featured and was making an awful hit. I went right to the house, though, and stayed two months—till Billy died. Then I went back to work; but I hated it. Well, along toward the last they'd got so friendly that I was awful lonesome. It wasn't long till they got lonesome too. They're old, you know; and Billy was all they had. So they came after me and I went with them; and they adopted me and we all love each other to death. Constance's my cousin now—and she stands it without batting an eyelash. She's about the cream of the earth, Johnny!" He drew in his breath sharply. "You're a lucky kid!" he told her. There was something in the intensity of his tone which made her look up at him, startled. "Now don't you fall in love with her, Johnny!" she begged. "Why not?" he demanded. "I never tried it; but I bet I can do it." "That's the trouble," she expostulated; "it's too easy. You can fall in all right, but how will you get out?" "I don't want out," he assured her. "I play marbles for keeps." "All right then; take to pickles and perfume. Look here, Johnny; if none of her own set can ring her with an orange wreath what can an outsider do?" "How do I know till I try?" he inquired. "I get you, Polly. You mean I'm not in her class; but, you see, I want her!" "So do the others," she objected. "They're not used to hard work," he earnestly informed her. "Say, I need a million dollars."
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