Project Gutenberg's Five Thousand an Hour,
by George Randolph Chester
This eBook is for the use of anyone
anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may
copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project
Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.net
Title: Five Thousand an Hour
How Johnny Gamble Won the Heiress
Author: George Randolph Chester
Posting Date: August 1, 2009 [EBook #4353]
Release Date: August, 2003
First Posted: January 14, 2002
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
FIVE THOUSAND AN HOUR ***
Produced by Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed
Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al
Haines.
FIVE THOUSAND
AN HOUR
How Johnny Gamble
Won the Heiress
BY
GEORGE
RANDOLPH

VII
IN WHICH JOHNNY DREAMS
OF A MAGNIFICENT
TWENTY-STORY HOTEL
VIII
IN WHICH CONSTANCE
SHOWS FURTHER INTEREST
IN JOHNNY'S AFFAIRS
IX
IN WHICH JOHNNY MEETS A
DEFENDER OF THE OLD
ARISTOCRACY
X
IN WHICH JOHNNY IS
SINGULARLY THRILLED BY
A LITTLE CONVERSATION
OVER THE TELEPHONE
XI
IN WHICH JOHNNY
EXECUTES SOME
EXCEEDINGLY RAPID
BUSINESS DEALS
XII
IN WHICH JOHNNY EVEN
DOES BUSINESS AT THE
BABIES' FUND FAIR
XIII
IN WHICH JOHNNY BUYS A
PRESENT AND HATCHES A
SCHEME

XXI
IN WHICH CONSTANCE
AVAILS HERSELF OF
WOMAN'S PRIVILEGE TO
CHANGE HER MIND
IN WHICH PAUL GRESHAM
XXII PROPOSES A VERY
PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT
XXIII
IN WHICH THE BRIGHT EYES
OF CONSTANCE "RAIN
INFLUENCE"
XXIV
IN WHICH JOHNNY
DEMANDS SPOT CASH AT
ONCE
XXV
IN WHICH JOHNNY KEEPS
ON DOING BUSINESS TILL
THE CLOCK STRIKES FOUR
FIVE THOUSAND
AN HOUR
CHAPTER I
WHICH INTRODUCES
JOHNNY GAMBLE AND
HIS LAST HUNDRED
DOLLARS
About the time the winner of the
Baltimore Handicap flashed under the
wire, Johnny Gamble started to tear up a

just then toward the grandstand, he smiled
up into one of the boxes and lifted his hat.
Glancing in that direction, Gamble was
shocked to find himself looking squarely
into the dark eyes of a strikingly beautiful
young woman who stood with her hands
resting upon the rail.
"What do you know about Collaton?" he
asked; and, in spite of himself, he looked
again. The young lady this time was
laughing with a group of likable young
idlers, all of whom Gamble knew; and,
since the startling stranger was occupied,
he could indulge in a slightly more open
inspection.
"I saw Collaton on the track to-day and
he was making some big bets," replied
Loring with a frown. "He's not broke,
Johnny. He's merely been letting you hold
the bag."
"Well, help me let go. Loring, I must
dissolve that partnership."
The young lawyer shook his head.
"No way to do it so long as the books
remain lost. Unless one of you buys
outright the practically defunct Gamble-
Collaton Irrigation Company and assumes
all its liabilities, you will remain
responsible, since Collaton possesses no
visible property. I'm sure that he stung

his skin as flawless as a babe's, and his
eyes—exceptionally large—were as clear
as they were direct.
"An appetite like yours only makes it
worse to be broke," laughed Loring.
"There's a plenty of money in New York
if I want any," responded Gamble. "I don't
need money, anyhow, Ashley. I have my
mother fixed—and there's nobody else.
Besides, I'm not broke. I have a hundred.
Do you know a good horse?"
"Nautchautauk," advised Loring, and
they both turned in the direction of the
betting shed. "The price will probably be
short; but I look on it as an investment."
"You can't invest a hundred dollars,"
argued Gamble.
"You don't mean to say that a hundred's
all you have in the world!" returned
Loring. "I thought you'd saved a good deal
more than that out of the wreck."
"I did; but my brother was broke,"
replied Gamble carelessly, and stopped in
front of a blackboard. The price on
Nautchautauk was one and a half to two. "I
don't want a bet," he remarked, shaking his
head at the board; "I need an accident. I
wonder if that goat Angora has horns and
a beard?"
"People try fifty-to-one shots just before

not even start to go up into the grandstand.
"The colonel is still bargain-hunting,"
observed Loring with a laugh. "His shoe-
manufacturing business has increased to
the point that he must have more space—
and he must have it at once. The only
available ground is Gresham's adjoining
property, which Gresham long ago gave
up trying to sell him. The colonel is crazy
to buy it now, but he's afraid to let
Gresham know he must have it, for fear
Saint Paul will run up the price on him. In
consequence, he trails the man round like
a love-sick boy after an actress. When he
finds Gresham he only looks at him—and
goes away. That's only half of the laugh,
however. Gresham wants to sell as badly
as the colonel wants to buy, but he doesn't
know where to find a fancy market. Queer
case, isn't it?"
"Yes," replied Gamble. "Who's Miss
Joy?"
"For heaven's sake, Johnny, don't say
you're hit too—even at long distance!"
"Hit!" repeated Gamble—"I'm flattened
out. I'm no lady-fusser, Ashley, but I'm
going to buy a new necktie."
"You don't even know she's rich, do
you?" asked Loring, looking at him with a
curious smile.