t smoothly oiled mechanical process of one, two,
three and out, and telling each other that this was a great game,
nevertheless yawned and dropped their score cards, and put away their
pencils, and looked about the grandstand in search of faces they knew.

In such a moment Colonel Bouncer, who had come into this box because of
a huge admiration for Polly and an almost extravagant respect for
Constance, and who had heartily wished himself out of it during the
last two or three innings, now happily discovered a familiar face only
a few rows back of him. "By George, Johnny, there's Courtney now!" he
announced.

Gamble looked with keen interest.

"Do you mean that gentleman with the ruddy face and the white beard?"
he inquired.

"That's the old pirate," asserted the colonel.

"Why, that's the man you wanted to introduce me to at the race-track in
Baltimore Saturday."

"Bless my heart, so I did!" he remembered. "I thought it might relieve
him to tell his troubles to you. It isn't too late yet. Come on up and
I'll introduce you--that is, unless you want to watch this game."

"I'm pleased to pass up this game till somebody makes an error," Johnny
willingly decided. "If they'll hand out a base on balls and a safe bunt
and hit a batter, so as to get three men on bases with two out, and
then muft a high fly out against the fence, and boot the ball all over
the field while four of the Reds gallop home--I'll stay and help lynch
the umpire; otherwise not. Show me to your friend Courtney." He turned
to take courteous leave of the others and his eyes met the friendly
glance of Constance.

"Let's catch Mr. Courtney at the end of the game," he suggested to the
colonel; and then, turning directly to Constance, he added with a
laugh: "I think I'll play hooky. I don't want to break up the party."

"If you think you see an opportunity for that million, the official
scorer insists upon saying good-by," she laughed in return, and held
out her hand.

Johnny shook the hand with both pleasure and reluctance, and obediently
left.

"I'm offering my pet vanity parasol against a sliver of chewing-gum on
Johnny," Polly confided to Loring. "I could see it in his eye that Mr.
Courtney will be invited to help him make that million."

"Somebody ought to warn Courtney," Gresham commented sarcastically.

"Why warn him?" demanded Loring. "I'll guarantee that any proposition
Johnny makes him will be legitimate."

"No doubt," agreed Gresham.