ady told
you he owes us $800 he can't pay."

"Then who in thunder pays for the villa and the lot and all those
hundred-dollar souvenirs?" asked the Doctor.

"Why--this year, the De Boodles," said the Idiot. "Last year it was
Colonel and Mrs. Moneybags, whose daughter, Miss Fayette Moneybags, is
now clinching the position Reggie sold her at Newport over in London,
whither Reggie has consigned her to his sister, an impecunious American
Duchess--the Duchess of Nocash--who is also in the boosting business.
The chances are Miss Moneybags will land one of England's most deeply
indebted peers, and if she does, Reggie will receive a handsome cheque
for steering the family up against so attractive a proposition."

"And you mean to tell us that a plain man like old John De Boodle, of
Nevada, is putting out his hard-earned wealth in that way?" demanded Mr.
Brief.

"I didn't mean to mention any names," said the Idiot. "But you've
spotted the victim. Old John De Boodle, who made his $60,000,000 in six
months after having kept a saloon on the frontier for forty years, is
the man. His family wants to get in the swim, and Reggie is turning the
trick for them--and after all, what better way is there for De Boodle to
get in? He might take sixty villas at Newport and not get a peep at the
Divorce Colony there, much less a glimpse of the monogamous set acting
independently. Not a monkey in the Zoo would dine with the De Boodles,
and in his most eccentric moment I doubt if Tommy Dare would take them
up unless there was somebody to stand sponsor for them. A cool million
might easily be expended without results, by the De Boodles themselves,
but hand that money over to Reggie Squandercash, whose blood is as blue
as his creditors sometimes get, and you can look for results. What the
Frohmans are to the stage, Reggie Squandercash is to Society. He's right
in it; popular as all spenders are; lavish as all people spending other
people's money are apt to be. Old De Boodle, egged on by Mrs. De Boodle
and Miss Mary Ann De Boodle, now known as Miss Marianne De Boodle, goes
to Reggie and says, 'The old lady and my girl are nutty on Society. Can
you land 'em?' 'Certainly,' says Reggie, 'if your pocket is long
enough.' 'How long is that?' asks De Boodle, wincing a bit. 'A hundred
thousand a month, and no extras, until you're in,' says Reggie. 'No
reduction for families?' asks De Boodle, anxiously. 'No,' says Reggie.
'Harder job.' 'All right,' says D