ahead
with the wedding preparations and I simply hadn't the nerve to tell
her that I lost nearly every penny I had. Uncle William Grey
tiptoed into the parlor for a few moments and began to congratulate
me on the good reports he had had from Alice with regard to my
ability to save a bit of money. I could feel myself shrivelling up
as he talked and the parlor began to turn around and start for the
Bennings track."

"I know the feeling," I said earnestly. "There was a time, Bunch,
that whenever my wife mentioned the word money to me I could see a
horse come into the room and shake his mane at me."

"And then," Bunch continued, "Uncle William said to me, 'Jefferson,
my boy, Alice tells me you've already saved up five thousand, and
I'm proud of you. I didn't like you at first, because I thought
you were a harum scarum like your friend, John Henry; but now that
you've developed such manly traits of character I'm going to take
four thousand of your money, put the same amount in for Alice, and
start you in business.' Say, John, I wanted to go through the
parlor floor and on through the earth and then out through the
busiest fort at Port Arthur, and let a Jap shell knock my silly
head off."

"We're both up against it for fair," I said; "and we'll have to get
in the ice-cutting business right away. As I told you, this Signor
Petroskinski is the marvel of the age, and we can simply coin money
with him. Two thousand dollars will start the driving wheels--gi'
me your thousand and I'll put it with mine."

Bunch dug out his last bundle of big bills and I gave him the
partnership articles I had framed up.

"We'll open up in New Rochelle," I said, "next Thursday night.
Charlie Osgood is a friend of mine and he's laid out a gilt-edged
route for me. Mamaroneck Friday night, and then into Cos Cob for
Saturday matinee and night."

"That doesn't sound like a glad hosannah to me!" Bunch grumbled.

"What, Cos Cob!" I answered. "It's aces. Charlie Osgood says Cos
Cob is a great Saturday night town because it's pay-day at the gas
works. From there we jump to Green's Farms for the Monday night
show."

"Is that place really on the map?" Bunch asked.

"Sure it is," I said. "Charlie says it's a good Monday night town
because two through freights lay over there till daylight. Tuesday
night we have to double back to Greenwich, and that's where Charlie
gave us the bum deal. This gag of chasing us back over the same
route is