"I thought it might be of value for you to know--if you were not already informed--that an attachment for fifty thousand dollars upon Mr.Gamble was laid against your Terminal Hotel property this afternoon." Mr.Courtney paused to consider.
"At what time was this attachment issued ?" "At three-thirty, I was informed." Mr.Courtney's reception of that important bit of news was rather unusual, in consideration of its gravity.

He threw back his head and laughed; he turned to the colonel and, putting his hand upon his old friend's shoulder, laughed again; he put his other hand upon Gresham's shoulder and laughed more.

The colonel was a slower thinker.

He looked painfully puzzled for a moment--then suddenly it dawned upon him, and he laughed uproariously; he punched his old friend Courtney in the ribs and laughed more uproariously; he punched Gresham in the ribs and laughed most uproariously.
"Why, bless my heart, boy!" he explained for Courtney.

"At two-thirty, neither Courtney nor Johnny Gamble owned a penny's worth of interest in the Terminal Hotel site, if that's the property you mean--and of course you do." "No," laughed Courtney.