It was an inexpensive mode of life, but one that conduced to the drinking of a good many whiskies-and-sodas at the hotel with clients and casual callers, and to a good deal of card-playing and late hours.

The racehorses, too, like most racehorses, ate up more money than they earned.

So that Mr.Gavan Blake, though a clever man, with a good practice, always seemed to find himself hard up.
It was so on this particular morning.

Every letter that he opened seemed to have some reference to money.

One, from the local storekeeper, was a pretentious account embracing all sorts of items--ammunition, stationery, saddlery and station supplies (the latter being on account of a small station that Blake had taken over for a bad debt, which seemed likely to turn out an equally bad asset).