When they entered the flat, the thing they first beheld was Dolly’s two-dollar bill.
“What,” demanded Carter, with repugnance, “is that strange piece of paper?”
Dolly examined it carefully. “I think it is a kind of money,” she said, “used by the lower classes.”
They dined on the roof at Delmonico’s. Dolly wore the largest of the five hats still unsold, and Carter selected the dishes entirely according to which was the most expensive. Every now and again they would look anxiously down across the street at the bank that held their money. They were nervous lest it should take fire.
“We can be extravagant to-night,” said Dolly, “because we owe it to Dromedary to celebrate. But from to-night on we must save. We’ve had an awful lesson. What happened to us last month must never happen again. We were down to a two-dollar bill. Now we have twenty-five hundred across the street, and you have several hundreds in your pocket. On that we can live easily for a year. Meanwhile, you can write ‘the’ great American novel without having to worry about money, or to look for a steady job. And then your book will come out, and you will be famous, and rich, and——”
“Passing on from that,” interrupted Carter, “the thing of first importance is to get you out of that hot, beastly flat. I propose we start to-morrow for Cape Cod. I know a lot of fishing villages there where we could board and lodge for twelve dollars a week, and row and play tennis and live in our bathing suits.”
Dolly assented with enthusiasm, and during the courses of the dinner they happily discussed Cape Cod from Pocasset to Yarmouth, and from Sandwich to Provincetown. So eager were they to escape, that Carter telephoned the hallman at his club to secure a cabin for the next afternoon on the Fall River boat. As they sat over their coffee in the cool breeze, with, in the air, the scent of flowers and the swing of music, and with, at their feet, the lights of the great city, the world seemed very bright.
“It has been a great day,” sighed Carter. “And if I hadn’t had nervous prostration I would have enjoyed it. That race-course is always cool, and there were some fine finishes. I noticed two horses that would bear watching, Her Highness and Glowworm. If we weren’t leaving to-morrow, I’d be inclined——” Dolly regarded him with eyes of horror.
“Champneys Carter!” she exclaimed. As she said it, it sounded like “Great Jehoshaphat!”
Carter protested indignantly. “I only said,” he explained, “if I were following the races, I’d watch those horses. Don’t worry!” he exclaimed. “I know when to stop.”