Page:Dick Hamilton's Fortune.djvu/73

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A SHARPER FOILED
61

the luxuries. Guy followed his crony's example and affected to sneer at the accommodations.

"My father and I generally put up at one of the better hotels," he said affectedly. "But, of course, this is all right for roughing it."

"Roughing it!" exclaimed Walter. "Come off! Why, it's good enough for a king here."

"Oh, well, wait until you've been about a bit," answered Simon languidly.

After supper Dick took his friends to a theatre, where a war-time play was in progress, and even Simon and Guy enthused over the stirring scenes.

The next day was spent in visiting Central Park, the big zoo at Bronx Park, and the Museums of Art and Natural History.

Simon acted as escort, for he was fairly well acquainted with objects of interest in New York, and Dick good-naturedly let him pilot the boys about as though Simon was paying for it all instead of the millionaire's son footing the bills.

It was not long before a keen reporter had learned of the presence in New York of the wealthy youth of whom the papers had recently contained so much, and there appeared several items telling of the trip. There were a number of incorrect stories in print, and Dick was credited with having expended nearly ten thousand dollars on his simple little pleasure jaunt.

The result of this was that Dick was visited by a number of cranks, or, rather, they came to the hotel; but the wise manager, who had been tele-