Casinos -- Fiction; Fireworks -- Fiction; Mars (Planet) -- Fiction; Science fiction; Scientists -- Fiction; Short stories
"I keep my promises," said Harvey. One of the men with muscles turned
the radio on, loud.
"We're trying to get up a collection among the staff to help pay for
your losses," said Dr. Morton, "but the director suggested a more
permanent kind of remembrance." He picked up the photograph. "This will
be one of the brightest objects in the sky, in a few months. It won't
be back again for thousands of years, but it will be around for a good
while. We've just discovered it, and it is our privilege to call it
'Harvey's Comet.'"
"That's nice," said Harvey. The first of the two men went around
pulling down blinds; the other went into the bathroom and starting
filling the tub.
"Well," said the physicist, looking tired and old, "I guess there's
nothing more I can say."
"Oh, yes, there is, Professor," said Harvey, with a sudden grin on his
face. He turned to his muscle men. "You two guys cut out the comedy and
bring it in, now."
The two men followed his instructions.
"You see, Professor," the gambler continued, "I took a beating on the
house, but the other club boys chipped in and made up all my losses.
So, I don't need your money at all. Besides, I have two things to thank
_you_ for. First, I heard about the comet from one of your men, and
it's the nicest thing anybody's ever done for me." One of his men came
back with what looked like a round candy box. "Second, that fire was
the best publicity stunt I could get. It made the papers back on Earth
and all the new tourists are packing into the Harvey Club. Even the
other operators are playing my tables. That's why I want you to have
this."
He handed Dr. Morton the box. It read "Harvey's Club" in the center,
and "Doctor Morton's Poker Chip" around the edge. Across the bottom, it
said "Five Thousand."
"That's dollars in it, Professor," said Harvey. "Don't spend it all in
one place."
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of $1,000 A Plate, by Jack McKenty
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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