food to eat, Aaron. Other things is living, Aaron. Stocks
is living and auction pinocle is also living, and going oncet in a while
on theayter is living too, Aaron. I may be an old man, Aaron, but I
ain't dead yet."

Aaron's pale face grew almost ghastly at these shocking disclosures, and
when Uncle Mosha concluded his audacious creed with a furtive wink his
nephew visibly started.

"But you got plenty other money to invest in the stock market without
you would sell the house, Uncle Mosha," he said.

"Have I?" Uncle Mosha rejoined. "That's news to me, Aaron. You see in
nineteen-seven was a big panic and some stocks is better as others. Them
which ain't, Aaron, they went and gone so low, Aaron, they ain't never
come back again and perhaps never will. Might you heard something about
it in Port Sullivan maybe? Ten thousand dollars I dropped on them
suckers down in Wall Street, Aaron."

Uncle Mosha smiled blandly at his nephew, who grasped the edge of the
table to steady his whirling senses.

"But what's the use talking," Uncle Mosha continued. "What is _vorbei_
is _vorbei_; and I guess I would have another cup of coffee."

"You had enough coffee," Aaron cried sternly. "So you gone and dropped
your money on stocks, hey?"

Uncle Mosha shrugged and extended one palm in philosophic resignation.

"It was my own money, Aaron," he said. "I didn't stole it."

"This ain't no time for making jokes, Uncle Mosha," Aaron retorted. "Who
was it you was going to sell the house to?"

"Maybe you know him," Uncle Mosha said. "It's a feller by the name
Mawruss Perlmutter."

Aaron Kronberg's pallor gave way to a flood of crimson, and for a moment
he choked incoherently as he gazed at Uncle Mosha in amazement.

"Why, that feller Perlmutter is a friend of Alex," he gasped at length.

"Sure, I know," Uncle Mosha replied; "but even if he is a friend of Alex
his money ain't counterfeit."

"But he'd rob you of your shirt, Uncle Mosha," Aaron exclaimed. "He's a
dangerous feller."

"I'm used to dangerous fellers, Aaron," Uncle Mosha answered calmly. "I
told you before, I dropped ten thousand in Wall Street."

"Yes; and if you would sold this here house, Uncle Mosha, you would drop
ten thousand more."

"Not ten thousand, Aaron. I only got eight thousand equity in the
house."

Again Aaron stared at his uncle.

"Do you mean to told me you only got eight thousand dollars in the
world?" he groaned.

"The world is a pretty big plac