what did you done about it?
Nothing, I suppose."

"Suppose again, Belz," Lesengeld retorted. "A feller was in here to see
me about it and I agreed we would give Rudnik an extension."

"What!" Belz cried. "You agreed you would give him an extension! Are
you crazy _oder_ what? The way money is so tight nowadays and real
estate gone to hellandall, we as good as could get a deed of that house
from that feller."

"Sure we could," Lesengeld replied calmly, "but we ain't going to. Once
in a while, Belz, even in the second-mortgage business, circumstances
alters cases, and this here is one of them cases; so before you are
calling me all kinds of suckers, understand me, you should be so good
and listen to what I got to tell you."

Belz shrugged his shoulders resignedly.

"Go as far as you like," he said, "_aber_ if it's something which you
seen it on a moving pictures, Lesengeld, I don't want to hear it at
all."

"It didn't happen on a moving pictures, Belz, but just the same if even
you would seen it on a moving pictures you would say to yourself that
with a couple of fellers like you and me, which a few hundred dollars
one way or the other wouldn't make or break us, understand me, we would
be all kinds of crooks and highwaymen if we would went to work and turn
a lot of old widders out into the street."

"Lesengeld," Belz shouted impatiently, "do me the favour and don't make
no speeches. What has turning a lot of old widders into the street got
to do with Rudnik's mortgage?"

"It's got a whole lot to do with it," Lesengeld replied, "because
Rudnik's house he is leaving to a Home for old women, and if we take
away the house from him then the Home wouldn't get his house, and the
Home is in such shape, Belz, that if it wouldn't make a big killing in
the way of a legacy soon they would bust up sure."

"And that's all the reason why we should extend the mortgage on
Rudnik?" Belz demanded.

"That's all the reason," Lesengeld answered; "with three hundred and
fifty dollars a bonus."

"Then all I could say is," Belz declared, "we wouldn't do nothing of
the kind. What is three =hundred and fifty dollars a bonus in these
times, Lesengeld?"

"But the Home," Lesengeld protested.

"The Home should bust up," Belz cried. "What do I care about the Home?"

"_Aber_ the widders?" Lesengeld insisted. "If the Home busts up the
widders is thrown into the street. Ain't it?"

"What is that my fault, Lesengeld? Did I make 'em widder