, Mr. Wolfson?"

He looked significantly at Wolfson's waistcoat pocket.

"What diamonds?" Borrochson asked.

"He means the diamonds what you just picked up off the floor," Wolfson
hastened to explain. "He wants his rakeoff, too, I suppose."

He fastened another hypnotic glare on the shrinking Daiches and, taking
the remaining diamonds from Borrochson, he put them with the others in
his vest pocket.

"Well," he concluded, "that I will settle with him, too. To-morrow is
Monday and we will all meet at Feldman's office at two o'clock.
Daiches, you and me will go downtown together and take it a little
dinner and some wine, maybe. What?"

He took Daiches' arm in a viselike grasp and started to lead him from
the store.

"Hold on there!" Borrochson cried. "How about them diamonds? You got
the diamonds and all I get is two hundred dollars. What security have I
got it that you don't skip out with the diamonds and give me the
rinky-dinks? Ain't it?"

"About the stock and fixtures, you got it a writing from me. Ain't it?"
Wolfson cried. "And about the safe, Daiches here is a witness. I give
you two hundred dollars a while ago, and the balance of four hundred
dollars I will pay it you to-morrow at two o'clock when we close."

He took the keys of the store from Borrochson after the door was
locked, and once more he led Daiches to the street.

"Yes, Daiches," he said, as they neared the elevated station, "that's
the way it is when a feller's tongue runs away with him. You pretty
near done yourself out of a fine diamond."

"A fine diamond!" Daiches exclaimed. "What d'ye mean?"

"I mean, if you wouldn't say nothing to Borrochson about them diamonds
what I stuck it in my waistcoat pocket before he seen 'em, as soon as
we close the deal I give you one. Because if you should say something
to Borrochson, it would bust up the deal; and might he would sue me in
the courts for the diamonds already."

A shrewd glitter came into Daiches' eyes.

"That's where you make it a mistake, Mr. Wolfson," he said. "If you
give it me the diamond now, Mr. Wolfson, I sure wouldn't say nothing to
Borrochson about it, because I run it the risk of losing the diamond if
I do. But if you wouldn't give it me the diamond till after the deal is
closed, then you wouldn't need to give it me at all; y'understand?"

Wolfson stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk.

"You are a fine schwindler!" he said.

"Whether I am a schwindler or I ain't a sch