ailed him from the rear.

"_Nu_, Elkan!" cried B. Gans, for it was none other than he. "You made
out fine at the meeting this morning--ain't it?"

"Who told you?" Elkan asked as he linked arms with the highgrade
manufacturer.

"Never mind who told me," B. Gans said jokingly; "but all I could say is
you made a tremendous hit with Jacob Paul, Elkan--and if that ain't no
compliment, understand me, I don't know what is. Why, there ain't a
better judge of men _oder_ antique furniture in this here city than
Paul, Elkan. He's an A-Number-One credit man, too, and I bet yer he gets
a big salary from them Hamsuckett Mills people, which the least his
income could be--considering what he picks up selling antiques--is
fifteen thousand a year."

"Does Paul sell all the antiques he collects?" Elkan asked.

"Does he?" B. Gans rejoined. "Well, I should say he does! Myself I
bought from him in the past two weeks half a dozen chairs, understand
me--four last week and two to-day--which I am paying him five hundred
dollars for the lot. They're worth it, too, Elkan. I never seen finer
examples of the period."

"But are you sure they're gen-wine?" Elkan asked as they reached the
entrance to his apartment house.

"Paul says they are," B. Gans answered, slapping Elkan's shoulder in
farewell; "and if he's mistaken, Elkan, then I'm content that I should
be."

Two hours later, however, after Elkan had recounted to Yetta all the
incidents of Dishkes' meeting and the resulting sale of the chairs, his
conscience smote him.

"What d'ye think, Yetta?" he asked. "Should I tell Paul and Gans the
chairs ain't gen-wine, _oder_ not?"

For more than ten minutes Yetta wrinkled her forehead over this knotty
ethical point; then she delivered her opinion.

"Mr. Gans tells you he is just as happy if they ain't gen-wine--ain't
it?" she said.

Elkan nodded.

"And Mr. Paul acted honest, because he didn't know they wasn't gen-wine
neither, ain't it?" she continued.

Again Elkan nodded.

"Then," Yetta declared, "if you are taking it so particular as all that,
Elkan, there's only one thing for you to do--give me the thirty
dollars!"

"Is that so!" Elkan exclaimed ironically. "And what will you do with the
money?"

"The only thing I can do with it, _Schlemiel_," she said. "Ten dollars I
will give Louis Dishkes he should take a trip up to the country over
Sunday and visit his wife."

"And what will we do with the other twenty?" Elkan asked.

"