“I know, John,” Bunch replied, “but this looked awfully good to me, and I went after it.”

“Did they sting you for the whole bundle?” I asked.

“Not quite,” Bunch answered sadly; “but they certainly put a crimp in my wallet.  I’m only $1,500 strong now, and that’s not enough to tip the porter on the honeymoon journey.  You know, John, I’m only drawing $100 a week from the brokerage business, and I’ll get nervous if I can’t make up a purse quicker than that.  I’ll simply have to go to Alice and Uncle William Grey and get a set-back, and—­say, John!  I’m a polish, for fair!  Alice is making all her preparations, and has her mind fastened to the date, and all that sort of thing, and like a chump I go up against that——­”

“Oh, get back from the funeral, get back, Bunch!” I advised.  “How often have I told you not to cut a beef about the has-happened?  You went to Bennings, got dizzy, did a couple of Arabs and lose the price of a wedding trip—­that’s all.  Now we must get that money back before the minister steps up to start the fight.”

“How can I win out $3,500 in seven weeks, I’d like to know!” Bunch moaned.

“A cincherine,” I came back.  “I’ve got a scheme cooking that will put you and me all to the splendid in short order.”

“Yes, but these schemes of yours sometimes get nervous prostration,” Bunch began to fret.

“Sush, now!” I said; “this is the real goods.  It can’t go wrong.  It’s just like getting money from Carnegie.  I’ve discovered a genius.”

“A genius!” Bunch repeated; “what kind of a genius?”

“His name is Signor Beppo Petroskinski, an Illusionist,” I answered.  “And he’s aces.”

“What does he do?” asked Bunch; “spar eight rounds with the piano or sell Persian rugs?”

“Nix on the hurry talk, Bunch,” I said.  “Petroskinski is a discovery of mine, and he’s all to the mustard.  He’s an Illusionist, and he can pull off some of the best tricks I ever blinked at.  Say, he has Hermann and Keller and all those guys backed up in a corner yelling for help.  Skinski is our mint, and we’re going to take him out over the one-night stands and drag a fortune away from Mr. and Mrs. Reub.”

“You mean you’re going to finance a tour for this unknown magician and expect to win out?  Say, John, don’t let my troubles affect your brain; I’ll be good and stop crying!”

“I mean, Bunch, that Skinski is the wonder of the age, and all we have to do is to show him to the public and they’ll be handing us their jewelry.  You know, Bunch, I’m a few chips shy myself on account of a side play which my wife knows nothing about.  I promised her to make a first payment of $5,000 on that new home we’re going to buy on the first of the year, and I fell down and broke my promise.  I thought I could drag the homestead money away from the Street, so I took a few slices of Amalgamated Copper and burned my thumb.  Old Colonel Frenzied Finance didn’t do a thing to me.  When I yelled for help my pocketbook looked like a last season’s autumn leaf in the family Bible.  Peaches isn’t wise that I’ve lost my roll, so it’s up to me to make good before she screams for a receiver.”