“You loaned ’em to somebody!” Hymie cried, jumping once more to his feet.  “My diamonds you loaned it, Mawruss?  Well, all I got to say is either you get them diamonds back right away, or either I will call a policeman and make you arrested.”

“Make me arrested, then, Hymie,” Morris replied resignedly, “because the feller what I loaned them diamonds to won’t return ’em for two weeks anyhow.”

Hymie sat down again.

“For two weeks, hey?” he said.  He passed his handkerchief over his face and looked at Abe.

“That’s a fine, nervy partner what you got it, Abe, I must say,” he commented.

“Well, Hymie,” Abe replied, “so long as you can’t get them diamonds back for two weeks keep the thousand dollars for two weeks and we won’t charge you no interest nor nothing.”

“No, siree,” Hymie said; “either I pay you the thousand now, Abe, or I don’t pay it you for three months, and no interest nor nothing.”

Abe looked at Morris, who nodded his head slowly.

“What do we care, Abe,” he said, “two weeks or three months is no difference now, ain’t it?”

“I’m agreeable, then, Hymie,” Abe declared.

“All right,” Hymie said eagerly; “put it down in writing and sign it, and I am satisfied you should keep the diamonds three months.”

Abe sat down at his desk and scratched away for five minutes.

“Here it is, Hymie,” he said at last.  “Hyman Kotzen and Potash & Perlmutter agrees it that one thousand dollars what he lent it off of them should not be returned for three months from date, no interest nor nothing.  And also, that Potash & Perlmutter should not give up the diamonds, neither.  POTASH & PERLMUTTER.”

“That’s all right,” Hymie said.  He folded the paper into his pocketbook and turned to Morris.

“Also it is understood, Mawruss, you shouldn’t lend them diamonds to nobody else,” he concluded, and a minute later the store door closed behind him.

After he had gone there was an ominous silence which Abe was the first to break.

“Well, Mawruss,” he said, “ain’t that a fine mess you got us into it?  Must you wore it them diamonds, Mawruss?  Why couldn’t you leave ’em in the safe?”

Morris made no answer.

“Or if you had to lose ’em, Mawruss,” Abe went on, “why didn’t you done it the day we loaned Hymie the money?  Then we could of stopped our check by the bank.  Now we can do nothing.”

“I didn’t lose the diamonds, Abe,” Morris protested.  “I left ’em in my vest in the barber-shop and somebody took it the vest.”

“Well, ain’t you got no suspicions, Mawruss?” Abe asked.  “Think, Mawruss, who was it took the vest?”

Morris raised his head and was about to reply when the store door opened and Sam Feder, vice-president of the Kosciusko Bank, entered bearing a brown paper parcel under his arm.

A personal visit from so well-known a financier covered Abe with embarrassment, and he jumped to his feet and rushed out of the show-room with both arms outstretched.