"And we got to wait
for our thousand dollars because you made it a shortage in delivery."

"I didn't make no shortage in delivery," Hymie declared.

"Well, Hymie," Abe broke in, "you say it yourself Heller, Blumenkrohn is
gilt-edge, A Number One people. They ain't going to claim no shortage if
there wasn't none, Hymie."

"I guess you don't know Louis Blumenkrohn, Abe," Hymie retorted. "He
claims it shortage before he unpacks the goods already."

"Well, what has that got to do with us, Hymie?" Morris burst out.

"You see how it is, boys," Hymie explained; "so I got to ask it you a
couple of weeks' extension."

"A couple of weeks' extension is nix, Hymie," Abe said, and Morris
nodded his head in approval.

"Either you give it us the thousand, Hymie," was Morris' ultimatum, "or
either we keep the diamonds, and that's all there is to it."

"Now, Mawruss," Hymie protested, "you ain't going to shut down on me
like that! Make it two weeks more and I'll give you a hundred dollars
bonus and interest at six per cent."

Abe shook his head. "No, Hymie," he said firmly, "we ain't no loan
sharks. If you got to get that thousand dollars to-day you will manage
it somehow. So that's the way it stands. We keep open here till six
o'clock, Hymie, and the diamonds will be waiting for you as soon so you
bring us the thousand dollars. That's all."

There was a note of finality in Abe's tones that made Hymie put on his
hat and leave without another word.

"Yes, Abe," Morris commented as the door closed behind Hymie, "so
liberal you must be with my money. Ain't I told you from the very start
that feller is a lowlife? Tchampanyer he must drink it on his wife's
birthday, Abe, and also he got to wear it diamonds, Abe, when he ain't
got enough money to pay his laundry bill yet."

"I ain't worrying, Mawruss," Abe replied. "He ain't going to let us
keep them diamonds for a thousand dollars, Mawruss. They're worth a
whole lot more as that, Mawruss."

"I don't know how much they're worth, Abe," Morris grunted, putting on
his hat, "but one thing I do know; I'm going across the street to get a
shave; and then I'm going right down to Sig Pollak on Maiden Lane, Abe,
and I'll find out just how much they are worth."

A moment later he descended the basement steps into the barber-shop
under Wasserbauer's Cafe and Restaurant.

"Hallo, Mawruss," a voice cried from the proprietor's chair. "Ain't it a
hot weather?"

It was Sam Feder, vice-pres