he
policy it would look like the roster of an East Side free-burial
society. Also, this here Rudy Feinholz what acted as your broker is also
general agent, adjuster and office manager for the Metropolitan
District; and, taking it by and large, youse gentlemen is lucky you come
to me instead of him to adjust this loss."

Rudy Feinholz's insurance business occupied what had once been the front
parlor of a high-stoop brown-stone residence. Similarly the basement
dining-room had been converted into a delicatessen store, and the smoked
meats, pickles, cheese and spices with which it was stocked provided
rather a strange atmosphere for the Metropolitan Agency of the Farmers
and Ranchers' Insurance Company. Moreover, the Italian barber who rented
the quondam back parlor was given to practicing on the mandolin; and
when Abe, Morris and J. Blaustein entered the Metropolitan Agency a very
imperfect rendition of Santa Lucia came through the partition and made
conversation difficult for the Metropolitan agent.

"What d'ye say if we all go round to the Longchamps," he said, "and talk
things over."

"I'm agreeable," Morris said, looking at his partner.

"Sure thing," Blaustein replied. "That delicatessen store smell is so
thick around here that I'm getting ptomaine poisoning."

"But," Abe protested, "maybe Louis Feinholz don't want us round there.
We ain't on the best of terms with Louis."

"That's all right," Rudy Feinholz said. "I arranged with him to bring
you round there. Uncle Louis is a heavy stockholder in the Farmers and
Ranchers', and----"

"S'enough!" Morris cried. "I hear enough about the family history of
this here Farmers and Ranchers. It wouldn't make no difference to me if
your mother was the vice-president and your sister the secretary. All I
want is we should settle this thing up."

"Well, come along, then," Rudy cried, and the two brokers and their
clients repaired to Feinholz's store. Abe and Morris entered not without
trepidation, but Louis received them with unaffected amiability.

"Well, Mawruss," he said, "that's too bad you got a fire in your place."

"We can stand it," Morris replied. "We was insured."

Feinholz rejoined: "Yes, you was insured by your loft, but you wasn't
insured by your freight elevator."

"But by the rules of the Fire Insurance Exchange," Blaustein
interrupted, "when a policy reads----"

"What do we care about the Fire Insurance Exchange?" Feinholz broke in.
"The Farmers and