as he can hold his customers' trade."

"You got the proper real-estate spirit, Joe," Benno declared, as he
returned with the cards and chips. "You don't allow the ground to grow
under your feet. Just at present, though, we are going to spiel a
little pinocle and we would talk business afterward."

"Real estate ain't business," Kamin retorted. "It's a game like pinocle;
and I got a little Jack of Diamonds and Queen of Spades coming round
here in a few minutes which I would like to meld."

"Now you are talking poetry," Barnett said.

"Take it from me, Barney," Benno Ortelsburg interrupted, "this ain't no
poetry. It's a fact; and if you could see your way clear to pay a
thousand dollars' commission, y'understand, me and Joe is got a customer
for your Linden Boulevard house at eighteen thousand dollars."

"Jokes you are making me!" Barnett cried. "You shouldn't drink so much
schnapps after dinner, Benno, because I could as much get eighteen
thousand for that Linden Boulevard house as I would pay you a thousand
dollars commission if I got it."

"You ain't paying me the thousand dollars," Benno protested. "Don't you
suppose Joe's got a look-in-here?"

"And furthermore," Joe said, "you also got Louis Stout to consider. If
you think Louis Stout is going to sit by and see a commission walk past
him, Benno, you are making a big mistake."

"I'm willing we should give Louis a hundred or so," Benno agreed. "We
got to remember Louis is a customer of his also."

"A customer of who's?" Barnett asked, as the doorbell rang.

"_Stiegen!_" Benno hissed; and a moment later he ushered Elkan and Yetta
into the library, while Mr. Stout brought up the rear.

Benno cleared his throat preparatory to introducing the newcomers, but
Louis Stout brushed hastily past him.

"Mr. Glaubmann," Louis said, "this is my friend, Elkan Lubliner."

"And you forget Mrs. Lubliner," cried Mrs. Ortelsburg, who had hurried
downstairs at the sound of voices in the hall. "I'm Mrs. Ortelsburg,"
she continued, turning to Yetta. "Won't you come upstairs and take your
things off?"

"Elkan," Louis Stout continued, "you better go along with her. I want
you to see what an elegant lot of clothes-closets they got upstairs. You
know most houses is designed by archytecks which all they are trying to
do is to save money for the builder. _Aber_ this archyteck was an
exception. The way he figures it he tries to build the house to please
the women, _mit_ lots of clo