e are confronted with
Kovner, who claims to have a year's lease; and my client is relieved
from his purchase in the circumstances. No man is bound to buy a
lawsuit, Goldstein."

"I know he ain't," Goldstein retorted; "but what's the difference,
Feldman? He'll have a lawsuit on his hands, anyhow, because if he don't
take title now, understand me, I'll bring an action to compel him to do
so this very afternoon."

At this juncture a faint croaking came from the vicinity of Louis Stout,
who throughout had been as appreciative a listener as though he were
occupying an orchestra chair and had bought his seat from a speculator.

"Speak up, Mr. Stout!" Feldman cried.

"I was saying," Louis replied faintly, "that with my own ears I heard
Glaubmann say to Kovner that he's got a verbal lease for one year."

"And when was this?" Feldman asked.

"About three weeks ago," Stout replied.

"Then, in that case, Mr. Goldstein," Feldman declared, "let me present
to you another proposition of law."

He paused to formulate a sufficiently impressive "offer" as the lawyers
say, and in the silence that followed Elkan shuffled to his feet.

"It ain't necessary, Mr. Feldman," he said. "I already made up my mind
about it."

"About what?" Louis Stout exclaimed.

"About taking the house," Elkan replied. "If you'll let me have the
figures, Mr. Feldman, I'll draw a check and have it certified and we'll
close this thing up."

"_Aber_, Elkan," Louis cried, "first let me communicate with Flugel."

"That ain't necessary neither," Elkan retorted. "I'm going to make an
end right here and now; and you should be so good, Mr. Feldman, and fix
me up the statement of what I owe here. I want to get through."

Polatkin rose shakily to his feet.

"What's the matter, Elkan?" he said huskily. "Are you crazy, _oder_
what?"

"Sit down, Mr. Polatkin," Elkan commanded, and there was a ring of
authority in his tone that made Polatkin collapse into his chair. "I am
buying this house."

"But, Elkan," Louis Stout implored, "why don't you let me talk to Flugel
over the 'phone? Might he would got a suggestion to make maybe."

"That's all right," Elkan said. "The only suggestion he makes is that if
I go to work and close this contract, y'understand, he would never buy
another dollar's worth of goods from us so long as he lives. So you
shouldn't bother to ring him up, Mr. Stout."

Louis Stout flushed angrily.

"So far as that goes, Lubliner," he says, "