; "and if you want my help you could
come down to my place to-morrow morning at ten o'clock."

At this juncture the triggered bell rang loudly, and raising his hand
for silence Ringentaub returned to the store.

"Why, how do you do, Mr. Paul!" he said.

He addressed a broad-shouldered figure arrayed in the height of Canal
Street fashion.

Aside from his clothing, however, there was little to betray the
connoisseur of fine arts and antiques in the person of Jacob Paul, who
possessed the brisk, businesslike manner and steel-blue eyes of a
detective sergeant.

"Hello, Ringentaub!" he said. "You are doing a rushing business
here--ain't it? More customers in the back room too?"

He glanced sharply at the open doorway in the partition, through which
Elkan and Dishkes could be seen engaged in earnest conversation.

"_Yow_--customers!" Ringentaub exclaimed. "You know how it is in the
antic business, Mr. Paul. For a hundred that looks, understand me, one
buys; and that one, Mr. Paul, he comes into your place a dozen times
before he makes up his mind yet."

"Well," Paul said with a smile, "I've made up my mind at last,
Ringentaub, and I'll take them other two chairs at forty-five dollars."

Ringentaub nodded his head slowly.

"I thought you would, Mr. Paul," he said; "but just the same you are a
little late, on account this here gentleman already bought 'em for fifty
dollars."

A shade of disappointment passed over Paul's face as he turned to Max
Merech.

"I congratulate you, Mister----"

"Merech," Max suggested.

"Merech," Paul continued. "You paid a high price for a couple of good
pieces."

"I ain't paying nothing," Max replied. "I bought 'em for this lady here
and her husband."

It was then that Jacob Paul for the first time noticed Yetta's presence,
and he bowed apologetically.

"Is he also a collector?" he asked, and Max shook his head.

"He's in the garment business," Yetta volunteered, "for himself."

A puzzled expression wrinkled Paul's flat nose.

"I guess I ain't caught the name," he said.

"Lubliner," Yetta replied; "Elkan Lubliner, of Polatkin, Scheikowitz &
Company."

"You don't tell me?" Jacob Paul said. "And so Mr. Lubliner is interested
in antiques. That's quite a jump, from cloaks and suits to antiques
already."

"Well," Merech explained, "Mr. Lubliner is refurnishing his house."

"Maybe," Elkan added as he appeared in the doorway of the partition,
followed by Dishkes and Mrs. Rin