“Stalling!” exclaimed Crumb in a hurt tone. “Who’s been stalling?”
“You have.”
“Oh, my dear man!” cried Crumb deprecatingly. “You know that in matters of this kind one must be circumspect. There were reasons in the past why it would have been unsafe to transfer so large an amount to you. It might easily have been traced. I was being watched—a fellow even shadowed me to the teller’s window in my bank one day. You see how it is? Neither of us can take chances.”
“That’s all right, too,” said Allen; “but I’ve been taking chances right along, and I ain’t been taking them for my health. I been taking them for the coin, and I want that coin—I want it pronto!”
“You can most certainly have it,” said Crumb.
“All right!” replied Allen, extending a palm. “Fork it over.”
“My dear fellow, you don’t think that I have it here, do you?” demanded Crumb. “You don’t think I keep such an amount as that in my home, I hope!”
“Where is it?”
“In the bank, of course.”
“Gimme a check.”