"What do you think of that?" asked Jonathan, presently, displaying a huge ring on one of his red fingers.
"Is that something you have bought in the city?" asked Frank.
"Yes," answered his cousin, complacently. "I got it at a bargain."
"Did you buy it in a jewelry store?"
"No; I'll tell you how it was. I was goin' along the street, when I saw a well-dressed feller, who looked kinder anxious. He come up to me, and he said, 'Do you know any one who wants to buy a splendid gold ring cheap?' Then he told me he needed some money right off to buy vittles for his family, bein' out of work for a month. He said the ring cost him fifteen dollars, and he'd sell it for three. I wasn't goin' to pay no such price, and I finally beat him down to a dollar," said Jonathan, chuckling. "I guess that's doing pretty well for one day. He said any jeweller would pay me six or seven dollars for it."
"Then why didn't he sell it to a jeweller him self, instead of giving it to you for a dollar?"
"I never thought of that," said Jonathan, looking puzzled.
"I am afraid it is not so good a bargain as you supposed," said Frank.
Great drops of perspiration came out on Jonathan's brow.
"You don't think it's brass, do you?" he gasped.