“You see that watch?” he said. “How much do you think it is worth?”
“It looks like a nice watch. I am no judge of values.”
“It cost me ninety dollars six months since. Now I need the money, and I will sell it to you for twenty-five.”
“But that would be a great sacrifice.”
“So it would, but I need the money. Of course, if you haven't got the money—”
“I have that amount of money,” said Walter, “but I haven't got it to spare. I might need it.”
“Then all you need to do is to sell the watch or pawn it. You could sell it for fifty dollars without trouble.”
“Why don't you do that?” asked Walter shrewdly.
“Because I haven't the time. I want, if possible, to go on to-night. If you had a wife and two children waiting for you, whom you had not seen for two months, you wouldn't mind losing a few dollars for the sake of seeing them a little sooner.”
“Very likely,” answered Walter, to whom his companion's explanation seemed plausible.