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DIAMONDS TO SIT ON

Don’t be alarmed, just listen to what follows ; KNOCKED DOWN BY A HORSE Yes, yes, he’s alive all right. You don’t think I’d be taking money about a dead man, do you ? Now hsten :

KNOCKED DOWN BY A HORSE Yesterday, in Sverdlov Square, Comrade Ostap Bender was knocked down by a horse belonging to Cabman Number 8974. Com­ rade Bender was unhurt and escaped with a fright.

Now, I’ll let you have these documents and you’ll give me the rnoney in advance. That’s my usual practice.’ The widow paid him the money, and great tears were in her eyes. Her husband, her darling husband, was lying on the ground in some distant Moscow street and a fire-breathing horse was trampling him down, crushing his chest and his pale blue waistcoat. Varfolomeich was perfectly satisfied with his reward, and went home after explaining to the widow that further traces of her husband would no doubt be found in the Stanok newspaper office, where they knew something about everything. A Letter Written from Rostov by Father Theodore to his Wife.

‘ My Dear Katya, ‘ A fresh disappointment has befallen me ; but about that later. I received the money in time and thank you for it most heartily. The moment I arrived I hurried to the address of the cement factory. It was quite a large building, but no one had ever heard of the engineer Bruns. I was almost desperate when