-good but small,
y'understand--in a live town, Abe, I would go with him as partners
together, and we could extend the business and make a good thing of it."

Abe looked at Morris and then he slapped his thigh with his open hand.

"By jimminy," he cried, "I got the very thing for you, Max."

Morris gazed at his partner with raised eyebrows and then he too slapped
his thigh.

"Alex Kronberg!" he exclaimed.

"That's the feller," Abe said. "There's a man, Max, which he is honest
like the day and smart as a cutting machine. I know him since he was a
baby, y'understand, and he's worked his way up till now he's got a fine
business in Bridgetown. Only yesterday he says to me if he could get a
live partner with a little capital, y'understand, he would soon got the
biggest store in Bridgetown."

"What for a town is Bridgetown?" Max asked.

"Bridgetown is all right, Max," Abe said. "I give you my word, Max, they
got so many factories there which they burn soft coal, on the brightest
days you couldn't see the sun at all. It is an elegant place, Max."

"And what is more, Max," Morris added, "only last Saturday night, Alex
tells me, the store was so crowded two saleswomen fainted."

"It sounds good," Max admitted. "Who did you say owns the store?"

"Alex Kronberg," Morris replied.

"Kronberg--Kronberg," Max repeated. "The name sounds familiar. When did
you say he would be here?"

"He ought to be in here every minute," Abe said. Hardly had he spoken
when the elevator door clanged and Alex himself entered.

He glistened with perspiration, and his round, good-humoured face bore a
broad grin.

"Phoo-ee!" he cried. "I'm all heated up."

"What's the trouble, Alex?" Morris asked.

"I just run into Aaron and Uncle Mosha coming out of a coffee house, and
the way them two suckers cussed me out, Mawruss!--you wouldn't believe
it at all. I couldn't understand what they was talking about, Mawruss,
but they mentioned your name and something about Mosha's house on
Madison Street."

Abe glared at Morris and then turned to Alex with a forced smile.

"Don't you bother yourself about them fellers, Alex," he said.

"What do I care for 'em, Abe?" Alex replied. "I got my own troubles."

"Sure," Morris broke in; "but what did they say about the house, Alex?"

"So far what I could hear, Mawruss, Aaron says you are trying to buy
from Mosha the house."

"No such thing, Alex, believe me," Abe interrupted.

"But Aaron says he's alrea