last. "That
Schenkmann has taken a hundred-dollar bill out of there."
"What?" Abe exclaimed.
"Just as sure as you are sitting there," Linkheimer went on excitedly.
"That feller Schenkmann has pinched a hundred-dollar bill on me."
Here his academic English completely forsook him and he continued in the
vernacular of the lower East Side.
"Always up to now I have kept the safe locked on that feller, and the
very first time I get careless he goes to work and does me for a hundred
dollars yet."
"But," Abe protested, "you might of made a mistake, ain't it? If the
feller took it a hundred dollars, why don't he turn around and _ganver_
the other four hundred? Ain't it? The ten dollars also he might of took
it. What?"
"A _ganef_ you couldn't tell what he would do at all," Linkheimer
rejoined, and Abe rose to his feet.
"I'm sorry for you, Mr. Linkheimer," he said, seizing his hat, "but I
guess I must be getting back to the store. So you shouldn't trouble
yourself about this here feller Schenkmann. We decided we would get
along without him."
But Abe's words fell on deaf ears, for as he turned to leave Mr.
Linkheimer threw up the window sash and thrust his head out.
"Po-lee-eece, po-lee-eece!" he yelled.
* * * * *
When Abe arrived at his place of business after his visit to Max
Linkheimer he found Morris whistling cheerfully over the morning mail.
"Well, Abe," Morris cried, "did you seen it Max Linkheimer?"
Abe hurriedly took off his hat and coat, and catching the bandaged thumb
in the sleeve lining he swore long and loud.
"Yes, I seen Max Linkheimer," he growled, "and I'm sick and tired of the
whole business. Go ahead and get a shipping clerk, Mawruss. I'm
through."
"Why?" Morris asked. "Wouldn't Linkheimer give a recommendation, because
if he wouldn't, Abe, I am satisfied we should take the feller without
one. In fact I'm surprised you didn't bring him along."
"You are, hey?" Abe broke in. "Well, you shouldn't be surprised at
nothing like that, Mawruss, because I didn't bring him along for the
simple reason, Mawruss, I don't want no _ganef_ working round my place.
That's all."
"What do you mean--_ganef_?" Morris cried. "The feller ain't no more a
thief as you are, Abe."
Abe's moustache bristled and his eyes bulged so indignantly that they
seemed to rest on his cheeks.
"You should be careful what you say, Mawruss," he retorted. "Maybe he
ain't no more a _g
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