_Schlag_ at Leon Sammet and Moe Rabiner last night, Mawruss, I bet yer.
I got from Geigermann a repeat order on them two-piece velvet
suits--seven hundred and fifty dollars; and do you know how I done it?"

"Chloroformed him," Morris suggested ironically.

"That's all right, Mawruss," Abe retorted. "Go ahead and joke if you
want to. Maybe I couldn't play the fiddle with my knees and maybe I
don't know nothing about _spieling_ pianners neither, y'understand; but
I got a little gumption, too, Mawruss, and don't you forget it."

He retired to the cutting room with a set expression on his face, as
though to imply that wild horses could not drag from him the secret of
Felix Geigermann's renewed patronage.

For twenty minutes he remained firm in his resolve not to gratify his
partner's curiosity; and then as Morris continued to whistle cheerfully
over the sample-rack in the front of the loft, he returned to the
showroom.

"Yes, Mawruss," he said; "some fellers if they would do what I done with
Felix Geigermann they wouldn't give their partner a minute's peace. For
months together, Mawruss, they would throw it up to him."

"What is the difference, Abe, if a salesman gets orders, how he gets
'em," Morris rejoined, "so long as he ain't padding his expense
account?"

"What d'ye mean, padding my expense account?" Abe cried. "A hundred and
twenty-five dollars the fiddle costed me and that's all I charge up."

"The fiddle!" Morris exclaimed. "What fiddle?"

"The fiddle which I give Geigermann last night," Abe continued; "and if
you don't believe me you could ask Shellak."

"Shellak?" Morris repeated. "What the devil are you talking about, Abe?"

"Yes, Shellak," Abe went on, "the cutter. He comes round here yesterday
with a fiddle, Mawruss, which he wants to sell it to Nathan Schenkman.
So I give him a hundred and twenty-five dollars for it _und fertig_."

"You give Shellak a hundred and twenty-five dollars?" Morris exploded.
"Are you crazy, _oder_ what?"

"It was a genu-ine Amati," Abe explained; "and so soon as I seen it,
Mawruss, I thought to myself if them cut-throats could sell Geigermann a
big bill of goods just by playing on fiddles, y'understand, what sort of
an order could I get out of him supposing I should give him a fiddle
yet? So that's what I done, Mawruss; and he did, Mawruss, and I was
right. Ain't it?"

"Say, lookyhere, Abe," Morris began slowly; "let me get this thing
correct. You are paying Shella