.

"We are now only twenty hours from New York," he said, "and suppose I go
downstairs and bring you up some of them styles which I got in Paris."

"You shouldn't trouble yourself," Moe said shortly.

"Why not?" Leon inquired.

"Because, for all I care," Moe replied viciously, "you could fire 'em
overboard. I would _oser_ buy from you a button."

"What's the matter?" Leon cried.

"You know what's the matter," Moe continued.

"You come every day into my stateroom and mock me yet because I am
sick."

"I mock you!" Leon exclaimed.

"That's what I said," Moe continued; "and if you wouldn't take that
cigar away from here I'll break your neck when I get on shore again."

Leon backed away hurriedly and Moe turned to Abe.

"Am I right or wrong?" he said.

Abe nodded. He was incapable of audible speech, but hour by hour he grew
stronger until at dinner-time he was able to partake of some soup and
roast beef, and even to listen with a wan smile to Moe's caustic
appraisement of Leon Sammet's character. Finally, after a good night's
rest, Moe and Abe awoke to find the engine stilled at Quarantine. They
were saved the necessity of packing their trunks for the cogent reason
that they had been physically unable to open them, let alone unpack
them. Hence they repaired at once to breakfast.

Leon was already seated at table, and he hastily cancelled an order for
Yarmouth bloater and asked instead for a less fragrant dish.

"Good morning, Moe," he said pleasantly.

Moe turned to Abe. "To-morrow morning at nine o'clock, Abe," he said, "I
would be down in your store to look over your line."

"Steward," Leon Sammet cried, "never mind that steak. I would take the
bloater anyhow."

Abe and Moe breakfasted lightly on egg and toast, and returned to their
stateroom as they passed the Battery.

"Say, lookyhere, Moe," Abe said; "I want to show you something which I
bought for you as a surprise the night before we left Paris. I got it
right in the top of my suitcase here, and it wouldn't take a minute to
show it to you."

Abe was unstrapping his suitcase as he spoke, and the next minute he
shook out the gown he had purchased from the young lady of the Cafe de
la Paix, and exposed it to Moe's admiring gaze.

"How did you get hold of that, Abe?" Moe asked.

Abe narrated his adventure at the Grand Hotel, while Moe gaped his
astonishment.

"I always thought you got a pretty good nerve, Abe," he declared, "but
this sure is t