inkmann? The sales of
beer right away drops to nothing, understand me, and everybody drinks
the glass water instead."

At this juncture Trinkmann looked up and observed Albert at work on the
tumblers.

"Albert!" he cried. "Leave the glasses alone, d'ye hear me?"

Albert put down the glass he was wiping and commenced to rub the knives
and forks, whereat Trinkmann jumped to his feet.

"The forks, neither," he yelled. "Instead you should be standing there
wasting your time, fill up with water the glasses and tell Louis never
mind, he shouldn't polish any more them ashtrays."

* * * * *

When Max Maikafer concluded his lunch he proceeded at once to the
cashier's desk, over which Trinkmann himself presided.

"Cheer up, Trinkmann," he said, as he paid his check. "You got a face
so solemn like a rich uncle just died and left you to remember him by a
crayon portrait."

"Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Maikafer," Trinkmann said, "I got all I could
stand to-day. Not alone my wife goes to work and has twins on me, Mr.
Maikafer, but I also got to fire a feller which is working for me here
six years."

"What d'ye mean?" Max cried in well-feigned astonishment. "You are
going to fire Albert?"

"Not Albert," Trinkmann said; "Louis."

"Why, what did Louis done?" Max asked.

"He done enough, Mr. Maikafer," Trinkmann replied. "Here lately he gets
to acting so fresh you would think he owns the place."

"Well, why not?" Max commented. "After all, Trinkmann, you got to give
Louis credit; he works hard here and he keeps for you many a customer.
Because I want to tell you something, Trinkmann, which I am only saying
it for your own good, understand me--there's lots of times you are
acting so grouchy to the customers that if it wouldn't be Louis
smoothes 'em down they wouldn't come near your place at all."

"What the devil are you talking about?" Trinkmann shouted. "If you
wasn't such a big fool you would know I am always polite to my
customers. Furthermore, I never lost a customer since I am in business,
and if you don't like the way I run my restaurant you don't got to come
here. That's all."

Maikafer nodded as he pocketed his change.

"All right, Trinkmann," he said. "But you know what happens when a
concern lets a salesman go. He easy finds a partner and starts to do
business with his old firm's customers on his own account."

Trinkmann laughed aloud.

"That _Schnorrer_ ain't got mo