" Louis said, with a slight tremor in his
tones.

"Say, lookyhere, Louis," Trinkmann continued, "to-morrow morning first
thing you should ring up Greenberg & Company and tell 'em to call and
fetch away them eight boxes cigars. What, do them people think I would
be a sucker all my life? They stock me up _mit_ cigars till I couldn't
move around at all."

"But, Mr. Trinkmann," Louis protested, "this afternoon three o'clock
you are telling me----"

"_Koosh!_" Trinkmann roared, and Louis fell back three paces; "don't
you answer me back. Ain't you got no respect at all?"

Louis made no reply, but slunk away to the rear of the restaurant.

"_Schlemiel!_" Simon hissed, as Louis passed him. "Why don't you stand
up to him?"

Louis shrugged hopelessly and continued on to the kitchen, while Simon
concluded his meal and paid his check.

"You didn't told me if you seen Max Maikafer to-day?" he said, as he
pocketed a handful of tooth-picks.

"I didn't got to told you whether I did _oder_ I didn't," Trinkmann
replied, "but one thing I _will_ tell you, Mr. Feinsilver--I am running
here a restaurant, not a lumber yard."

* * * * *

At ten minutes to three Trinkmann stood behind the cashier's desk, so
thoroughly enmeshed in the intricacies of his wife's bookkeeping that
not even a knowledge of conic sections would have disentangled him. For
the twentieth time he added a column of figures and, having arrived at
the twentieth different result, he heaved a deep sigh and looked out of
the window for inspiration. What little composure remained to him,
however, fled at the sight of Max Maikafer, who stood talking to a
stout person arrayed in a fur overcoat. As they conversed, Max's gaze
constantly reverted to the restaurant door, as though he awaited the
appearance of somebody from that quarter, while the man in the fur
overcoat made gestures toward a vacant store across the street. He was
a stout man of genial, hearty manner, and it seemed to Trinkmann that
he could discern on the fur overcoat an imaginary inscription reading:
"_Macht's euch gemuetlich hier._"

Trinkmann came from behind the desk and proceeded to the rear of the
restaurant, where Louis was cleaning up in company with Marcus and
Albert.

"Louis," he said, "I want you you should go into the kitchen and tell
that pantryman he should wash again the forks in hot water, and stay
there till he is through. D'ye hear me?"

Loui