Philip?" Miss Meyerson asked.

"Miss Meyerson," Aaron began, "that boy is a good boy, y'understand,
but somehow or another Greenberg & Sen don't take no interest in him at
all. I don't think he learns much there, even though they did raise him
two dollars last week."

"And how is your cough getting on, Mr. Pinsky?" Miss Meyerson
continued.

"Since I ain't been taking the medicine it ain't been so good," Aaron
announced, and, as if in corroboration of his statement, he immediately
entered upon a fit of coughing that well-nigh strangled him. After Miss
Meyerson had brought him a glass of water he repeated the narrative of
the burned-out drug store and produced the bottle from his
breast-pocket.

"That's too bad that the prescription was burned," Miss Meyerson said.
"I'll get another one from my cousin's husband to-night and bring it
down here to-morrow."

"Hold on there, Miss Meyerson," Aaron said. "To-morrow them boys might
be in here, and I don't want to risk it."

"Why, they wouldn't bite you, Mr. Pinsky," she declared.

"Sure, I know. But the fact is I feel kind of funny about meeting 'em
again--just yet a while, anyhow."

"But, Mr. Pinsky," Miss Meyerson went on persuasively, "it's foolish of
you to feel that way about it."

"Maybe it is," Aaron admitted, "but, just the same, Miss Meyerson, if
you wouldn't think it fresh or anything, I'd like to come up and call
on you to-night, if you don't mind, Miss Meyerson, and you could give
me the prescription then."

"Why, certainly," Miss Meyerson cried heartily. She turned to her desk
and opened her handbag.

"Here's my card," she said. "I live with my cousin, Mrs. Goldenreich."

"Thanks; much obliged," Aaron murmured, pocketing the card. "I'll be
there at eight o'clock."

Once more he glanced furtively around him and then, with a final
handshake, he started off on tiptoe for the stairs. As soon as he
disappeared Miss Meyerson took up the receiver.

"Ten-oh-four-oh, Harlem," she said.

"Hello," she continued, "is this you, Bertha? Well, this is Miriam.
Will you send over to Reisbecker's and get a four-pound haddock? Never
mind what I want it for. I'm going to have company to-night. Yes,
that's right, and I want to make some _gefuellte fische_. You say you
have plenty of onions? Well, then, I'll bring home ten cents' worth of
Spanish saffron and half a dozen fresh eggs. I'll make some _mohnkuchen_
after I get home. Did my white silk waist come back from