oo, Mr. Shimko," Harry Zamp said timidly; "but if I
would get a partner with say, for example, five hundred dollars, I
could make a go of this here business."

Mr. Shimko nodded skeptically.

"I ain't saying you couldn't," he agreed, "but where would you find
such a partner? Nowadays a feller with five hundred dollars don't think
of going into retail business no more. The least he expects is he
should go right away into manufacturing. Jobbing and retailing is nix
for such a feller, understand me--especially clothing, Mr. Zamp, which
nowadays even drug stores carries retail clothing as a side line, so
cut up the business is."

Harry Zamp nodded gloomily.

"And, furthermore," Shimko added, "business brokers could no more get
you a partner with money as they could do miracles, Mr. Zamp. Them days
is past, Mr. Zamp, and all a business broker could do nowadays is to
bring you a feller with experience, and you don't need a business
broker for _that_, Mr. Zamp. Experience in the retail clothing business
is like the measles. Everybody has had it."

"Then what should I do, Mr. Shimko?" Zamp asked helplessly. "I must got
to get a partner with money somewhere, ain't it? And if I wouldn't go
to a business broker, who then would I go to? A bartender?"

"Never mind!" Mr. Shimko exclaimed. "Some people got an idee all
bartenders is bums, but wunst in a while a feller could get from a
bartender an advice also. I got working for me wunst in my place down
on Park Row a feller by the name Klinkowitz, which he is now manager of
the Olympic Gardens on Rivington Street; and if I would have took that
feller's advice, Mr. Zamp, instead I am worth now my tens of thousands
I would got hundreds of thousands already. 'When you see a feller is
going down and out, Mr. Shimko,' he always says to me, 'don't show him
no mercy at all. If you set 'em up for a live one, Mr. Shimko,' he
says, 'he would anyhow buy a couple of rounds; but a dead one, Mr.
Shimko,' he says, 'if you show him the least little encouragement,
understand me, the least that happens you is he gets away with the
whole lunch-counter.' Am I right or wrong?"

Mr. Zamp nodded. He resented the imputation that he was a dead one, but
he felt bound to agree with Mr. Shimko, in view of the circumstance
that on the following day he would owe a month's rent with small
prospect of being able to pay it. Indeed, he wondered at Mr. Shimko's
amiability, for as owner of the Canal Street premis