you think you could got a partner just by bringing him
into the store here, and showing him the stock and fixtures which you
got it, you are making a big mistake."

"Well, of course I am expecting I should blow him to dinner maybe,"
Zamp protested, "with a theayter also."

Shimko evidenced his disgust by puffing vigorously at his cigar.

"You are just like a whole lot of other people, Zamp," he said. "You
are always willing to spend money before you make it. Meiselson comes
in here and sees you only got a small stock of piece goods, understand
me, and you couldn't afford to keep no help, and then, on the top of
that yet, you would take him out and blow him. Naturally he right away
gets the idee you are spending your money foolishly, instead of putting
it into your business, and the whole thing is off."

Zamp shrugged impotently.

"What could I do, Mr. Shimko?" he asked. "I got here a small stock of
goods, I know, but that's just the reason why I want a partner."

"And that's just the reason why you wouldn't get one," Shimko declared.
"A small stock of piece goods you couldn't help, Zamp; but if you let
that feller come into your store and find you ain't got no cutters or
customers, that's your own fault."

"What d'ye mean, Mr. Shimko?" Zamp demanded.

"I mean this," Shimko explained. "If I would got a store like you got
it here, Zamp, and a friend offers to bring me a feller with a couple
thousand dollars for a partner, understand me, I would go to work,
y'understand, and get a couple cutters and engage 'em for the
afternoon. Then I would turn around, y'understand, and go up and see
such a feller like Klinkowitz, which he is manager of that theayter on
Rivington Street, and I would get him to fix up for me a half a dozen
young fellers from his theayter, which they would come down to my store
for the day, and some of 'em acts like customers, and others acts like
clerks. Then, when my friend brings in the feller with two thousand
dollars, understand me, what do they see? The place is full of
customers and salesmen, and in the rear is a couple of cutters chalking
lines on pattern papers and cutting it up with shears. You yourself are
so busy, understand me, you could hardly talk a word to us. You don't
want to know anything about getting a partner at all. What is a partner
with two thousand dollars in a rushing business like you are doing it?
I beg of you you should take the matter under consideration, but you
pre