Mawruss," Abe declared as he glanced over the columns of the
Daily Cloak and Suit Record, "after all a feller feels more satisfied
when he could see the customers himself and find out just exactly how
they do business, y'understand. Maybe the way we lost Louis Mintz wasn't
such a bad thing anyhow, Mawruss. I bet yer if Louis would of been
selling goods for us, Mawruss, we would of been in that Cohen &
Schondorf business too. Me, I am different, Mawruss. So soon as I went
in that store, Mawruss, I could see that them fellers was in bad. I'm
very funny that way, Mawruss."

"You shouldn't throw no bouquets at yourself because you got a little
luck, Abe," Morris commented.

"Some people calls it luck, Mawruss, but I call it judgment,
y'understand."

"Sure, I know," Morris continued, "but how about Hymie Kotzen, Abe?
Always you said it that feller got lots of judgment, Abe."

"A feller could got so much judgment as Andrew Carnegie," Abe retorted,
"and oncet in a while he could play in hard luck too. Yes, Mawruss,
Hymie Kotzen is certainly playing in hard luck."

"Is he?" Morris Perlmutter replied. "Well, he don't look it when I seen
him in the Harlem Winter Garden last night, Abe. Him and Mrs. Kotzen was
eating a family porterhouse between 'em with tchampanyer wine yet."

"Well, Mawruss," Abe said, "he needs it tchampanyer wine, Mawruss. Last
month I seen it he gets stung two thousand by Cohen & Schondorf, and
to-day he's chief mourner by the Ready Pay Store, Barnet Fischman
proprietor. Barney stuck him for fifteen hundred, Mawruss, so I guess he
needs it tchampanyer wine to cheer him up."

"Well, maybe he needs it diamonds to cheer him up, also, Abe," Morris
added. "That feller got diamonds on him, Abe, like 'lectric lights on
the front of a moving-picture show."

"Diamonds never harmed nobody's credit, Mawruss," Abe rejoined. "You can
get your money out of diamonds most any time, Mawruss. I see by the
papers diamonds increase in price thirty per cent. in six months
already. Yes, Mawruss, diamonds goes up every day."

"And so does the feller what wears 'em, Abe," Morris went on. "In fact,
the way that Hymie Kotzen does business I shouldn't be surprised if he
goes up any day, too. Andrew Carnegie couldn't stand it the failures
what that feller gets into, Abe."

"That's just hard luck, Mawruss," Abe replied; "and if he wears it
diamonds, Mawruss, he paid for 'em himself, Mawruss, and he's got a
right to wear 'em.