last week, a special line of capes what I
got up for him to retail at eighteen-fifty. But he also wanted me to
make up for him a winder sample, just one garment to hang in the winder
what would look like them special capes, Abe, y'understand, something
like a diamond looks like a rhinestone. Then, when a lady sees that cape
in the winder, she wants to buy one just like it, so she goes into
Louis' store and they show her one just like it, only three inches
shorter, a yard less goods into it, about half the soutache on to it and
a dozen buttons short, Abe; because that winder garment what we make for
Louis costs us ourselves twenty-five dollars, and Louis retails the
garment what he sells that lady for eighteen-fifty. And that's the way
it goes."

"That's a fine crook, that Louis Feinholz," Abe cried virtuously. "I
wonder that you would sell people like that goods at all, Mawruss. That
feller ain't no good, Mawruss. I seen him go back three times on four
hundred hands up at Max Geigerman's house last week, a dollar a hundred
double-double. He's a gambler, too."

"Well, Abe," Morris answered, "a feller what runs a chance on auction
pinochle ain't near the gambler like a feller what is willing to run a
chance on his business burning out and don't carry no insurance, Abe."

"Who is willing to run a chance, Mawruss?" Abe cried. "Just to show you
I ain't willing to run a chance I will go right down to J. Blaustein and
take out a ten-thousand-dollar policy, Mawruss."

Morris colored slightly.

"Why should we give it Blaustein all our business, Abe?" he said. "That
feller must got it a thousand customers to Rudy Feinholz's one."

"Whose one?" Abe asked.

"Rudy Feinholz's," said Morris. "I thought I told it you that Louis
Feinholz's nephew got an insurance business on Lenox Avenue, and I
promised Louis I would give the young feller a show."

"You promised you would give him a show, Mawruss?" Abe repeated. "You
promised Louis you would give that kid nephew of his what used to run
Louis' books a show?"

"That's what I said, Abe," Morris answered.

"Well, all I can say, Mawruss," Abe declared as he put on his hat, "is
that I wouldn't insure it a pinch of snuff by that feller, Mawruss. So
if you take out any policies from him you can pay for 'em yourself,
Mawruss, because I won't."

He favored Morris with a final glare and banged the door behind him.

Two hours later when Abe reentered the show-room his face was flushe