case," said Morris, beaming all over, "I guess I
can fix you up. Siegmund Lowenstein, of Galveston, was in here
yesterday, and I sold him a twenty-four-hundred-dollar order, including
them forty-twenty-two's, and you know as well as I do, Abe, them
forty-twenty-two's is stickers. We got 'em in stock now over two months,
ever since Abe Magnus, of Nashville, turned 'em back on us."

Abe's reception of the news was somewhat disappointing to Morris. He
showed no elation, but selected a slightly-damaged cigar from the K. to
O. first and second credit customers' box, and lit it deliberately
before replying.

"How much was that last order he give us, Mawruss?" he asked.

"Four hundred dollars," Morris replied.

"And what terms?" Abe continued.

"Five off, thirty days."

"And what terms did _you_ quote him yesterday?" asked Abe inexorably.

"Ninety days, net," Morris murmured.

Abe puffed vigorously at his cigar, and there was a long and significant
silence.

"I should think, Abe," Morris said at length, "the doctor wouldn't let
you smoke cigars if you was nearly breaking down."

"So long as you sell twenty-four hundred dollars at ninety days to a
crook and a gambler like Siegmund Lowenstein, Mawruss," Abe replied,
"one cigar more or less won't hurt me. If I can stand a piece of news
like that, Mawruss, I guess I can stand anything. Why didn't you give
him thirty days' dating, too, Mawruss?"

At once Morris plunged into a long account of the circumstances
attending the giving of Mr. Lowenstein's order, including the telephone
message from Garfunkel & Levy, and at its conclusion Abe grew somewhat
mollified.

"Well, Mawruss," he said, "we took the order and I suppose we got to
ship it. When you deal with a gambler like Lowenstein you got to take a
gambler's chance. Anyhow, I ain't going to worry about it, Mawruss. Next
week I'm going away for a fortnight."

"Where are you going, Abe?" Morris asked.

"To Dotyville, Pennsylvania," Abe replied. "We leave next Saturday. In
the meantime I ain't going to worry, Mawruss."

"That's right, Abe," said Morris.

"Sure it's right," Abe rejoined. "I'm going to leave _you_ to do the
worrying, and in the meantime I guess I'll look after getting out them
forty-twenty-two's. Them forty-twenty-two's--them plum-color Empires was
_your_ idee, Mawruss. You said they'd make a hit with the Southern
trade, Mawruss, and I hope they do, Mawruss, for, if they don't, there
ain't much cha