one over to Klinger & Klein," Abe
said.
"What you looking for, Abe?" Morris asked. "More information? You know
as well as I do, Abe, that Klinger & Klein is so conservative they
wouldn't sell Andrew Carnegie unless they got a certified check in
advance."
"That's all right, Mawruss," Abe rejoined. "Maybe they wouldn't sell
Andrew Carnegie, but if I ain't mistaken they _did_ sell M. Garfunkel.
Everybody sold him, even Lapidus & Elenbogen. So I guess I'll telephone
'em."
"Well, wait a bit, Abe," Morris cried. "My Minnie's girl Lina is here
with her cousin. I brought 'em down this morning so you could talk to
her yourself."
"All right," Abe replied. "Tell 'em to come into the show-room."
A moment later Lina and her cousin Anna entered the show-room. Both
were arrayed in Potash & Perlmutter's style forty-twenty-two, but while
Lina wore a green hat approximating the hue of early spring foliage,
Anna's head-covering was yellow with just a few crimson-lake
roses--about eight large ones--on the side.
"Close the window, Mawruss," said Abe. "There's so much noise coming
from outside I can't hear myself think."
"The window is closed, Abe," Morris replied. "It's your imagination."
"Well, then, which one is which, Mawruss?" Abe asked.
"The roses is Anna," Morris said. "Anna, you want to work by Mr.
Potash's lady?"
"Sure she does," Abe broke in. "Only I want to ask you a few questions
before I hire you. Who did you work by before, Anna?"
Anna hung her head and simpered.
"Mister M. Garfunkel," she murmured.
"Is that so?" Morris exclaimed. "Why, he's a good customer of ours."
"Don't butt in, Mawruss," Abe said. "And what did you leave him for,
Anna?"
"Me don't leave _them_," Anna replied. "Mrs. Garfunkel is fine lady.
Mister Garfunkel, too. They leave _me_. They goin' away next month, out
to the country."
"Moving out to the country, hey?" said Abe. He was outwardly calm, but
his eyes glittered. "What country?"
Anna turned to her cousin Lina and spoke a few words of Lithuanian.
"She say she don't remember," Lina explained, "but she say is something
sounds like '_canned_ goods'."
"_Canned_ goods?" Morris murmured.
Abe bit the ends of his mustache for a moment, and then he leaped to his
feet.
"_Canada!_" he yelled, and Lina nodded vigorously.
He darted out of the show-room and ran to the telephone. In ten minutes
he returned, his face bathed in perspiration.
"Anna," he croaked, "you co
|