e, and then he won't feel so glad--ain't
it, Birdie?" He pinched his daughter's cheek.

"Marcus took me to lunch at the Kaiserbraeu to-day, papa. He's starting
in to pay my bills already."

"Have a cigar, Marcus!"

"Thanks, I don't smoke."

"Well, Marcus, you got a fine girl; and you're a good boy, making good
money."

"I told your mamma to-day, Marcus; she got the best of it, and I got the
best of it," chuckled Mrs. Katzenstein.

Marcus regarded Birdie in some uneasiness, the color drained out of his
face.

"Go on, Marcus," she said, with a note of reassurance in her voice.

"Everything as you say is grand and fine, Mr. Katzenstein,
except--except--well, to-day at lunch I told Birdie some news I just
heard, which--which maybe won't make you feel so good; I told her it
wasn't too late if she wanted to change her mind about me."

"_Ach!_" exclaimed Mrs. Katzenstein, clasping her hands quickly. "Ain't
everything all right?"

"What you mean, Marcus?" inquired Mr. Katzenstein, glancing up quickly.

"What's wrong? Ain't everything all right, children?"

"Aw, mamma, it ain't nothing wrong! Don't get so excited over
everything."

"Birdie's right, mamma--what you so excited about? What is it you got to
say, Marcus?"

"I ain't frightened; but what's the matter, children? This is what we
need yet something to happen when it's all fixed!"

"Well, I told Birdie about it at lunch to-day, and--"

There was a pause. Birdie linked her arm within the young man's and
regarded her parents like a Nemesis at the bar.

"It isn't so bad as Marcus makes out, papa."

"Well, young man?" questioned Mr. Katzenstein, sharply.

"Well, you don't need to holler at him, papa."

"I got some bad news to-day, Mr. Katzenstein. The raise I was expecting
I don't get--instead of twenty-eight hundred dollars I go only to
fifteen. Loeb is going to put his son-in-law, Steinfeld, from Cleveland,
in the new factory. I still just got the city trade."

"I says to Marcus, papa, it's enough; you and mamma had less than half
that much."

"_Ach_, my poor baby! My poor baby!"

"I ain't your poor baby, mamma. It could be worse--believe me--"

"Oh! And I thought he was going to have that grand position and give it
to her so fine--how I told everybody; how I--"

"Don't get excited, Salcha! Let's sit quiet and talk it over."

"Such plans as I had for that girl, papa! I had it all fixed that she
should have one of those five rooms and a sleep