l to-day, and
I keep her in de shop. I been tinkin' since you and Kitty been
talkin'--Kitty don't make no mistakes: vot Kitty says goes. Look here,
Kitty, vun minute--come close vunce--I vant to speak to you."

O'Day, who had been about to give a reason why he could not "come now,"
and who had halted in his reply in order to hunt his pockets for a card
on which to write his address, hearing Kling's last words, withdrew to
the office in search of both paper and pencil.

"Now, see here, Kitty! Dot mans is a vunderful man--de most VUNDERFUL
man I have seen since I been in 445. You know dem cups and saucers vat
I bought off dot olt vomans who came up from Baltimore? Do you know dot
two of 'em is vorth more as ten dollars? He find dot out joost as soon
as he pick 'em up, and he find out about my chairs, and vich vas fakes
and vich vas goot. Vot you tink of my givin' him a job takin' my old
cups and my soup tureens and stuff and go sell 'em someveres? I don't
got nobody since dot tam fool of a Svede go avay. Vat you tink?"

"He can have my room--that's what I think! You heard what I said to him!
That's all the answer you'll get out of me, Otto Kling."

"An' you don't tink dot he'd git avay vid de stuff und ve haf to hunt up
or down Second Avenue in the pawn-shops to git 'em back?"

"No, I don't!"

"Den, by golly, I take him on, und I gif him every veek vat he pay you
in board."

Kitty broke into one of her derisive laughs. "YOU WILL! Ain't that good
of ye? Ye'll give him enough to starve on, that's what it is. Ye ought
to be ashamed of yourself, Otto Kling!"

"Vell, but I don't know vat he is vurth yet."

"Well, then, tell him so, but don't cheat him out of everything but
his bare board; and that's what ye'd be doin'. Ye know he's pawnin'
his stuff; ye know ye got five times the worth of your money in the
dressing-case he give up to ye! See here, Otto! Before ye offer him that
five dollars a week ye better get on the other side of big John there,
where ye'll be safe, and holler it at him over them trunks, or ye'll
find yourself flat on your back."

"All right, Kitty, all right! Don't git oxcited. I didn't mean nudding.
I do just vat you say. I gif him more. Oh! Here you are! Mr. O'Day, vud
you let me speak to you vun minute? Suppose dot I ask you to come into
my shop as a clerk, like, and pay you vat I can--of course, you are new
und it vill take some time, but I can pay sometings--vud you come?"

O'Day gave an i