e all-night drug
store in question and approached a young man who was seated at the soda
fountain. In front of him stood a large glass of "Phospho-Nervino,"
warranted to be "A Speedy and Reliable Remedy for Nervous Headache,
Sleeplessness, Mental Fatigue and Depression following Over-Brainwork";
and as he was about to raise the glass to his lips Kapfer slapped him on
the shoulder.

"Cheer up, Elkan," he exclaimed. "Her name is Yetta Silbermacher and
she's got in savings bank eight hundred dollars."

"What d'ye mean she's got money in savings bank?" Elkan protested
wearily, for the sleepless, brain-fatigued and depressed young man was
none other than Elkan Lubliner. "Did you seen her?"

"I did," Kapfer replied; "and Miss Maslik's a fine, lovely girl. The old
man ain't so bad either. He treated me elegant and Fischko thinks I made
quite a hit there."

"I ain't asking you about Miss Maslik at all," Elkan said. "I mean Miss
Silbermacher"--he hesitated and blushed--"Yetta," he continued, and
buried his confusion in the foaming glass of "Phospho-Nervino."

"That's just what I want to talk to you about," Kapfer went on. "Did I
understand you are telling Polatkin that you never seen Fischko the
_Shadchen_ and he never seen you neither?"

"That's right," Elkan replied.

"Then come right down with me to the Harlem Winter Garden," Kapfer said.
"I want you to meet him. He ain't a bad sort, even if he would be a
_Shadchen_."

"But what should I want to meet him for?" Elkan cried.

"Because," Kapfer explained, "I am going to marry this here Miss Maslik,
Elkan; and I'm going to improve my store property, so that my trade will
be worth to Polatkin & Scheikowitz anyhow three thousand dollars a
year--ain't it?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Elkan asked.

"It's got this much to do with it," Kapfer continued: "To-morrow
afternoon two o'clock I would have Polatkin and Scheikowitz at my room
in the Prince Clarence. You also would be there--and d'ye know who else
would be there?"

Elkan shook his head.

"Miss Yetta Silbermacher," Kapfer went on; "because I am going to get
Fischko to bring her down there to meet an eligible party by the name
Ury Shemansky."

"What?" Elkan exclaimed.

"Ssh-sh!" Kapfer cried reassuringly. "I am going to introduce you to
Fischko right away as Ury Shemansky, provided he ain't so _shikker_ when
I get back that he wouldn't recognize you at all."

Elkan nodded and paid for his restorative, a