last year, or was it Sammy
Potter?"

At this point he screwed up his face and leaning his elbow on the arm of
his chair he placed four fingers on his forehead in the attitude known
theatrically as Business of Deep Consideration.

"No," he said at last--"it was George DeFrees. George jumps out of the
airyoplane and says: 'They followed me to earth, I see.'"

Benson raised his eyebrows at the assembled guests.

"Angels!" he announced. "Get the idee? 'They followed me to earth, I
see.' Cue. And then he sings the song hit of the show: 'Come Take a Ride
in My Airyoplane.'"

B. Gans shuffled his feet uneasily and Joseph Schwefel pulled down his
waistcoat. As manufacturers of highgrade garments they had accompanied
more than one customer to the entertainment described by Benson; but to
Elkan the term "ponies" admitted of only one meaning, and this
conversational arabesque of flies, little horses, aeroplanes and George
DeFrees made him fairly dizzy.

"And," M. Sidney Benson said before B. Gans could head him off, "just
that there entrance boomed the show. Ryan & Bernbaum up to date clears
a hundred and twenty thousand dollars over and above all expenses."

"Better as the garment business!" Max Koblin commented--and B. Gans
nodded and yawned.

"Ain't we going to have no pinocle?" he asked. Max rose and threw open
the sliding doors leading to the dining room, where cards and chips were
in readiness.

"Will you join us, Mr. Benson?" he asked.

"That'll make five with Mr. Lubliner," Benson replied; "so supposing
you, Gans and Schwefel go ahead, and Mr. Lubliner and me will join you
later. Otherwise you would got to deal two of us out--which it makes a
pretty slow game that way."

"Just as you like," Max said; and after Mrs. Koblin and Yetta had
retired abovestairs to view the most recent accession to Mrs. Koblin's
wardrobe, Benson pulled up the points of his high collar and adjusted
his black stock necktie. Then he lit a fresh cigar and prepared to lay
bare to Elkan the arcana of the theatrical business.

"Yes, Mr. Lubliner," he said, "the show business is a business like any
other business. It ain't like you got an idee it is--opening wine for a
bunch of chickens, understand me, and running round the streets till all
hours of the morning."

"I never got no such idee," Elkan protested.

"You ain't, Mr. Lubliner," Benson continued, "because it's very
evidence to me that you don't know nothing about it; but there's