e anticipated from his senior
partner, however, he was received with unusual cordiality by Polatkin,
whose face was spread in a grin.

"Well, Elkan," he said, "you done a good job when you decided to buy
that house."

"When I decided to buy the house? Who says I decided to buy the house?"
Elkan cried.

"J. Kamin did," Polatkin explained. "He was here by a quarter to eight
already; and not alone J. Kamin was here, but Joel Ribnik and Julius
Tarnowitz comes in also. Scheikowitz and me has been on the jump, I bet
yer; in fact, Scheikowitz is in there now with J. Kamin and Tarnowitz.
Between 'em, those fellers has picked out four thousand dollars' goods."

Elkan looked at his partner in unfeigned astonishment.

"So soon?" he said.

"Ribnik too," Polatkin continued. "He makes a selection of nine hundred
dollars' goods--among 'em a couple stickers like them styles 2040 and
2041. He says he is coming back in half an hour, on account he's got an
appointment with a brother-in-law of his."

"By the name Robitscher?" Elkan asked.

"That's the feller," Polatkin answered. "Ribnik says you promised
Robitscher the decorations from the house you are buying."

"What d'ye mean I promised him the decorations from the house I am
buying?" Elkan exclaimed in anguished tones. "In the first place, I
ain't promised him nothing of the kind; and, in the second place, I
ain't even bought the house yet."

"That part will be fixed up all right," Polatkin replied, "because Mr.
Glaubmann rings up half an hour ago, and he says that so soon as we need
him and the lawyer we should telephone for 'em."

For a brief interval Elkan choked with rage.

"Say, lookyhere, Mr. Polatkin," he sputtered at last, "who is going to
live in this house--you _oder_ me?"

"You are going to live in the house, Elkan," Polatkin declared, "because
me I don't need a house. I already got one house, Elkan, and I ain't
twins exactly; and also them fellers is very plain about it, Elkan,
which they told me and Scheikowitz up and down, that if you wouldn't buy
the house they wouldn't confirm us the orders."

At this juncture Scheikowitz entered the office. From the doorway of the
showroom he had observed the discussion between Elkan and his partner;
and he had entirely deserted his prospective customers to aid in
Elkan's coercion.

"Polatkin is right, Elkan!" he cried. "You got to consider Louis Stout
also. Kamin said he would never forgive us if the deal didn't go