ho the devil you think you are talking to?" Marcus demanded.

"I am talking to Joseph Borrochson," Scheikowitz replied. "That's who
I'm talking to."

"Well, there ain't no such person here," Polatkin retorted. "There's
here only a young fellow by the name Elkan Lubliner, which he is my own
father's sister a grandson, and he ain't no more a thief as you are."

"Ain't he?" Philip retorted. "Well, all I can say is he is a thief and
his whole family is thieves, the one worser as the other."

Marcus glowered at his partner.

"You should be careful what you are speaking about," he said. "Maybe you
ain't aware that this here boy's grandfather on his father's side was
_Reb_ Mosha, the big _Lubliner Rav_, a _Chosid_ and a _Tzadek_ if ever
there was one."

"What difference does that make?" Philip demanded. "He is stealing my
brother-in-law's passage ticket anyhow."

"I didn't steal it," the former Joseph Borrochson cried. "My father paid
him good money for it, because Borrochson says he wanted it to marry the
widow with; and you also I am paying a hundred dollars."

"Yow! Your father paid him good money for it!" Philip jeered. "A _Ganef_
like your father is stealing the money, too, I bet yer."

"_Oser a Stueck_," Polatkin declared. "I am sending him the money myself
to help bury his aunt, Mrs. Lebowitz."

"You sent him the money?" Philip cried. "And your own partner you didn't
tell nothing about it at all!"

"What is it your business supposing I am sending money to the old
country?" Marcus retorted. "Do you ask me an advice when you are sending
away money to the old country?"

"But the feller didn't bury his aunt at all," Philip said.

"Yes, he did too," the former Joseph Borrochson protested. "Instead of a
hundred dollars the funeral only costs fifty. Anybody could make an
overestimate. Ain't it?"

Marcus nodded.

"The boy is right, Philip," he said, "and anyhow what does this loafer
come butting in here for?"

As he spoke he indicated Meyer Gifkin with a jerk of the chin.

"He ain't butting in here," Philip declared; "he comes in here because I
told him to. I want you should make an end of this nonsense, Polatkin,
and hire a decent assistant cutter. Gifkin is willing to come back for
twenty dollars a week."

"He is, is he?" Marcus cried. "Well, if he was willing to come back for
twenty dollars a week why didn't he come back before? Now it's too
late; I got other plans. Besides, twenty dollars is too much."