ollowed right so rapidly
to the point of Flaxberg's jaw that the impact sounded like one blow.

Simultaneously Flaxberg fell back over the sample tables and landed with
a crash against the office partition just as the telephone rang loudly.
Perhaps it was as well for Flaxberg that he was unprepared for the
onslaught, since, had he been in a rigid posture, he would have
assuredly taken the count. Beyond a cut lip, however, and a lump on the
back of his head, he was practically unhurt; and he jumped to his feet
immediately. Nor was he impeded by a too eager audience, for Markulies
and Feinermann had abruptly fled to the farthermost corner of the
cutting room, while Marcus and Philip had ducked behind a sample rack;
so that he had a clear field for the rush he made at Elkan. He yelled
with rage as he dashed wildly across the floor, but the yell terminated
with an inarticulate grunt when Elkan stopped the rush with a drive
straight from the shoulder. It found a target on Flaxberg's nose, and he
crumpled up on the showroom floor.

For two minutes Elkan stood still and then he turned to the sample
racks.

"Mr. Polatkin," he said, "the telephone is ringing."

Polatkin came from behind the rack and automatically proceeded to the
office, while Scheikowitz peeped out of the denim curtains.

"You got to excuse me, Mr. Scheikowitz," Elkan murmured. "I couldn't
help myself at all."

"You've killed him!" Scheikowitz gasped.

"_Yow!_ I've killed him!" Elkan exclaimed. "It would take a whole lot
more as that to kill a bum like him."

He bent over Flaxberg and shook him by the shoulder.

"Hey!" he shouted in his ear. "You are ruining your clothes!"

Flaxberg raised his drooping head and, assisted by Elkan, regained his
feet and staggered to the water-cooler, where Elkan bathed his streaming
nostrils with the icy fluid.

At length Scheikowitz stirred himself to action just as Polatkin
relinquished the 'phone.

"Markulies," Scheikowitz shouted, "go out and get a policeman!"

"Don't do nothing of the kind, Markulies!" Polatkin declared. "I got
something to say here too."

He turned severely to Elkan.

"Leave that loafer alone and listen to me," he said. "What right do you
got to promise deliveries on them 2060's in a week?"

"I thought----" Elkan began.

"You ain't got no business to think," Polatkin interrupted. "The next
time you are selling a concern like Appenweier & Murray don't promise
nothing in the way of deli