Part 6 (1/2)

”I know,” said Morris, ”but why should _he_ get the benefit of it?”

”Did you have much of a time getting him to take it?” Abe asked.

”It was like this,” Morris explained. ”I told him what you said about a lump sum in place of profits and asked him to name his price, and the first thing he says was twenty-seven-fifty.”

”And you let him have it for that?” Abe cried. ”You're a business man, Mawruss, I must say. I bet yer he would have took twenty-five.”

He tore up the check for forty dollars and drew a new one for twenty-seven-fifty.

”Here, Mawruss,” he said, ”take it up to him like a good feller.”

It was precisely noon when Morris delivered the check to Louis Grossman, and it was one o'clock when Louis went out to lunch.

Three o'clock struck before Abe first noted his absence.

”Ain't that feller come back from his dinner yet, Mawruss?” he asked.

”No,” Morris replied. ”I wonder what can be keeping him. He generally takes half an hour for his dinner.”

At this juncture the telephone bell rang in the rear of the store and Abe answered it.

”h.e.l.lo,” he said; ”yes, this is Potash & Perlmutter. Oh, h.e.l.lo, Leon, what can we do for you?”

”I want to speak to Louis Grossman. Can you call him to the 'phone?”

Leon said.

”Louis ain't in,” Abe said. ”Do you want to leave a message for him?”

”Well,” Leon hesitated, ”the fact is--we had an appointment with him for two o'clock over here, and he ain't showed up yet.”

”Appointment with Louis!” Abe said. ”Why, what should you have an appointment with Louis for, Leon?”

”Well,” Leon stammered, ”I--now--got to see him--now--about them Arverne Sacques.”

”Oh!” Abe said. ”I understand. Well, he went to lunch about twelve o'clock, and he ain't come back yet. Is there anything what we can do for you, Leon?”

But Sammet had hung up the receiver without waiting for further conversation.

At four o'clock the telephone rang again, and once more Abe answered it.

”h.e.l.lo,” he said. ”Yes, this is Potash & Perlmutter. Oh! h.e.l.lo, Leon!

What can we do for you _now_?”

”Abe,” Leon said, ”Louis ain't showed up yet. Has he showed up at your place yet?”

”No, he ain't, Leon,” Abe replied. ”You seem mighty anxious to see him.

Why, what for should I try to prevent him speaking to you? He ain't here, I tell you. All right, Leon; then I'm a liar.”