Part 35 (1/2)

Potash here.”

He took the stairs to the cutting-room three at a jump. ”Abe,” he cried, ”Miss Aaronson is downstairs.”

Abe's face, which wore a worried frown, grew darker still as he regarded his partner malevolently. ”What's the matter with you, Mawruss?” he said. ”Can't you remember a simple name like Atkinson?”

”Atkinson!” Morris cried. ”That's it--_Atkinson_. I've been trying to remember it that name for four hours already. But, anyhow, she's downstairs, Abe.”

Abe rose from his task and made at once for the stairs, with Morris following at his heels. In four strides he had reached the show-room, but no sooner had he crossed the threshold than he started back violently, thereby knocking the breath out of Morris, who was nearly precipitated to the floor.

”Morris,” he hissed, ”who is that there lady?”

”Why,” Morris answered, ”that's Miss Aaronson--I mean Atkinson--ain't it?”

”Atkinson!” Abe yelled. ”That ain't Miss Atkinson.”

”Then who _is_ she?” Morris asked.

”Who _is_ she?” Abe repeated. ”That's a fine question for you to ask _me_. You take a lady for a fifteen-dollar oitermobile ride, and spend it as much more for lunch in her, _and you don't even know her name_!”

A cold perspiration broke out on Morris and he fairly staggered into the show-room. ”Lady,” he croaked, ”do me a favor and tell me what is your name, please.”

The lady laughed. ”Well, Mr. Perlmutter,” she said, ”I'm sure this is most extraordinary. Of course, there is such a thing as combining business and pleasure; but, as I told Mr. Tuchman when he insisted on taking me up to the Heatherbloom Inn, the Board of Trustees control the placing of the orders. I have only a perfunctory duty to perform when I examine the finished clothing.”

”Board of Trustees!” Morris exclaimed.

”Yes, the Board of Trustees of the Home for Female Orphans of Veterans, at Oceanhurst, Long Island. I am the superintendent--Miss Taylor--and I had an appointment at Lapidus & Elenbogen's to inspect a thousand blue-serge suits. Lapidus & Elenbogen were the successful bidders, you know. And there was really no reason for Mr. Tuchman's hospitality, since I had nothing whatever to do with their receiving the contract, nor could I possibly influence the placing of any future orders.”

Morris nodded slowly. ”So you ain't Miss Atkinson, then, lady?” he said.

The lady laughed again. ”I'm very sorry if I'm the innocent recipient under false pretenses of a lunch and an automobile ride,” she said, rising. ”And you'll excuse me if I must hurry away to keep my appointment at Lapidus & Elenbogen's? I have to catch a train back to Oceanhurst at five o'clock, too.”

She held out her hand and Morris took it sheepishly.

”I hope you'll forgive me,” she said.

”I can't blame _you_, lady,” Morris replied as they went toward the front door. ”It ain't _your_ fault, lady.”

He held the door open for her. ”And as for that Max Tuchman,” he said, ”I hope they send him up for life.”

Abe stood in the show-room doorway as Morris returned from the front of the store and fixed his partner with a terrible glare. ”Yes, Mawruss,”

he said, ”you're a fine piece of work, I must say.”

Morris shrugged his shoulders and sat down. ”That's what comes of not minding your own business,” he retorted. ”I'm the inside, Abe, and you're the outside, and it's your business to look after the out-of-town trade. I told you I don't know nothing about this here lady-buyer business. You ordered the oitermobile. I ain't got nothing to do with it, and, anyhow, I don't want to hear no more about it.”

A pulse was beating in Abe's cheeks as he paced up and down before replying.

”_You_ don't want to hear no more about it, Mawruss, I know,” he said; ”but _I_ want to hear about it. I got a _right_ to hear about it, Mawruss. I got a right to hear it how a man could make such a fool out of himself. Tell me, Mawruss, what name did you ask it for when you went to the clerk at the Prince William Hotel?”

Morris jumped to his feet. ”Lillian Russell!” he roared, and banged the show-room door behind him.