Part 68 (2/2)
”Because, now, I heard him tell the other boys that he wouldn't set no longer time limit,” the boy replied; ”but he says he'd play four more deals and then he'd quit. See?”
Mr. Marks looked at Abe and broke into a laugh.
”That's a fine lowlife for you,” he said. ”That feller tells me I should be here at three o'clock sharp and he fools away my time like this.”
Abe nodded.
”What could you expect from a feller like that?” Abe commenced, and then broke off suddenly--”but excuse me. He may be a friend of yours.”
”_Gott soll huten_,” Mr. Marks replied piously. ”All I got to do with him is that he brings me a proposition I should buy a piece of property which he got it to sell.”
”That's a funny thing,” Abe said. ”I came here myself about a piece of property what I just bought, and I understand he tried to sell the property for the feller what I bought it from.”
Abe took the option from his breast pocket and opened it on his knee, while Mr. Marks glanced at it furtively, not unnoticed by Abe, who aided his companion's inspection by spreading out the paper until its contents were plainly visible.
”Why!” Mr. Marks cried. ”Why, that is the house what this here Rothschild said he would sell it me.”
Abe looked up sharply.
”You don't say so?” he said. ”How could he sell you that house when I got this here option on it this morning for forty-eight thousand dollars?”
”Forty-eight thousand dollars!” Mr. Marks exclaimed. ”Why, he says I could buy it for forty-six thousand dollars.”
Abe laughed with forced politeness.
”Well, if you could of got it for forty-six thousand you should of took it,” he said. ”I want forty-nine thousand for it.”
It was now Mr. Marks' turn to laugh.
”You couldn't get forty-nine thousand for that house,” he said, ”if the window-panes was diamonds already.”
”No?” Abe retorted. ”Well, then, I'll keep it, Mister----”
”Marks,” suggested Mr. Marks.
”Marks,” Abe went on. ”I'll keep it, Mr. Marks, until I can get it, so sure as my name is Abe Potash.”
”Of Potash & Perlmutter?” Mr. Marks asked.
”That's my name,” Abe said.
”Why, then, your partner owns yet the house next door!” Mr. Marks cried.
”That ain't no news to me, Mr. Marks,” Abe said. ”In fact, he built that house, Mr. Marks, and I got so tired hearing about the way that house rents and how much money he is going to get out of it that I bought the place next door myself.”
”But ain't that a funny thing that one partner should build a house and the other partner shouldn't have nothing to do with it?” Mr. Marks commented.
”We was partners in cloaks, Mr. Marks, not in houses,” Abe explained.
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