Part 46 (2/2)
”No,” returned Ralph, decidedly.
”You had better. Da might not fit chust so vell as der coat.”
”But I do not want to buy,” cried Ralph, desperately.
”Vat?” screamed the old Jew. ”And dot suit fits so elegantly!”
”Of course he takes dot suit,” put in his wife. ”Vot more you vonts, hey?”
”I didn't want to buy from the start,” returned Ralph. ”Give me my coat and vest.”
And taking off the store coat and vest, he flung them on a counter.
”You d.i.n.ks I vos a fool!” shrieked the old Jew. ”Vot you try dem clothes on for, hey? Dot suit chust fits you--it's chust vot you vonts. I wraps dem up and you bays for dem and say noddings more! I vos here to sell goots--not to be fooled mit!”
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
NEW EMPLOYMENT.
Had Ralph been more familiar with the ways of the city, and particularly with the ways of such merchants as the one with whom he now had to deal, he would have known that the Jew's anger was only put on in order to intimidate him into purchasing a suit he did not want.
The Bowery is full of such shops as I have described, and despite the many protests that have been made, ”pullers-in” and their a.s.sociates continue to flourish. In more than three-quarters of the cases where pa.s.sers-by are enticed into stores they are forced into buying, no matter how hard they protest against the outrage.
But although he was ignorant of the real facts of the matter, one thing was clear to Ralph. He did not want to buy, and he was not going to be forced into doing so.
”I did not come in to fool,” he said, stoutly. ”Your man outside insisted that I should come in and try on the things, although I told him I did not wish to buy.”
”Dot's all right--I wrap der suit up and you bay for dem.”
”Not much!” and Ralph's temper began to rise. ”Give me my coat and vest!”
He made a dash for the articles, but before he could secure them the Jew's wife had whisked them out of his reach.
”You can't vos fool Isaac,” she screamed. ”You bay for der suit, and den you gits dem pack--not before.”
”I'll have them back now!” exclaimed Ralph, his eyes flas.h.i.+ng dangerously.
”Give them to me!”
The woman ran behind the counter, but he made after her. He caught hold of the coat and vest, and despite her resistance, twisted them from her grasp.
In a second he had them on once more.
”h.e.l.lup! h.e.l.lup!” screamed the woman.
”Don't you touch mine wife!” howled the old Jew.
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