Part 3 (1/2)

”Say, lookyhere, Abe,” Morris broke in; ”don't say again that feller stole a hundred dollars, because I'm telling you once more, Abe, I know he didn't take nothing, certain sure.”

”_Geh wek_, Mawruss,” Abe cried disgustedly; ”you talk like a fool!”

”Do I?” Morris shouted. ”All right, Abe. Maybe I do and maybe I don't, but just the same so positive I am he didn't done it, I'm going right down to Henry D. Feldman, and I will fix that feller Linkheimer he should work a poor half-starved yokel for five dollars a week and a couple of top-floor tenement rooms which it ain't worth six dollars a month. Wait! I'll show that sucker.”

He seized his hat and made for the elevator door, which he had almost reached when Abe grabbed him by the arm.

”Mawruss,” he cried, ”are you crazy? What for you should put yourself out about this here young feller? He ain't the last s.h.i.+pping clerk in existence. You could get plenty good s.h.i.+pping clerks without bothering yourself like this. Besides, Mawruss, if he did steal it or if he didn't steal it, what difference does it make to us? With the silk piece goods which we got it around our place, Mawruss, we couldn't afford to take no chances.”

”I ain't taking no chances, Abe,” Morris maintained stoutly. ”I know this feller ain't took the money.”

”Sure, that's all right,” Abe agreed; ”but you couldn't afford to be away all morning right in the busy season. Besides, Mawruss, since when did you become to be so charitable all of a suddent?”

”Me charitable?” Morris cried indignantly. ”I ain't charitable, Abe.

_Gott soll huten!_ I leave that to suckers like Max Linkheimer. But when I know a decent, respectable feller is being put into jail for something which he didn't do at all, Abe, then that's something else again.”

At this juncture the elevator arrived, and as he plunged in he shouted that he would be back before noon. Abe returned to the rear of the loft where a number of rush orders had been arranged for s.h.i.+pment. Under his instruction and supervision the stock boy nailed down the top boards of the packing cases, but in nearly every instance, after the case was strapped and stencilled, they discovered they had left one garment out, and the whole process had to be repeated. Thus it was nearly one o'clock before Abe's task was concluded, and although he had breakfasted late that morning, when he looked at his watch he became suddenly famished.

”I could starve yet,” he muttered, ”for all that feller cares.”

He walked up and down the showroom floor in an ecstasy of imaginary hunger, and as he was making the hundredth trip the elevator door opened and Max Linkheimer stepped out. His low-cut waistcoat disclosed that his s.h.i.+rtfront, ordinarily of a glossy white perfection, had fallen victim to a profuse perspiration. Even his collar had not escaped the flood, and as for his I. O. M. A. charm, it seemed positively tarnished.

”Say, lookyhere, Potash,” he began, ”what d'ye mean by sending your partner to bail out that _ganef_?”

”Me send my partner to bail out a _ganef_?” Abe exclaimed. ”What are you talking, nonsense?”

”I ain't talking nonsense,” Linkheimer retorted. ”Look at the kinds of conditions I am in. That feller Feldman made a fine monkey out of me in the police court.”

”Was Feldman there too?” Abe asked.

”You don't know, I suppose, Feldman was there,” Linkheimer continued; ”and your partner went on his bail for two thousand dollars.”

Abe shrugged his shoulders.

”In the first place, Mr. Linkheimer,” he said, ”I didn't tell my partner he should do nothing of the kind. He done it against my advice, Mr.

Linkheimer. But at the same time, Mr. Linkheimer, if he wants to go bail for that feller, y'understand, what is it my business?”

”What is it your business?” Linkheimer repeated. ”Why, don't you know if that feller runs away the sheriff could come in here and clean out your place? That's all.”

”What?” Abe cried. He sat down in the nearest chair and gaped at Linkheimer.

”Yes, sir,” Linkheimer repeated, ”you could be ruined by a thing like that.”

Abe's lower jaw fell still further. He was too dazed for comment.

”W-what could I do about it?” he gasped at length.

”Do about it!” Linkheimer cried. ”Why, if I had a partner who played me a dirty trick like that I'd kick him out of my place. There ain't a copartners.h.i.+p agreement in existence that doesn't expressly say one partner shouldn't give a bail bond without the other partner's consent.”

Abe rocked to and fro in his chair.