Part 54 (2/2)
”Sick!” Morris exclaimed; ”well, why didn't you tell us then? We'd only be too glad to let you go away for a couple of weeks, Henry.”
Enrico sighed even more deeply.
”Ees not a seekness for two weeks, Mr. Perlmutter,” he said. ”I am seek just for see my mudder. Ees old woman--my mudder, Mr. Perlmutter.”
Enrico's large brown eyes grew moist as he proceeded.
”Yes, I am a-seek,” he went on. ”I am a-seek just for see Ischia, Posilipo, Capri, Mr. Perlmutter. You know I am a-seek for see _aranci_--oranges grown on a tree. I am a-seek just for see my own ceet-a, Napoli. Yes, Mr. Perlmutter, I am a-ver' seek.”
He sat down on a stool and bowed his face in his hands, while his shoulders heaved up and down in the emotion of nostalgia.
”Think it over, Henry,” Morris said huskily, and departed on tiptoe. He returned at once to the a.s.sorting of the sample line, nor did he look up when Abe came toward him a few minutes afterward.
”Well, Mawruss,” Abe said, ”what did he say?”
”He didn't say nothing,” Morris replied.
”Why not?” Abe continued. ”Didn't he think two hundred was enough?”
”I didn't mention the two hundred to him at all,” Morris answered, ”because it wouldn't be no use. You couldn't keep that feller from going back to the old country, not if you would put him into jail even. He'd break out, Abe, believe me.”
Abe nodded slowly.
”Well, that's the way it goes, Mawruss,” he said bitterly, as Enrico walked toward them from the cutting room.
”Mr. Potash,” he said, ”ascuse me, you geev-a me now leetla time for going downtown just for same like I tell-a you dis morning?”
”Go ahead, Henry,” Morris replied.
”You notta mad at me, Mr. Perlmutter?” Enrico asked anxiously.
”Why should I got to be mad at you, Henry?” Morris rejoined. ”If I would feel the way you do, Henry, me, I wouldn't of waited for my contract to be up even.”
”Ain't that a fine way for you to talk, Mawruss?” Abe said after Enrico had gone. ”You would think you would be glad to get rid of the feller right in the middle of the busy season.”
Morris shrugged.
”I don't care if I would got to jump right in and work till twelve o'clock every night, Abe,” he declared. ”I would tell him to go home to the old country if I would got to pay for the ticket myself.”
Abe thrust his hands into his trousers pockets and started to walk gloomily away.
”Furthermore, Abe, if you want to go out for your lunch, Abe,” Morris concluded, ”now is the time, because as I told you before, Abe, I got to go on the court at two o'clock.”
”Sure you told me that before, Mawruss,” Abe growled, as he put on his hat and coat; ”and when a feller goes to work and deliberately fixes things so he has got to go on a court, Mawruss, d'ye know the next place he would go?”
He paused for a retort; but, as Morris made no sign, Abe supplied his own answer.
”A lunatic asylum,” he said, and a minute later the elevator door clanged behind him.
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