Part 61 (2/2)
wrath.
”I'll take a look at her,” he murmured apologetically, and he began to elbow his way through the group that surrounded the engaged couple.
Morris patted him on the shoulder as he pa.s.sed and was about to return to the back parlour when a shriek came from the centre of the congratulatory throng.
”Boris!” cried a female voice with a note of hysteria in its shrill tones.
”Sonia!” B. Gurin exclaimed, and the next moment he clasped Mrs.
Gladstein in his arms.
”You was asking me the name of Mrs. Gladstein's first husband,” said Sol Klinger to Morris Perlmutter, as they descended the stoop together half an hour later. ”It was Aaron Lutsky. He died two years after they was married. I knew his family well in the old country--her's too, Perlmutter. Her father was a feller by the name Polanya, and to-day yet he runs a big flour mill in Koroleshtchevitzi.”
”So I understand,” Morris said; ”but what's that you got there under your coat?”
He referred to a huge bulge on the right side of Sol Klinger's Prince Albert coat, which Sol was supporting with both hands.
”That's my present,” Sol said, as if surprised at the question, ”and if Marcus Flachs wouldn't give me my money back, understand me, I could anyhow exchange it for something useful.”
”It don't make no difference, Mawruss,” Abe said, as they sat in their showroom two months later. ”The feller should got to pay us that two hundred and fifty dollars.”
”But we would get lots of business out of them now that they are married, Abe,” Morris protested.
”Sure, I know, Mawruss, and they got lots of presents out of us too, Mawruss,” Abe said. ”Counting the engagement and the wedding present, Mawruss, and my Rosie's new dress, and the pants which you bought it to go with your tuxedo, understand me--first and last we must be out a hundred and fifty dollars.”
Morris nodded. He recognized that an opportunity was here presented to correct Abe's figures by the addition of fifteen dollars to the price of the engagement present, but he deemed it more prudent to await the arrival of Gurin's first order. In point of fact, Morris had begun to examine the mails with some anxiety for a letter postmarked Bridgetown.
More than two weeks had elapsed since Gurin's wedding, and, making due allowances for honeymooning, it seemed to Morris that from an inspection of Mrs. Gladstein's stock, made by him on a congratulatory visit to Bridgetown, there was immediate need for replenishment.
”I don't understand why we don't hear from them people at all,” he said.
”Give 'em a show, Mawruss. Give 'em a show,” Abe replied. ”A man only gets married, for the first time, once.”
Morris shrugged.
”For my part, Abe, I ain't in no hurry,” he said. ”If you could see the way Leon Sammet gives me a look this morning when I seen him on the subway y'understand, it would be worth to you a hundred and fifty dollars. Sol Klinger is feeling sore too, Abe. I seen him in Hammersmith's yesterday, and he says to me Flachs wouldn't exchange that samovar arrangement which he bought it, so he took it home with him, and he ain't drunk nothing but coffee in two months.”
”I bet yer,” Abe commented; ”and he also ain't got an order from Asimof in two months. The feller is heartbroken, Mawruss. He even had made arrangements to sell his store in Dotyville and move over to Bridgetown, y'understand, and when he called the deal off the purchaser sues him for breach of contract yet.”
”But why should he get mad at Klinger?” Morris asked. ”Klinger didn't do him nothing.”
”Maybe you don't think so, Mawruss, but Asimof figures differencely; because he told me this morning, that after the engagement is off, understand me, Mrs. Gladstein and him makes a division of the presents.
Asimof takes what was sent by the concerns which is selling _him_ goods, and Mrs. Gladstein takes the rest, all excepting a present they got from Marks Pasinsky.
”Pasinsky used to sell 'em both goods, y'understand; but fortunately, Mawruss, he sends 'em a dozen coffee spoons, so Asimof takes six and Mrs. Gladstein takes six.”
”It's a good thing Pasinsky didn't send 'em a single piece of cut gla.s.s,” Morris said thoughtfully.
<script>