aist factories, and not a girl could I get.
Too much of dis union bizness. I told dem I vas a valking delegate,
but I don't t'ink I look like a delegate. Vot's to be done?"

The manager looked at him sternly.

"Well, unless you get a wiggle on, you'll be back with a pushcart,
where you belong, over on East Broadway, Levy. The factories are full
of girls, and they don't make four dollars a week. Lots of pretty
ones, and you know where we can place them. One hundred dollars
apiece, if a girl is right, and that means twenty-five for you. You've
been drawing money from me for three weeks without bringing in a cent.
Now you get on the job. Try Waverley Place and come in here to-morrow.
You're a good talker in Yiddish, and you ought to be able to get some
action. Hustle out now. I can't waste time."

The manager jotted down another memorandum, and again his machine
clicked, as he turned the lever.

A portly woman, adorned in willow plumes, sealskin cloak and wearing
large rhinestones in her rings and necklace, now entered at the
manager's signal.

"Well, Madame Blanche, what have you to report?"

"I swear I ain't had no luck, Mr. Clemm. Some one's put the gipsy
curse on me. Twice this afternoon in the park I've seen two pretty
girls, and each time I got chased by a cop. I got warned. I think
they're gettin' wise up there around Forty-second Street and Sixth
Avenue."

"Well, how about that order we had from New Orleans? That hasn't been
paid yet. You know it was placed through you. You got your commish
out of it, and this establishment always wants cash. No money orders,
either. Spot cash. We don't monkey with the United States mail.
There's too many city bulls looking around for us now to get Uncle
Sam's men on the job."

The portly person under the willow plume, with a tearful face, began to
wipe her eyes with a lace kerchief from which, emanated the odor of
Jockey Club.

"Oh, Mr. Clemm, you are certainly the hardest man we ever had to do
business with. I just can't pay now for that, with my high rents, and
gettin' shook down in the precinct and all."

"Can it, Madame Blanche. I'm a business man. They're not doing any
shaking down just now in your precinct. I know all about the police
situation up there, for they've got a straight inspector. Now, I want
that four hundred right now. We sent you just what was ordered and if
I don't get the money right now you get blacklisted. Shell out!"