deed, resolutions were passed and spread
upon the minutes of such a laudatory character that, until the arrival
of Jonas Eschenbach the following morning, there persisted in both
Birsky and Zapp a genuine glow of virtue.

"Why, how do you do, Mr. Eschenbach?" Louis cried, as Eschenbach
cuddled his hand in a warm, fat grasp. "This is my partner, Mr. Zapp."

"Ain't it a fine weather?" Barney remarked after he had undergone the
handclasp of philanthropy.

"I bet yer it's a fine weather," Eschenbach said. "Such a fine weather
is important for people which is running sick-benefit societies."

"_Warum_ sick-benefit societies, Mr. Eschenbach?"

"Well," Eschenbach replied, "I take it that in a sick-benefit society
the health of the members is paramount."

"Sure, it is," Barney agreed. "You couldn't expect otherwise, Mr.
Eschenbach, from the _Machshovos_ them fellers eats for their
lunch--herring and pickles _mit_ beer."

"I am not speaking from the food they eat," Eschenbach continued;
"_aber_, in bad weather, Mr. Zapp, you must got to expect that a
certain proportion of your members would be laid up with colds
already."

Zapp waved his hand carelessly.

"For that matter," he said, "we told them fellers the sick-benefit
society wouldn't fall for no colds _oder_ indigestion, which both of
'em comes from the stummick."

"May be that's a wise plan, Mr. Zapp," Eschenbach continued; "but the
best way a feller should keep himself he shouldn't take no colds _oder_
indigestion is from athaletics."

"That's where you make a big mistake, Mr. Eschenbach," said Zapp, who
had served an apprenticeship in the underwear business. "Even in the
hottest weather I am wearing a long-sleeve undershirt and regular
length pants, and I never got at all so much as a little _Magensaeure_."

"I don't doubt your word for a minute, Mr. Zapp," Eschenbach went on;
"but it ain't what you wear which is counting so much, y'understand--it's
what you do. Now you take them operators of yours, Mr. Zapp, and if
they would play once in a while a game of baseball, _verstehst du
mich_--especially this time of the year, Mr. Zapp--their health
improves something wonderful."

"Baseball!" Birsky exclaimed. "And when do you suppose our operators
gets time to _spiel_ baseball, Mr. Eschenbach?"

"They got plenty time, Mr. Birsky," Eschenbach replied. "For instance,
in Adelstern's shop, Mr. Birsky, every lunch-hour they got the
operators practising on the roof