d afford to laugh at this sally of Finkman's,
and he did so rather mirthlessly.

"Why don't you buy 'em, Finkman?" he suggested. "From the way you are
talking here the other day to Mr. Eschenbach, you would need 'em for
your mutual aid society which you are making a bluff at getting up."

"I ain't making no bluffs at nothing, Birsky," Finkman replied,
"because, _Gott sei dank_, I don't got to steal other people's idees
to get business."

"Do you think I am stealing Adelstern's idee of this here mutual aid
society, Finkman?" Birsky demanded, abandoning his soup and glaring at
his competitor.

"We don't think nothing, Birsky," Adelstern said; "because, whether you
stole it _oder_ you didn't stole it, Birsky, you are welcome to it. And
if you would send round to my place this afternoon yet I would give
you, free for nothing, a lot of bats and balls and other _Bobkies_ just
so good as new, which I ain't got no use for no more."

"What d'ye mean, you ain't got no use for 'em?" Birsky demanded. He
began to feel a sense of uneasiness that made nauseating the idea of
_eingedaempftes Kalbfleisch_.

"Why, I mean I am giving up my mutual aid society," Adelstern replied.
"It's taking up too much of my time--especially now, Mr. Birsky, when
Eschenbach could hang round my place all he wants to, understand me; he
wouldn't give me no peace at all."

For a brief interval Birsky stared blankly at Adelstern.

"Especially now!" he exclaimed. "What are you talking about, especially
now?"

"Why, ain't you heard?" Adelstern asked in feigned surprise.

"I ain't heard nothing," Birsky said hoarsely.

"Do you mean to told me," Finkman interrupted, "that you ain't heard it
yet about Eschenbach?"

"I ain't heard nothing about Eschenbach," Birsky rejoined.

"Then read this," Finkman said, thrusting a marked copy of the _Daily
Cloak and Suit Review_ under Birsky's nose; and ringed in blue pencil
was the following item:

CORDOVA, OHIO--Jonas Eschenbach to Retire. Jonas Eschenbach's
department store is soon to pass into new hands, and Mr. Eschenbach
will take up his future residence in the city of New York.
Negotiations for the purchase of his business, which have been
pending for some time, were closed Saturday, and Mr. Eschenbach has
been summoned from New York, where he has been staying for the last
few days, to conclude the details of the transaction. The
purchaser's name has not yet been disclosed