s me done it."

"Did you say something?" Miss Duckman asked.

Rudnik cleared his throat noisily.

"I says," he replied, "you should please be so good and don't bother
yourself about that--now--underwear factory job till I am getting out
of here."

* * * * *

"A Home is a Home," B. Lesengeld said as he and Belz sat in the office
nearly a week later; "but if Schindelberger wouldn't show up here with
Rudnik to-day yet, Belz, we would foreclose sure."

"Would we?" Belz retorted. "Well, I got something to say about that,
too, Lesengeld, and I'm going to give the Bella Hirshkind people a
couple days longer. To-day is Blooma Duckman's day out again, and me
and Mrs. Belz we sit home last night and we couldn't do a thing on
account Mrs. Belz is dreading it so. Think what it would be if that
woman is thrown back on our hands."

"If she is so terrible as all that why do you let her come at all?"
Lesengeld asked, and Belz heaved a great sigh.

"I'll tell you, Lesengeld," he said, "she's really got a very good
heart, y'understand; _aber_ is it Mrs. Belz's fault she ain't such a A
Number One cook? Every time that Blooma Duckman comes round she rubs it
in yet, and she snoops under beds to see is it clean _oder_ not, and
she gets the girl so worked up, understand me, that we are hiring a new
one every week. At the same time the woman means well, Lesengeld, but
you know how that is: some people means so well you couldn't stand 'em
at all."

Lesengeld nodded.

"Sure, I know," he said. "I seen it last week a case where a feller all
the time means well and is trying to do good. He is taking pity on a
tramp, understand me, and the tramp _ganvers_ his silver spoons and
everything, and I says to Mrs. Lesengeld: 'Mommer,' I says, 'it only
goes to show,' I says, 'if you feel you are beginning to take pity on a
feller,' I says, 'you shouldn't got no mercy on him at all,' I says.
'Otherwise he will go to work and do you every time,' I says. So that's
why I am telling you, Belz, I guess the best thing we could do is
we should right away foreclose Rudnik's house on him. Then if
Schindelberger is such a charitable sucker as all that, let him buy in
the house for the Bella Hirshkind Home and be done with it. All we want
is our money back and we would be satisfied. What is the use we
consider Rudnik's feelings. Ain't it?"

"Do you think I am holding off on Rudnik's account?" Belz exclaimed
indign