_ an hour ago already."

The stranger looked at Zamp in a puzzled fashion.

"What are you talking about--Klinkowitz?" he said. "I don't know the
feller at all."

Zamp gazed hard at his visitor, and then his face broke into a broad,
welcoming smile.

"Excuse me," he said. "I am making a mistake. Do you want a French
drape, _oder_ an unfinished worsted?"

For the next thirty minutes a succession of customers filled the store,
and when at intervals during that period Klinkowitz's supernumeraries
arrived, Zamp turned them all away.

"What are you doing, Zamp?" Shimko exclaimed. "At two o'clock the store
would be empty!"

"Would it?" Zamp retorted, as he eyed a well-dressed youth who paused
in front of the show-window. "Well, maybe it would and maybe it
wouldn't; and, anyhow, Mr. Shimko, if there wouldn't be no customers
here, we would anyhow got plenty of cutting to do. Besides, Shimko,
customers is like sheep. If you get a run of 'em, one follows the
other."

For the remainder of the forenoon the two salesmen had all the
customers they could manage; and as Shimko watched them work, his face
grew increasingly gloomy.

"Say, lookyhere, Zamp," he said; "you are doing here such a big
business, where do I come in?"

"What d'ye mean, where do _you_ come in?" Zamp asked.

"Why the idee is mine you should get in a couple salesmen and cutters,"
Shimko began, "and----"

"What d'ye mean, the _idee_ is yours?" Zamp rejoined. "Ain't I got
a right to hire a couple salesmen and cutters if I want to?"

"Yes, but you never would have done so if I ain't told it you," Shimko
said. "I ought to get a rake-off here."

"You should get a rake-off because my business is increasing so I got
to hire a couple salesmen and cutters!" Zamp exclaimed. "What an idee!"

Shimko paused. After all, he reflected, why should he quarrel with
Zamp? At two o'clock, when he expected to return with Meiselson, if the
copartnership were consummated, he would collect 10 per cent. of the
copartnership funds as the regular commission. Moreover, he had decided
to refuse to consent to the transfer of the store lease from Zamp
individually to the copartnership of Zamp & Meiselson, save at an
increase in rental of ten dollars a month.

"Very well, Zamp," he said. "Maybe the idee ain't mine; but just the
same, I would be back here at two o'clock, and Meiselson comes along."

With this ultimatum Shimko started off for Wasserbauer's Cafe, and at
ten minut