unch in her, _and you don't even know her name_!"

A cold perspiration broke out on Morris and he fairly staggered into the
show-room. "Lady," he croaked, "do me a favor and tell me what is your
name, please."

The lady laughed. "Well, Mr. Perlmutter," she said, "I'm sure this is
most extraordinary. Of course, there is such a thing as combining
business and pleasure; but, as I told Mr. Tuchman when he insisted on
taking me up to the Heatherbloom Inn, the Board of Trustees control the
placing of the orders. I have only a perfunctory duty to perform when I
examine the finished clothing."

"Board of Trustees!" Morris exclaimed.

"Yes, the Board of Trustees of the Home for Female Orphans of Veterans,
at Oceanhurst, Long Island. I am the superintendent--Miss Taylor--and I
had an appointment at Lapidus & Elenbogen's to inspect a thousand
blue-serge suits. Lapidus & Elenbogen were the successful bidders, you
know. And there was really no reason for Mr. Tuchman's hospitality,
since I had nothing whatever to do with their receiving the contract,
nor could I possibly influence the placing of any future orders."

Morris nodded slowly. "So you ain't Miss Atkinson, then, lady?" he said.

The lady laughed again. "I'm very sorry if I'm the innocent recipient
under false pretenses of a lunch and an automobile ride," she said,
rising. "And you'll excuse me if I must hurry away to keep my
appointment at Lapidus & Elenbogen's? I have to catch a train back to
Oceanhurst at five o'clock, too."

She held out her hand and Morris took it sheepishly.

"I hope you'll forgive me," she said.

"I can't blame _you_, lady," Morris replied as they went toward the
front door. "It ain't _your_ fault, lady."

He held the door open for her. "And as for that Max Tuchman," he said,
"I hope they send him up for life."

Abe stood in the show-room doorway as Morris returned from the front of
the store and fixed his partner with a terrible glare. "Yes, Mawruss,"
he said, "you're a fine piece of work, I must say."

Morris shrugged his shoulders and sat down. "That's what comes of not
minding your own business," he retorted. "I'm the inside, Abe, and
you're the outside, and it's your business to look after the out-of-town
trade. I told you I don't know nothing about this here lady-buyer
business. You ordered the oitermobile. I ain't got nothing to do with
it, and, anyhow, I don't want to hear no more about it."

A pulse was beating in Abe's cheeks