as he paced up and down before
replying.

"_You_ don't want to hear no more about it, Mawruss, I know," he said;
"but _I_ want to hear about it. I got a _right_ to hear about it,
Mawruss. I got a right to hear it how a man could make such a fool out
of himself. Tell me, Mawruss, what name did you ask it for when you went
to the clerk at the Prince William Hotel?"

Morris jumped to his feet. "Lillian Russell!" he roared, and banged the
show-room door behind him.

For the remainder of the day Morris and Abe avoided each other, and it
was not until the next morning that Morris ventured to address his
partner.

"Did you get it any word from Marcus Bramson?" he asked.

"I ain't seen nor heard nothing," Abe replied. "I can't understand it,
Mawruss; the man promised me, mind you, he would be here sure. Maybe you
seen him up to the hotel, Mawruss?"

"I seen him," Morris replied, "but not at the hotel, Abe. I seen him up
at that Heatherbloom Inn, Abe--with a lady."

"With a lady?" Abe cried. "Are you sure it was a lady, Mawruss? Maybe
she was a relation."

"Relations you don't take it to expensive places like the Heatherbloom
Inn, Abe," Morris replied. "And, anyhow, this wasn't no relation, Abe;
this was a lady. Why should a man blush for a relation, ain't it?"

"Did he blush?" Abe asked; but the question remained unanswered, for as
Morris was about to reply the store door opened and Marcus Bramson
entered.

"Ah, Mr. Bramson," Abe cried, "ain't it a beautiful weather?"

He seized the newcomer by the hand and shook it up and down. Mr. Bramson
received the greeting solemnly.

"Abe," he said, "I am a man of my word, ain't it? And so I come here to
buy goods; but, all the same, I tell you the truth: I was pretty near
going to Lapidus & Elenbogen's."

"Lapidus & Elenbogen's!" Abe cried. "Why so?"

At this juncture Morris appeared at the show-room door and beamed at
Mr. Bramson, who looked straight over his head in cold indifference;
whereupon Morris found some business to attend to in the rear of
the store.

"That's what I said," Mr. Bramson replied, "Lapidus & Elenbogen's; and
you would of deserved it."

"Mr. Bramson," Abe protested, "did I ever done you something that you
should talk that way?"

"_Me_ you never done nothing to, Abe," said Mr. Bramson, "but to treat a
lady what _is_ a lady, Abe, like a dawg, Abe, I must say it I'm
surprised.

"_I_ never treated no lady like a dawg, Mr. Bramson," Abe replied.