seated at a marble-top table.

"Yes, Abe," B. Gans went on after they had given the order, "Marks
Pasinsky stole my samples, too. Let's hear your story first."

Straightway Abe unfolded to B. Gans the tale of Marks Pasinsky's
adventure with Mozart Rabiner and Arthur Katzen, and also told him
how the orders based on Potash & Perlmutter's sample line had found
their way into the respective establishments of Sammet Brothers and
Klinger & Klein.

"Well, by jimminy!" B. Gans commented, "that's just the story I got to
tell it you. This feller does the selfsame funny business with my
samples. He gets orders from a couple of big concerns in St. Louis and
then he gambles them away to a feller called Levy. So what do I do,
Potash? He goes to work and has 'em both arrested, and then them two
fellers turns around and fixes up a story and the first thing you know
the police judge lets 'em go. Well, Potash, them two fellers goes down
to New York and hires a lawyer, by the name Henry D. Feldman, and sue
me in the courts yet that I made them false arrested. Cost me a thousand
dollars to settle it, and I also got to agree that if anybody inquires
about Pasinsky I should say only that he is a good salesman--which is
the truth, Potash, because he is a good salesman--and that the reason he
left me is by mutual consent, y'understand?"

Abe nodded.

"That's a fine piece of work, that Marks Pasinsky," he commented. "I
wish I had never seen him already. What shall I do, Gans? I am in a
fine mess."

"No, you ain't yet," B. Gans replied. "Prosnauer and Kuhner knows me,
Potash, and I am willing, as long as I got you into this, I will get you
out of it. I will go with you myself, Potash, and I think I got
influence enough in the trade that I could easy get them to give you
back them samples."

"I know you can," Abe said enthusiastically, "and if you would put it to
'em strong enough I think we could swing back to us them orders from
Sammet Brothers and Klinger & Klein."

"That I will do for you, also," B. Gans agreed. "But now, Potash, I got
troubles ahead of me, too."

"How's that?" Abe inquired, much interested.

"I got it a lowlife what I hired for a salesman, also," he replied, "and
three weeks ago that feller left my place with my samples and I ain't
heard a word from him since. If I got to search every gamblinghouse in
Chicago I will find that loafer; and when I do find him, Potash, I will
crack his neck for him."

"I wouldn't