ncelation of the lease which we got of his house. Furthermore, Abe,
he pays our moving expenses back to a Hundred and Eighteenth Street."

Abe sat down in the nearest chair.

"So you're going to move back to a Hundred and Eighteenth Street,
Mawruss," he exclaimed. "Why, what's the matter with Johnsonhurst,
Mawruss? I thought you told it me Johnsonhurst was such a fine place."

"So it is, Abe," Morris admitted. "The air is great out there, Abe, but
at the same time, Abe, the air ain't so rotten on a Hundred and
Eighteenth Street neither, y'understand, and the train service is a
whole lot better."

"You're right, Mawruss," Abe said, "and with all these oitermobile rides
and things you waste too much time already. A feller should always
consider business ahead of pleasure."

Morris looked at his bruised and oil stained hands.

"Oitermobile riding!" he cried. "That's a pleasure, Abe. Believe me I'd
as lief work in a rolling mill."

CHAPTER XVI

Morris Perlmutter's front parlor represented an eclectic taste, and the
fine arts had been liberally patronized in its decoration. On the wall
hung various subjects in oil, including still life, landscapes, marine
scenes and figures, all of which had been billed to Morris by a
Fourteenth Street dealer as:

8/12 dozen assorted oil paintings @ $96 $64
8/12 dozen shadow boxes for paintings @ 12 8
___
$72

But it was not at the oil paintings that B. Rashkin gazed. His eyes
sought instead the framed and glazed certificate of membership of Morris
Perlmutter in Harmony Lodge 41, Independent Order Mattai Aaron.

"Them very people hold the mortgage, Mr. Perlmutter," Rashkin said, "and
with the influence what you got it in the order, why----"

"Lookyhere, Rashkin," Perlmutter interrupted, "you're a real estater,
and if you don't get up at eight o'clock then you get up at nine, and
it's all the same; but me, I am in the cloak business, and I got to get
downtown at seven o'clock, and so I'm going to tell you again what I
told it you before. Go and see Abe to-morrow, and put this proposition
up to him like it was something you never told me nothing about,
y'understand? Then if he makes the suggestion to me, Rashkin, I would
say all right. Because if it should be me what would make the suggestion
to him, y'understand, he wouldn't have nothing to do with it. A