necktie was perched
rakishly underneath his right ear, and his collar was of the moisture
and consistency of a used wash rag. His clothes were dripping, for he
carried no umbrella, and his hair hung in damp strands over his
forehead. Nevertheless he was grinning broadly, as without a word he ran
up to Abe and seized his hand. For two minutes Morris shook it up and
down and then he collapsed into the nearest chair.

"Well, Mawruss," Abe cried, "what's the matter? Couldn't you say
nothing? What did you come downtown again for? You should have stayed
uptown with Minnie."

"S'all right, Abe," Morris gasped. "S'all over, too. The doctor says
instead I should be making a nuisance of myself uptown, I would be
better off in the store here. He was there before I could get home."

"Who was there?" Abe asked. "The doctor?"

"_Not_ the doctor," Morris went on. "The boy was there. Minnie is doing
fine. The doctor said everything would be all right."

"That's good. That's good," Abe murmured.

"Y'oughter seen him, Abe. He weighed ten pounds," Morris continued. "I
bet yer he could holler, too,--like an auctioneer already. Minnie says
also I shouldn't forget to tell you what we agreed upon."

"What we agreed upon?" Abe repeated. "Why we ain't agreed upon nothing,
so far what I hear, Mawruss. What d'ye mean--what we agreed upon?"

"Not _you_ and me, Abe," Morris cried. "_Her_ and me. We agreed that if
it was a boy we'd call him Abraham P. Perlmutter already."

He slapped Abe on the back and laughed uproariously, while Abe looked
guilty and blushed a deep crimson.

"Abraham Potash Perlmutter," Morris reiterated. "That's one fine name,
Sol."

It was now Sol's turn to take Morris' hand and he squeezed it hard.

"I congradulate you for the boy and for the name both," he said.

Once more Abe seized his partner's hand and shook it rhythmically up and
down as though it were a patent exerciser.

"Mawruss," he said, "this is certainly something which I didn't expect
at all, and all I could say is that I got to tell you you would never be
sorry for it. Just a few minutes since in Hammersmith's I was telling
Sol I got a partner which it is a credit and an honor for a feller to
know he could always trust such a partner to do what is right and square
and also, Mawruss, I----Miss Cohen," he broke off suddenly, "you should
draw right away another check in my personal book for a hundred
dollars."

"To whose order?" Miss Cohen asked.