verybody who drinks schnapps and enjoys it, Abe, is afraid
that everybody else who drinks schnapps and _enjoys_ it is going to
think that he drinks schnapps and enjoys it, so he goes to work and
pulls this phony unselfish stuff about, 'So-far-as-I-am-concerned, it
don't make no difference how soon the country goes Prohibition,' and the
result is that the country is going Prohibition, and nobody even now has
got nerve enough to admit that it's going to cut him out of a great
many good times in the future."

"Well, there's one thing about it, Mawruss," Abe declared, "it's going
to make near-by foreign countries, no matter what the climate may be,
great summer and winter resorts for these fellers who don't care how
soon Prohibition goes into effect and who will continue not to care
until 1 A.M. on July 1, 1919. Yes, Mawruss, this here Prohibition is
going to give a wonderful boost to the business of building bridges
across the Rio Grande River and to running lines of steamers between the
United States and them foreign countries near by where the inhabitants
have got it figured out that if you drink and enjoy it, you might just
as well admit it before it's too late to keep the government from not
taking a joke, if you know what I mean."

"Sure I know what you mean," Morris said, "and it has always seemed to
me, Abe, that even the Scotch whisky business ain't going to be affected
so adversely by this here Prohibition, neither, except that the
merchandise is going to reach its ultimate hobnail liver _via_ Mexico
and Cuba instead of New York and Chicago, and furthermore, Abe, there
will be a great demand for sleepers on them northbound trains from
Mexico, and the berths will only have to be made up once on leaving the
Mexican frontier. However, the diners won't do much of a business on
them trains, but they will certainly have to carry extra-large ice-water
tanks."

"And while I don't wish them drink-and-leave-it-alone fellers no
particular harm, Mawruss," Abe declared, vehemently, "some time when
they are traveling on one of them oasis-bound limiteds, Mawruss, it
would serve them right if it run off the rails or something and shook
'em up just enough to make them realize the inconvenience their own
foolishness has brought on them."

"Say!" Morris exclaimed. "I didn't know you was taking this Prohibition
affair so much to heart, Abe."

"What do you mean--take it so much to heart?" Abe protested. "I take a
glass of schnap