"Well, when you are seeing year in and year out a feller goes to every concert what is, Abe," Felix explained, "naturally you get an idee he is in the music business--ain't it?" "That's what you think, Felix," Abe said, taking up the cudgels in defence of Steuermann; "but you could take it from me, Felix, if a feller like Steuermann seemingly fools away his time at concerts, understand me, he ain't doing it for nothing. He probably gets some business out of it the same like a lot of fellers you would think is making suckers of themselves going to lodge meetings, Felix. Most of 'em sells many a big bill of goods that way." "That ain't here nor there, Abe," Felix rejoined. "The point is, Steuermann would be up here at five o'clock; so, what are you going to tell him when he calls?" "Me tell him!" Abe cried. "Why, I wouldn't be here at all. I got to--now--see--a--now--customer at the Prince Clarence." "You ain't got to do nothing of the kind, Abe," Morris retorted angrily. "You are going to stay right here and talk to that feller when he comes. What do you think--I am going to be the goat every time?" "What's the matter, Abe?" Felix asked. "Are you afraid of the feller? He couldn't eat you up, Abe." "What d'ye mean, afraid of him?" Abe exclaimed. "I am seeing big merchants every day, Felix, and I could talk right up to them too. But this here is my partner's affair. He hired Kovalenko in the first place; and----" "What's the use talking, Abe?" Morris interrupted. "If you go home I go home; so you got to stay and we would both see the feller. What is the difference, supposing the feller does got a couple million dollars?" "A couple million dollars!" Felix said. "Why, I bet yer, if the feller's got a cent he is worth twenty million dollars." Abe drew pale. "Say, lookyhere, why should I talk to Mr. Steuermann?" he besought. "You could do this without me, Mawruss." "Don't be a baby, Abe," Morris retorted. "Felix would stay here with us and----" "Not me, boys," Felix said. "I guess you got to excuse me. I done enough already and if I don't get right home and change my underclothes, which they are dripping wet with perspiration, I would sure catch a bad cold." He shook Abe and Morris warmly by the hand; and hardly had the elevator door closed behind him when the showroom became a scene of nervous activity. "Nathan," Abe yelled to the shipping clerk, "fetch the broom. The place looks like a pigsty here!" He turned to Morris with excited gesture. "Do me the favour, Mawruss," he said; "tell a couple of them young fellers from the cutting room to come in here. Them sample-racks ain't been straightened up for a week. I am going round to the barber shop, Mawruss, and I would be right back." * * * * * It lacked one minute of five and Abe and Morris sat at their respective desks in the firm's office, when Miss Cohen, the bookkeeper, knocked timidly at the door.