"Well, I hope you ain't forgetting you owe us now two hundred and fifty dollars since the first of the month yet," Morris commented in dry, matter-of-fact tones. B. Gurin waved his hand airily. "I could forget that easy, Mr. Perlmutter," he said--and Morris winced--"but the rest I couldn't forget at all. Day and night I see her face, Mr. Perlmutter--and such a face!" Here he paused impressively. "N-nah!" he exclaimed, and kissed the tips of his fingers, while Morris glanced uneasily toward the door. "Her name was Miss Polanya and her father keeps a big flour mill in Koroleshtchevitzi, Mr. Perlmutter," Gurin went on. "A fine family, understand me; and I am going out there from Minsk twice a week, when a young feller by the name Lutsky--a corn broker, y'understand--comes to sell her father goods." Again B. Gurin paused, his left hand extended palm upward in a tremulous gesture. Suddenly it dropped on his knee with a despondent smack. "In two weeks already they was married," he concluded, "and me, I am coming to America." "You ain't coming to such a bad place neither," Morris rejoined; "even supposing your uncles was such big _Machers_ in the old country." "Places is all the same to me now," Gurin said--"women, too, Mr. Perlmutter. I assure you, Mr. Perlmutter, since the day I am leaving Minsk one woman is the same as another to me. I ain't got no use for none of 'em." "_Geh weg_, Gurin," Morris cried impatiently. "You talk like a fool. Just because one lady goes back on you, understand me, is that a reason you wouldn't got no use for no ladies at all? You might just as well say, Gurin, because one customer busts up on you, y'understand, you would never try to sell another customer so long as you live. Now this here Mrs. Gladstein, Gurin, is a lady which while I never seen this here lady _im_ Russland, y'understand, if you will just come out to Bridgetown with me, Gurin, I give you a guaranty Russland wouldn't figure at all." Gurin shook his head sadly. "You don't know me, Mr. Perlmutter," he said. "While I am going with plenty _Schatchens_ to see young ladies already, Mr. Perlmutter, I assure you my heart ain't in it. People gets the impression because I am a swell dresser, Mr. Perlmutter, that I am looking to get married; but believe me, Mr. Perlmutter, it ain't so." "Then what do you go for, Gurin?" Morris asked. "_Schatchens_ don't like to fool away their time no more as I do, Gurin; and you could take it from me, no girl is going to the trouble to fix herself up and make a nice supper for you and the _Schatchen_ simply for the pleasure of seeing a swell dresser, Gurin." "That's just the point, Mr. Perlmutter," Gurin said. "A feller which runs a store like this one and eats his meals in restaurants, understand me, must got to get a little home cooking once in a while. Ain't it?" "Why not get married and be done with it?" Morris retorted; "and then you could get home cooking all the time." Once more Gurin shook his head.