MRS. LEZINSKY. Then--Mrs. Cohen--she gets that baby carriage--and every
day of my life I see it go past my window--and the little sister--she
goes without. [_She picks up Mr. Rosenbloom's coat, looks it over and
finds a small wallet in the breast pocket. Tucks the wallet into her
bosom. Fiercely, half-aloud, but to herself._] No! No! Mrs. Cohen
shouldn't get that baby-carriage--whatever happens--she shouldn't get
it. [_She crosses to the mirror, pulls the wallet from her bosom,
hurriedly counts the money in it, glances at her husband, then takes out
a five-dollar bill. She hears a noise outside and makes a move as though
to restore the money to the wallet, but at the sound of steps on the
stoop, she thrusts the loose bill into her bosom. As Mr. Rosenbloom
comes in she has only time to stick the wallet back into the coat. Picks
up the lady's coat and sews on buttons vigorously._]
MR. ROSENBLOOM. I left my wallet in that coat.
LEZINSKY [_with a motion of his head toward the coat_]. Goldie.
MRS. LEZINSKY [_sewing the buttons onto the lady's coat_]. In which
pocket, Mr. Rosenbloom?
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_crosses to coat_]. You don't begin work on it, yet?
MRS. LEZINSKY [_slowly puts her work aside_]. I rip the sleeves out so
soon I sew these buttons on, Mr. Rosenbloom.
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_looks in breast pocket, draws back in astonishment to
find the wallet gone._]
MRS. LEZINSKY. In which pocket, Mr. Rosenbloom?
MR. ROSENBLOOM. I keep it always in that breast pocket.
MRS. LEZINSKY [_taking the wallet from an outside pocket_]. Why--here it
is, Mr. Rosenbloom.
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_suspiciously_]. From which pocket does it come?
MRS. LEZINSKY [_points_]. Right here, Mr. Rosenbloom.
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_shakes his head_]. I don't see how it got in that
pocket.
MRS. LEZINSKY. We didn't touch that coat, Mr. Rosenbloom--except Solly
looks when I told him what he should do to it--ain't it, Solly?
Otherwise we didn't touch it.
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_opens the wallet_]. Funny! It couldn't walk out of one
pocket into another all by itself.
MRS. LEZINSKY. We didn't touch it, Mr. Rosenbloom.
MR. ROSENBLOOM [_begins to count the bills_]. Maybe some customer--
MRS. LEZINSKY. That may be--all kinds of customers, Mr. Rosenbloom--
LEZINSKY [_as Mr. Rosenbloom goes over the money for the second time._]
But it hangs here always in our sight. Who has been here, Goldie?
MR. ROSENBLOOM. There's a bill missing here.
MRS. LEZINSKY [_pretending great astonishment_]. Mr. Rosenbloom!
LEZINSKY [_with an accusing note in his tone, meant for her only_].
Gietel?
MRS. LEZINSKY. How should I know? [_To Mr. Rosenbloom._] Maybe you
didn't count it right. [_He counts it again._]
MR. ROSENBLOOM. No--it's short--$5.
LEZINSKY [_under his breath, looking strangely at his wife._] Mr.
Rosenbloom, however that happens--I make up that $5. Such a thing
shouldn't happen in my business. I make it up right away.
Gietel!--Gietel--give me the money.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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