are predicting to me to-morrow what is going to happen yesterday."

"Well, what's _vorbei_ is _vorbei_, Mawruss," Abe retorted; "and if I
would got to stand here all day and _schmooes_ with you, Mawruss, go
ahead and hire the feller. Only one thing I am saying to you, Mawruss:
Don't tell me afterward that I was in favour of the feller from the
start; because I ain't."

With this ultimatum, Abe glanced toward the cutting room, where sat a
tall, stooping figure, holding in his two hands a peaked cap.

"Only to look at the feller gives me a _krank_, Mawruss," Abe continued;
"so, if you are going to hire him, Mawruss, do me the favour and give
him a couple dollars out of the safe so he should get a shave and a
haircut and a new hat."

Morris nodded and started for the cutting room, when Abe called him
back.

"For my part, Mawruss, I don't care what people says, y'understand," he
declared; "but if we got a couple of them Thirty-fourth Street buyers
around here and they sees our workpeople is got such shoes which their
toes is sticking out already, Mawruss, what do they think of us? Am I
right or wrong?"

"Sure, I know," Morris said; "but----"

"But nothing, Mawruss," Abe concluded. "For three dollars we should make
suckers out of ourselves! Don't stand there like a fool, Mawruss. Give
the feller five dollars; he should buy himself a pair of shoes and