do you think, a designer would stand for abuse the same like a partner,
Abe?"

"What d'ye mean--abuse, Mawruss?" Abe protested. "I ain't said no abuse
to the feller at all; and even if I would, Mawruss, I guess I could talk
like how I want to in my own cutting room, Mawruss."

Morris rose to his feet.

"_Schon gut_, Abe," he said. "Don't ask me I should step right into
Harkavy's shoes and work like a dawg till you are finding a new
designer, Abe. Them days is past, Abe."

"You shouldn't worry yourself, Mawruss," Abe retorted. "The way business
is so rotten nowadays, y'understand, we would quick get another
designer."

"Would you?" Morris cried. "Well, I guess I got something to say about
that, Abe. If you think we are going to work to hire a designer which he
is getting fired by every John, Dick and Harry, you got another think
coming. This time, Abe, I would hire the designer, and don't you forget
it."

"Did I say I wanted to do it, Mawruss?" Abe asked. "Go ahead and hire
him, Mawruss, only one thing I got to ask you as a favour: don't say the
feller was my choice, Mawruss; because I wipe my hands from the whole
matter."

For the remainder of the day Morris and Abe maintained only such
speaking relations as were necessary to the conduct of their business,