For more than an hour Abe pressed the matter no further, but at length
curiosity impelled him to speak. "Say, lookyhere, Mawruss," he began,
"couldn't I look at that contract too?"

"Sure you could," Morris replied. "I'm surprised you ain't got no more
interest in the matter you didn't ask me before."

Abe grunted and took the contract that Morris handed to him. "This
agreement," it ran, "made and entered into between Abraham Potash and
Morris Perlmutter, composing the firm of Potash & Perlmutter, of the
Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, parties of the first part, and
Enrico Simonetti, of the same place, party of the second part,
witnesseth----"

At this point Abe dropped the contract.

"Mawruss," he said slowly, "do you mean to told me you are hiring for a
designer an Italiener?"

"Sure," Morris replied; "why not?"

"Why not!" Abe bellowed. "Why not! Ain't you and me married men? Ain't
we got wives? Ain't you got a child to support as well?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Morris asked.

"What's that got to do with it?" Abe repeated. "I'm surprised to hear you
you should talk that way, Mawruss. Supposing it is necessary we should
tell such a feller he is coming down late _oder_ he is doing something
which he shouldn't do, y'understand, then the very first thing you know