he sticks into us a knife _und fertig_. I suppose, Mawruss, you are
figuring that even if you don't carry such good insurance, Mawruss, your
wife is young and could easy get married again. But with me is
differencely. My wife ain't so young no longer and----"

"Say, lookyhere, Abe," Morris interrupted, "don't talk no more such
nonsense to me, because I seen the feller and I am sitting with him last
night over three hours. That feller would no more stick into you a knife
as I would."

"No?" Abe commented.

"And furthermore, Abe, when you are saying that Italieners stick knives,
understand me, you are talking like a greenhorn. Italieners is decent,
respectable people like anybody else, Abe, and just because when you are
going on the opera a couple Italieners stabs themselves, like I am
seeing it last week a show by the name Paliatzki, y'understand, that
ain't no sign every Italiener is a stabber, understand me. For that
matter, Abe, after this here show Paliatzki comes a whole lot of fellers
from Russland on to the stage, which they are dancing so quick I never
seen the like, understand me, and you know as well as I do, Abe, we got
plenty fellers from Russland working by us here which they could no more
dance as they could fly."

Abe shrugged again.

"Never mind, supposing they wouldn't be stabbers even, Mawruss," he
continued, "if you got working for you an Italiener which you just broke
in good, y'understand, so soon as he saves a couple hundred dollars he
right away quits you and goes back to the old country. All them fellers