CHAPTER ELEVEN

MAN PROPOSES


"Ain't it terrible a strong, healthy young feller should go off like
that?" Abe Potash remarked, as he and his partner sat in their showroom
one spring morning. "I give you my word I was sitting over in
Hammersmith's so close to him as I am to you, Mawruss, when it
happened."

"Was there much excitement?" Morris asked.

"I bet yer was there excitement!" Abe exclaimed. "Hammersmith sends
across the street for a doctor, and you ought to seen Leon Sammet the
way he acted. 'For Gawd's sake, doctor,' he says, 'couldn't you do
nothing for him?' he says. 'He's got a wife and family,' he says, 'and
we shipped him two thousand dollars goods only last Saturday.'"

"Did they?" Morris asked.

"How should I know?" Abe said. "Sammet is such a liar, Mawruss, he
couldn't tell the truth no matter how surprised he would be. But one
thing is sure, Mawruss--Gladstein did owe Sammet Brothers for a big bill
of goods and the widder paid them out of the insurance."

"Could she do that when the feller leaves a family, Abe?" Morris
inquired.