and not alone I am talking myself blue in the face to that feller Gurin,
y'understand, but when I got home already I couldn't get to sleep till I
told the whole thing to my Minnie yet."

Abe nodded slowly.

"Yes, Abe," Morris continued, "I got to go over the story twice over
already, and even then, y'understand, my Minnie gets mad because I
didn't contradict myself.

"Only one idee that woman got it in her head, Abe. If I am out of the
house _schon_ ten minutes already you couldn't tell her otherwise but I
am playing auction pinocle."

"Well, you might just as well of been playing auction pinocle last night
for all the good it would do us."

"What are you talking about--all the good it would do us?" Morris almost
whimpered.

"I actually got the feller dead to rights, Abe, and all I must do now is
to work from the other end."

Abe burst into a mirthless laugh and handed Morris the paper.

"You should of worked the other end first, Mawruss," he declared, as he
indicated an advertising item with his thumb. "That's what Leon Sammet
did, Mawruss."

Morris seized the paper and his face grew purple as he read the