“Hermy,” said the younger man, irritated that his brother's attention should go wandering afar while a subject of such importance was under discussion, “Hermy, would you please be so good as to listen to me what I am saying to you?”
There was no answer. Mr. Herman continued to stare straight ahead. Mr. Ike raised his voice impatiently:
“Hermy!”
The older man turned on him with such suddenness that Mr. Ike almost slipped off the stool upon which he was perched.
“What's the idea—yelling in my ear like a graven image?” demanded Mr. Herman angrily. “Do you think maybe I am deef or something?”
“But, Hermy,” complained Mr. Ike, “you ain't listening at all. Twice now I have to call you; in fact, three times.”
“Is that so?” said Mr. Herman with elaborate sarcasm. “I suppose you think I got nothing whatever at all to do except I should listen to you? If I should spend all my time listening to you where would this here Oak Hall Clothing Emporium be? I should like to ask you that. Gabble, gabble, gabble all day long—that is you! Me, I don't talk so much; but I do some thinking.”
“But this is important, what I am trying to tell you, Hermy. Why should you be watching yonder, with a look on your face like as if you would like to bite somebody? Adolph Dreifus ain't so dumb in the head but what he could sell a pair of suspenders or something without your glaring at him every move what he makes.”
“Did I say I was looking at Adolph Dreifus?” asked Mr. Herman truculently.
“Well, then, if you ain't looking at Adolph, why should you look so hard at that Albritton fellow? He don't owe us any money, so far as I know. For what he gets he pays cash, else we positively wouldn't let him have the goods. I've seen you acting like this before, Hermy. Every time that Albritton comes in this place you drop whatever you are doing and hang round and hang round, watching him. I noticed it before; and I should like to ask——”