"I seen him," Morris replied, "but not at the hotel,
Abe. I seen him up at that Heatherbloom Inn, Abe—with a lady."
"With a lady?" Abe cried. "Are you sure it was a lady, Mawruss? Maybe she was a relation."
"Relations you don't take it to expensive places like the Heatherbloom Inn, Abe," Morris replied. "And, anyhow, this wasn't no relation, Abe; this was a lady. Why should a man blush for a relation, ain't it?"
"Did he blush?" Abe asked; but the question remained unanswered, for as Morris was about to reply the store door opened and Marcus Bramson entered.
"Ah, Mr. Bramson," Abe cried, "ain't it a beautiful weather?"
He seized the newcomer by the hand and shook it up and down. Mr. Bramson received the greeting solemnly.
"Abe," he said, "I am a man of my word, ain't it? And so I come here to buy goods; but, all the same, I tell you the truth: I was pretty near going to Lapidus & Elenbogen's."
"Lapidus & Elenbogen's!" Abe cried. "Why so?"
At this juncture Morris appeared at the show-room door and beamed at Mr. Bramson, who looked straight over his head in cold indifference; whereupon Morris found some business to attend to in the rear of the store.