"Now, Abe," he said, "if you was to go into a house what you bought goods off of and seen a garment you just hear is all the rage on Fifth Avenue being tried on by a cow——"
"A cow!" Abe said. "I want to tell you something, Mr. Garfunkel. That lady what you see trying on them Empires was Mawruss' girl what works by his wife, and while she ain't no Lillian Russell nor nothing like that, y'understand, if you think you should get out of taking them goods by calling her a cow you are mistaken."
The qualities of ingratiation and friendliness departed from M. Garfunkel's smile, leaving it wholly apologetic.
"Well, Abe, as a matter of fact," he said, "I ain't canceled that order altogether absolutely, y'understand. Maybe if you make inducements I might reconsider it."
"Inducements!" Abe cried. "Inducements is nix. Them gowns costs us three dollars apiece, and
we give 'em to you for three-ten. If we make any inducements we land in the poorhouse. Ain't it?"
"Oh, the price is all right," M. Garfunkel protested, "but the terms is too strict. I can't buy all my goods at ten days. Sammet Brothers gives me a line at sixty and ninety days, and so I do most of my business with them. Now if I could get the same terms by you, Abe, I should consider your line ahead of Sammet Brothers'."
"Excuse me," Abe interrupted. "I think I hear the telephone ringing."
He walked to the rear of the store, where the telephone bell was jingling.
"Miss Cohen," he said to the bookkeeper as he passed the office, "answer the 'phone. I'm going upstairs to speak to Mr. Perlmutter."