Potash Perlmutter | Page 5

waiting?" Abe said. "Eat anyhow. This roast beef is
fine. Try some of it on me."
"Why should I stick you for my lunch?" Morris rejoined. "I see them
suckers ain't going to show up at all, so I guess I'll take a sandwich and
a cup of coffee."
He motioned to Louis.
"Right away!" Louis cried. "Yes, sir, we got some nice _Koenigsberger
Klops to-day mit Kartoffel Kloes_."
"What d'ye take this gentleman for, anyway, Louis?" Abe asked. "A
garbage can? Give him a nice slice of roast beef well done and a baked
potato. Also bring two cups of coffee and give it the checks to me."
By a quarter to two Abe and Morris had passed from business matters
to family affairs, and after they had exchanged cigars and the
conversation had reached a stage where Morris had just accepted an
invitation to dine at Abe's house, Noblestone and Zudrowsky entered,
with Harry Federmann bringing up in the rear. Harry was evidently in
disfavor, and his weak, blond face wore the crestfallen look of a
whipped child, for he had been so occupied with his billing and cooing
up town, that he had forgotten his business engagement.

"Hallo, Mr. Perlmutter," Noblestone cried, and then he caught sight of
Morris' companion and the remains of their generous meal. "I thought
you was going to take lunch with us."
"Do I got to starve, Mr. Who's-this--I lost your card--just because I was
fool enough to take up your proposition yesterday? I should of known
better in the first place."
"But this here young feller, Mr. Federmann, got detained uptown,"
Zudrowsky explained. "His wife got took suddenly sick."
"Why, she may have to have an operation," Noblestone said in a
sudden burst of imaginative enthusiasm.
"You should tell your troubles to a doctor," Abe said, rising from the
table. "And besides, Noblestone, Mr. Perlmutter don't want no partner
just now."
"But," Perlmutter began, "but, Mr. Potash----"
"That is to say," Abe interrupted, "he don't want a partner with no
business experience. Me, I got business experience, as you know, Mr.
Noblestone, and so we fixed it up we would go as partners together,
provided after we look each other up everything is all right."
He looked inquiringly at Perlmutter, who nodded in reply.
"And if everything is all right," Perlmutter said, "we will start up next
week."
"Under the firm name," Abe added, "of Potash & Perlmutter."
CHAPTER II
In less than ten days the new firm of Potash & Perlmutter were doing
business in Abe Potash's old quarters on White Street with the addition
of the loft on the second floor. Abe had occupied the grade floor of an
old-fashioned building, and agreeable to Morris' suggestion the

manufacturing and cutting departments were transferred to the second
floor, leaving Abe's old quarters for show-room, office and shipping
purposes. It was further arranged that Abe's share of the copartnership
work should be the selling end and that Morris should take charge of
the manufacturing. Both partners supervised the accounting and credit
department with the competent assistance of Miss R. Cohen, who had
served the firm of Vesell & Potash in the same capacity.
For more than a year Morris acted as designer, and with one or two
unfortunate exceptions, the styles he originated had been entirely
satisfactory to Potash & Perlmutter's growing trade.
The one or two unfortunate exceptions, however, had been a source of
some loss to the firm. First, there were the tourists' coats which cost
Potash & Perlmutter one thousand dollars; then came the purple
directoires; total, two thousand dollars charged off to profit and loss on
the firm's books.
"No, Mawruss," Abe said, when his partner spoke of a new model,
which he termed the Long Branch Coatee, "I don't like that name.
Anyhow, Mawruss, I got it in my mind we should hire a designer.
While I figure it that you don't cost us nothing extra, Mawruss, a couple
of stickers like them tourists and that directoire model puts us in the
hole two thousand dollars. On the other hand, Mawruss, if we get a
good designer, Mawruss, all we pay him is two thousand a year and
we're through."
"I know, Abe," Morris replied, "but designers can turn out stickers,
too."
"Sure, they can, Mawruss," Abe went on, "but they got a job to look out
for, Mawruss, while you are one of the bosses here, whether you turn
out stickers or not. No, Mawruss, I got enough of stickers already. I'm
going to look out for a good, live designer, a smart young feller like
Louis Grossman, what works for Sammet Brothers. I bet you they done
an increased business of twenty per cent. with that young feller's
designs. I met Ike Gotthelf, buyer for Horowitz