"Sure, he was," Markulies replied--"at half-past six yet."
"Then that only goes to show what a liar you are," Polatkin declared, "because myself I am letting Elkan go home at one o'clock on account the feller is so sick, understand me, he could hardly walk out of the place at all. Furthermore, he says he is going right straight to bed when he leaves here; so, if you want to explain how it is the garments disappear when you are in the place here alone, Markulies, go ahead with your lies. Might Mr. Scheikowitz stole 'em maybe--or I did! What?"
Markulies began to rock and sway in an agony of woe.
"I should never stir from this here chair, Mr. Polatkin," Markulies protested, "and my mother also, which I am sending her to Kalvaria--regular like clockwork--ten dollars a month, she should never walk so far from here _bis_ that door, if that _ganef_ didn't come in here last night and make away with the garments!"
"_Koosh!_" Polatkin bellowed, and made a threatening gesture toward Markulies just as Scheikowitz stepped forward.
"That'll do, Polatkin," he said. "If the feller lies we could easy prove it--ain't it? In the first place, where is Elkan?"
"He must of been sick this morning on account he ain't here yet," Polatkin said.
"_Schon gut_," Scheikowitz rejoined; "if he ain't here he ain't here, _verstehst du_, _aber_ he is boarding with Mrs. Feinermann, which her husband is Kupferberg Brothers' foreman--ain't it?"
Polatkin nodded and Scheikowitz turned to Markulies.
"Markulies," he said, "do me the favour and stop that! You are making me dizzy the way you are acting. Furthermore, Markulies, you should put on right away your hat and run over to Kupferberg Brothers' and say to Mr. B. Kupferberg you are coming from Polatkin & Scheikowitz, and ask him is he agreeable he should let Marx Feinermann come over and see us--and if he wants to know what for tell him we want to get from him a recommendation for a feller which is working for us."
He turned to his partner as Markulies started for the stairway.
"And a helluva recommendation we would get from him, too, I bet yer!" he added. "Wasserbauer tells me Elkan was in his place yesterday, and, though he don't watch every bit of food a customer puts into his mouth, understand me, he says that he eats dill pickles one right after the other; and then, Polatkin, the young feller gets right up and walks right out of the place without giving any order even. Wasserbauer says he knows it was Elkan because one day I am sending him over to look for you there. Wasserbauer asks him the simple question what he wants you for, and right away Elkan acts fresh to him like anything."