Pasinsky nodded and tucked away the yellowbacks which Abe gave him.

“All you’ve got to do, Mr. Potash, is to fill the orders,” he said, extending his hand to Abe, “and I will do the rest.  And now good-by and good luck to you.”

He squeezed Abe’s hand until it was completely numb, and with a parting nod to Miss Cohen, the bookkeeper, he started on his journey for the West.

“You would thought, Mawruss,” Abe said afterward, “that he was staying home and that it was me what goes away on the trip.”

“I wish you was, Abe,” Morris replied fervently.  “I ain’t got no confidence in that feller at all.”

“I wouldn’t knock the feller until I seen what he could do, Mawruss,” Abe said.  “He promised me we should hear from him so soon as he gets there.”

Four days later the expected mail arrived.  Abe received the letter from the carrier and burst it open with his thumb.  Then he drew forth the contents of the envelope and shook the folded sheet, but no order slip fell out.  He sighed heavily and perused the letter, which read as follows: 

CHICAGO, ILL., SEP. ’08.

MESS POTASH & PERLMUTTER

Gents:—­Arrived here this A M and things look very promising.  Am informed by everybody that business is good on the coast and prospects of big orders also very promising.  Sales have been slow here on a/c weather is very hot.  Miss Schimpfer asst buyer millinary dept Mandleberger Bros & Co says things look very promising and expects to do a big fall business.  Was two hours late getting in to Chicago on a/c freight wreck and missed seeing Kuhner his sister’s daughter gets married and Kuhner goes to the wedding.  Will see Kuhner to morrow A M and let you know results.  Have appointment with Chester Prosnauer to morrow A M and things look very promising there.  Will write you to morrow.  Regards to Mr. Perlmutter.  Hoping things is all right in the store, I am,
                                           MARKS PASINSKY.

Abe finished reading the letter and handed it in silence to Morris, who examined it closely.

“That’s a very promising letter, Abe,” he said.  “I’d like to know what that feller done all day in Chicago.  I bet yer that assistant millinery buyer eats a good lunch on us, Abe, if she didn’t also see it a theayter on us, too.  What does he think he’s selling, anyway, Abe, millinery or cloaks?”

“Give the feller a show, Mawruss,” Abe replied.  “He ain’t been in Chicago forty-eight hours yet.  We’ll wait till we get it another letter from him, Mawruss, before we start to kick.”

Another day elapsed, but no further epistle came from Marks Pasinsky, and when the last mail arrived without any word from Chicago Morris grew worried.

“Not even a weather report, Abe,” he said.  “If he couldn’t sell no goods, Abe, at least he could write us a letter.”

“Maybe he’s too busy, Mawruss,” Abe suggested.