"Yes, Mr. Flaxberg," he said as he commenced the fourth of a series of dill pickles, "compared with a salesman, a cutter is a dawg's life--ain't it?"
"Well," Flaxberg commented, "he is and he isn't. There's no reason why a cutter shouldn't enjoy life too, Lubliner. A cutter could make money on the side just so good as a salesman. I am acquainted already with a pants cutter by the name Schmul Kleidermann which, one afternoon last week, he pulls down two hundred and fifty dollars yet."
"Pulls down two hundred and fifty dollars!" Elkan exclaimed. "From where he pulls it down, Mr. Flaxberg?"
"Not from the pants business _oser_," Flaxberg replied. "The feller reads the papers, Lubliner, and that's how he makes his money."
"You mean he is speculating in these here stocks from stock exchanges?" Elkan asked.
"Not stocks," Flaxberg replied in shocked accents. "From _spieling_ the stock markets a feller could lose his shirt yet. Never play the stock markets, Lubliner. That's something which you could really say a feller ruins himself for life with."
"Even _im Russland_ it's the same," he said.
"Sure," Flaxberg went on. "_Aber_ this feller Kleidermann he makes a study of it. The name of the horse was Prince Faithful. On New Year's Day he runs fourth in a field of six. The next week he is in the money for a show with such old-timers as Aurora Borealis, Dixie Lad and Ramble Home--and last week he gets away with it six to one a winner, understand me; and this afternoon yet, over to Judge Crowley's, I could get a price five to two a place, understand me, which it is like picking up money in the street already."
Elkan paused in the process of commencing the sixth pickle and gazed in wide-eyed astonishment at his host.
"So you see, Lubliner," Flaxberg concluded, "if you would put up twenty dollars, understand me, you could make fifty dollars more, like turning your hand over."
"Do you mean to say you want me I should put up twenty dollars on a horse which it is running with other horses a race?" he exclaimed.
"Well," Flaxberg replied, "of course, if you got objections to putting up money on a horse, Lubliner, why, don't do it. Lend it me instead the twenty dollars and I would play it; and if the horse should--_Gott soll hüten_--not be in the money, y'understand, then I would give you the twenty dollars back Saturday at the latest. _Aber_ if the horse makes a place, understand me, then I would give you your money back this afternoon yet and ten dollars to boot."