A note as thin as sheet tin crept into Mrs. Ginsburg's voice.

"He's my boy, Ruby, and what he wants I want. I know you ain't the kind of a girl, Ruby, that won't help my boy along--not? Extravagant ways and high living never got a young couple nowheres. Abie should take out a thousand more life insurance now; and, with economical ways, you got a grand future. For myself I don't care--I ain't so young any more, and--"

"You always got a home with us, Mrs. Ginsburg. You won't know yourself, you'll have it so good! If we move you with us out of this dark little flat we--you won't know yourself, you'll have it so good!"

"I hope you ain't starting out with no big ideas, Ruby--this flat ain't so dark but it could be worse. For young people with good eyes it should do all right. If it was good enough for Abie's papa and me it--"

Mr. Ginsburg burst into the kitchen, a wine-bottle tucked under one arm and a white china dish held at arm's-length.

"Such pickles as mamma makes, Ruby, you never tasted! You should learn how. You two can get out here in the kitchen, with your sleeves rolled up to your elbows, and such housekeeping times you can have! I'll get dill down by Anchute's like last year--not, mamma?... Come; we sit down now. We can all eat in the kitchen, mamma. Don't make company out of Ruby--she knows we got a front room to eat in if we want it. Come and sit down, Ruby, across from mamma, so we get used to it right away--sit here, you little Ruby-la, you!"

Mr. Ginsburg exuded radiance like August bricks exude the heat of day.

He kissed Miss Cohn playfully under the pink lobe of each ear and repeated the performance beneath Mrs. Ginsburg's not so pink lobes; carved the gravy-oozing slices of pot-roast with a hand that was no less skilful because it trembled under pressure of a sublime agitation.

"Ruby, I learn you right away--we always got to save mamma the heel of the bread, 'cause she likes it."

Miss Cohn smiled and regarded Mr. Ginsburg from the left corner of each eye.

"I wasn't so slow learning the shoe business, was I, Abe?"

"You look at me so cute-like, and I'll come over to you right this minute! Look at her, mamma, how she flirts with me--just like it wasn't all settled."

"Abie, pa.s.s Ruby the beans. Honest, for a beau, you don't know nothing--your papa was a better beau as you. Pa.s.s her the beans. Don't you see she ain't got none? You two with your love-making! You remind me of me and poor papa; he--he--"

"Now, mamma, don't you go getting sad again like a funeral."

"I ain't, Abie. I'm--so happy--for you."

"To-night we just play, and to-morrow mamma decides when we get married--not, Ruby? We do like she wants it--to-night we just play.

Ruby, pa.s.s your gla.s.s and mamma's, and we drink to our three selves with claret."

Mr. Ginsburg poured with agitated hand, and the red in his face mounted even as the wine in the gla.s.s.

"To the two grandest women in the world! May we all be happy and prosperous from to-night!" Mr. Ginsburg swung his right arm far from him and brought his gla.s.s round to his lips in a grand semi-circle. "To the two grandest women in the world!"

Mrs. Ginsburg tipped the gla.s.s against her lips.

"To my two children! G.o.d bless them and poor papa!"

"The first time I ever seen mamma drink wine, Ruby. She hates it--that shows how much she likes you already. Eat your dessert, mamma; it'll take the taste away. You like noodle dumplings? Such dumplings as these you should learn to make, Ruby-la."

"Children, you have had enough supper?"

"It was a grand supper, mamma."

They sc.r.a.ped their chairs backward from the table and smiled satiated, soul-deep smiles. From the sitting-room a clock chimed the half-hour.

"So late, children! _Ach_, how time flies when there's excitement! You and Ruby go in the parlor--I do the dishes so quick you won't know it."

"Ruby can help you with the dishes, mamma."

"Sure I can; we can do 'em in a hurry, and then go maybe to a picture show or some place."

"Picture show--nine o'clock!"

"There's always two shows, Mrs. Ginsburg--the second don't begin till then. I always go to the second show--it's always the liveliest."

"Come on, mamma; you and Ruby do the dishes, and we go. It's a grand night, and for once late hours won't hurt you."

"_Ach_, you ain't got no time for a old lady like me--in the night air I get rheumatism. Abie can tell you how on cool nights like this I get rheumatism. You two children go. I'm sleepy already. These few dishes I can do quicker as with you, Ruby."

"Without you we don't go--me and Ruby won't go then."

"We won't go, then, like Abe says--we won't go then."

"Abie, if it pleases me that you go to the picture show for an hour--you can do that much for mamma the first night you're engaged; some other night maybe I go too. Let me stay at home, Abie, and get my sleep like always."

"Ah, mamma, you're afraid. I know you even get scared when the bed-post creaks. We stay home, too."

"Ruby, for me will you make him go?"

"Abie, if your mamma wants you to go for an hour--you go. If she comes, too, we're glad; but many a night I've stayed in the boarding-house alone. If you was afraid you'd say so--wouldn't you, Mrs.

Ginsburg--mamma?"

"Afraid of what? n.o.body won't steal me!"

"Sure, mamma?"

"Get Ruby's hat and coat, Abie. Good-by, you children, you! Have a good time. Abie, stop with your nonsense--on the nose he has to kiss me!"

"Ruby, just as easy we can stay at home with mamma--not?"

"Sure! Aw, Abe, don't you know how to hold a girl's coat? So clumsy he is!"

"Good night, Ruby. I congratulate you on being my daughter. Good night, Ruby--you come to-morrow."

"Good night, mamma--to-morrow I see you."

"Good night, mamma. In less than an hour I be back--before the clock strikes ten. You shouldn't make me go--I don't like to leave you here."

"Ach, you silly children! I'm glad for peace by myself. Look! I close the door right on you."

"Good night, mamma. I be back by ten."

"Good-by, Abie."

"What?"