Part 16 (1/2)
”Well,” he ventured, ”come inside, anyway. Pretty chilly wind that for April. Come right in!”
Shock stepped in. The old man drew nearer to him.
”Pain-killer or lime-juice?” he enquired in an insinuating voice.
”What?” said Shock.
”Pain-killer or lime-juice,” winking and lowering his voice to a confidential tone.
”Well, as I haven't got any pain I guess I'll take a little lime-juice,” replied Shock.
The old man gave him another wink, long and slow, went to the corner of the room, pushed back a table, pulled up a board from the floor, and extracted a bottle.
”You's got to be mighty careful,” he said. ”Them blank police fellers, instead of attending to their business, nose round till a feller can't take no rest at night.”
He went to a shelf that stood behind the plank that did for a counter, took down two gla.s.ses, and filled them up.
”There,” he said with great satisfaction, ”you'll find that's no back-yard brew.”
Shock slowly lifted the gla.s.s and smelt it. ”Why, it's whisky!” he said in a surprised tone.
”Ha! ha!” burst out the old man. ”You're a dandy; that's what it is at home.”
He was delighted with his guest's fine touch of humour. Shock hesitated a moment or two, looking down at the whisky in the gla.s.s before him.
”How much?” he said at length.
”Oh, we'll make that fifty cents to you,” said the old man carelessly.
Shock put down the money, lifted his gla.s.s slowly, carried it to the door and threw the contents outside.
”Hold on there! What the blank, blank do you mean?” The old man was over the counter with a bound.
”It was mine,” said Shock quietly.
”Yours,” shouted the old man, beside himself with rage; ”I aint goin'
to stand no such insult as that.”
”Insult!”
”What's the matter with that whisky?”
”All right as far as I know, but I wanted lime-juice.”
”Lime-juice!” The old man's amazement somewhat subdued his anger.
”Lime-juice! Well, I'll be blanked!”
”That's what I asked for,” replied Shock good-naturedly.
”Lime-juice!” repeated the old man. ”But what in blank, blank did you throw it out for?”