Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 40).djvu/109

except Jane, who's staring at Jerry as if he's a ghost.

"'Mr. Moore,' says Pa Tuxton, dignified, 'we'll leave you. You're drunk.'

"'I'm not drunk,' says Jerry. 'I'm in love.'

"Your notion of a fowl is an ugly bird with a green tail and a Wellington nose."

"'Jane,' says Pa Tuxton, 'come with me, and leave this ruffian to himself.'

"'Jane,' says Jerry, 'stop here, and come and lay your head on my shoulder.'

"'Jane,' says Pa Tuxton, 'do you hear me?'

"'Jane,' says Jerry, 'I'm waiting.'

"She looks from one to the other for a spell, and then she moves to where Jerry's standing.

"'I'll stop,' she says, sort of quiet.

"And we drifts out."

 

The waiter snorted.

"I got back home, quick as I could," he said, "and relates the proceedings to Gentleman. Gentleman's rattled. 'I don't believe it,' he says. 'Don't stand there and tell me Jerry Moore did them things. Why, it ain't in the man. Specially after what I said to him about the way he ought to behave. How could he have done so?' Just then in comes Jerry, beaming all over. 'Boys,' he shouts, 'congratulate me. It's all right. We've fixed it up. She says she hadn't known me properly before. She says she'd always reckoned me a sheep, while all the time I was one of them strong, silent men.' He turns to Gentleman——"

The man at the other end of the room was calling for his bill.

"All right, all right," said the waiter. "Coming! He turns to Gentleman," he went on rapidly, "and he says, 'Bailey, I owe it all to you, because if you hadn't told me to insult her folks——'"

He leaned on the traveller's table and fixed him with an eye that pleaded for sympathy.

"'Ow about that?" he said. "Isn't that crisp? 'Insult her folks!' Them was his very words. 'Insult her folks!'"

The traveller looked at him inquiringly.

"Can you beat it?" said the waiter.

"I don't know what you are saying," said the traveller. "If it is important, write it on a slip of paper. I am stone-deaf."