But kid, I seen th' look in that man's eyes when
he said it, and he wasn't jokin', girl. An' it came t' me,
all of a sudden, that all the things he'd been talkin'
about had happened almost ten years back. After he'd
made that break about Roosevelt he kind of shut up, and
strolled over to the piano and began t' play. You know
that bum old piano, with half a dozen dead keys, and no
tune?
I looked up for a moment. "He could make you think
that it was a concert grand, couldn't he? He hasn't
forgotten even that?"
"Forgotten? Girl, I don't know what his
accomplishments was when you knew him, but if he was any
more fascinatin' than he is now, then I'm glad I didn't
know him. He could charm the pay envelope away from a
reporter that was Saturday broke. Somethin' seemed t'
urge me t' go up t' him an' say: `Have a game of
billiards?'
"`Don't care if I do,' says he, and swung his long
legs off the piano stool and we made for the billiard
room, with the whole gang after us. Sa-a-ay, girl, I'm
a modest violet, I am, but I don't mind mentionin' that
the general opinion up at the club is that I'm a little
wizard with the cue. Well, w'en he got through with me
I looked like little sister when big brother is tryin' t'
teach her how to hold the cue in her fingers.
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