“W'at was I doin' in Dinky Pete's? Flowers? Nit; not on your life! Naw; I wants to change me luck. I'd got d' gaff at draw poker d' night before, an' I'm layin' for Dinky Pete for to rub his hump on d' sly. Sure! Youse'll have luck out of sight. Only you mustn't let d' humpback guy get on. If he notices you rubbin' his hump it'll give youse bad luck, see!
“Jimmy comes in, an' at foist, be force of habit, I s'spose, he's goin' to plunge on voylets. But he t'inks of Annie, an' he can't stand for it. Wit' that, Jimmy shifts his brush an' tells Dinky Pete to toin him out some roses.
“'An' make 'em d' reddest in d' joint, see!' says Jimmy.
“Dinky Pete's got his mits on some voylets, but when Jimmy says 'roses' Dinky comes to a stan' still.
“' W'at! roses?' says Dinky Pete, an' his ratty eyes—one of 'em on d' hog, as I states—looks dead sharp at Jimmy. 'Roses?' he repeats.
“'That's what I says!' is d' way Jimmy comes back.
“' Better take voylets,' says Dinky, an' he stops foolin' wit 'd' flowers an' gives Jimmy d' gimlet eye.
“'Nit,' declares Jimmy; * I'm dead onto me needs. Give me roses.'
“'But roses won't last,' says Dinky, an' his look is sharp an' soft an' sad all at onct. 'Roses won't last, an' that's for fair,' says Dinky, 'while voylets is stayers. Better take voylets, Jimmy!'
“But Jimmy gets sullen an' won't have no voylets, see! An' he swings an' rattles wit' Dinky that he wants roses—roses red as blood.