“Fifty cents is the regular price, but sometimes I put in a little more work and then my customers give me more.”
“Then” said I; “you just throw in a squeeze or two and I will make this job two dollars.”
She smiled, which showed her dimples in good shape, and when she caught hold of me again I could feel the effect clear up my back. This was a new deal for me, but it was worth the money.
“Look here, little queen,” said I. “Why can’t you meet me after you get out tonight and have a nice little supper somewhere?”
“I would like to awful well, but I am afraid I couldn’t do it. You see, I have a steady, and I couldn’t afford to break with him just for one evening with a stranger.”
“Just my luck,” said I, “I never saw anything yet that I really wanted that some guy didn’t have a prior claim to it.”
Just at this time Dug pulled away from the barber who had him under control and coming over to where I was, said:
“Cut that out, Jack; let’s get out of this.”
The queen cut her work short, but she froze on to the two dollars just the same, and worse than that she handed it to the barber whom I had refused to tip, saying as she handed it to him:
“Here’s two bucks for you, Charlie,” and then turning to me she added, “that’s my steady.”