“Why I used oil, if you want a straight tip—just plain castor oil. It’s twice as good as them high-falutin fixin’s they soak you for in barber shops. It don’t spoil your pillow, neither. But the missus,” he added on reflection, “she says a bald spot’s worse inside the bean than out, an’ there ain’t no oil’ll help it.”
“That’s quite an idea,” commented Jerry elusively. He leaned back, as if to reconnoitre the field of ideas.
The policeman accepted this tribute of respect. Then he replaced his helmet on his well-covered crown and stuck his billy under his arm.
“Listen, Bud,” he announced confidentially: “I got another idea. Do you happen to have as much as a dollar or so about you?”
“I do,” admitted Jerry.
“That’s fine,” continued the policeman. “Now what do you say we go over to a place I know an’ let me treat you to a shot o’ somethin’ wet? My old woman gives me hell if I hold anythin’ out on her, an’——”
“Sure!” said Jerry.
THE EMPEROR OF ELAM
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Ecclesiastes: ix, 11.