"It'll be three dollars," said Bummerton; "a dollar an' a quarter apiece for the dinner, an' a quarter apiece for the drinks."
Ralph looked up in amazement. He had never before heard of a dinner being worth so much money.
"Oh! it's all right," said Joe. "This is rather a high-priced hotel; but they get up everything in first-class style, do you see?
"If in style you drink and eat,
Lofty bills you'll have to meet."
"But I ain't got that much money," said Ralph, unstrapping his wallet.
"How much have ye got?" inquired the bar-tender.
"I've only got a dollar'n eighty-two cents."
"Well, you see, sonny," said Bummerton, "that ain't more'n half enough. Ye shouldn't order such a fancy dinner 'nless ye've got money to pay for it."
"But I didn't know it was goin' to cost so much," protested Ralph.
"Uncle Billy an' me got jest as good a dinner last Fourth o' July at
a place in Scranton, an' it didn't cost both of us but seventy cents.
Besides, I don't b'lieve—"
"Look here, Bummerton!" said Joe, rising and leading the bar-tender aside. They whispered together for a few moments and then returned.