“There’s a law in this city,” he said, “against highway robbery; surely you don’t want to take advantage of a man of my years? Somebody’s gone and told you about my soft heart. It’s cost me many a dollar I’ll tell you!”
Wordlessly the young man started again to wrap up the set
“Wait, wait,” said Doc, hastily. “I’ll give you fifty dollars for it”
“Nothing stirring!” snapped the young man. “I will come down a little though; I’ll let you have it for fifty-five.”
Doc looked very sad, and I, full knowing that the argument might last half an hour, summoned up all my courage and walked over to the young lady, who had thus far been unsuccessful in securing an out of town station.
“May I help you?” I said, with my heart beating like a trip-hammer in my breast, frightened to death for fear she might answer frigidly “Sir!” But she did no such thing.
“Why, that’s very kind of you,” she said graciously, turning a smile upon me that made me feel quite certain that I could pick up Piccadilly for her without any trouble. To cover my confusion I turned to the knobs and started frantically to turn them.
Sure enough, very shortly, came the words “Cocoanut Grove,” and then a crash of sounds, but I knew I was close to a California station and I began to feel a little of the excitement which comes when you’re very near a station like that.
To give himself a chance to think things over, and also for the psychological effect upon the young man, Doc walked over to where we stood tuning and took me aside. By this time I had the station almost in line and I turned the set over to the girl to finish the job, which she started to do with much interest.
“Listen,” said Doc to me in an impish whisper. “What do you think of those two? Prettiest girl in the neighborhood and finest looking young man around here. If I could bring them together I’d give the girl that five tube set for a wedding present; it would make a peach of an advertisement for the store, eh, what?”