“Hey! Where’s all this stuff about liking kids?” I said severely. “You’ll disappoint ’em, you know.”
Bogle fanned himself with his hat. “Iszatso?” he said violently. “What about me? They nearly broke my gawdamn leg.”
“Have it your own way,” I said and explained to the kids that Bogle had changed his mind. When it had sunk in, they started howling at the tops of their voices.
They even put my teeth on edge.
“Now, do you see what you’ve done?” I said.
“Get ’em out of here,” Bogle said, confused. “They’ll raise the whole neighbourhood.” Myra and Doc Ansell came running out.
“What’s going on?” Ansell asked, looking over the top of his sun glasses in surprise.
“Notin’,” Bogle said between his teeth. “Just a couple of kids bawling. That ain’t anything, is it?”
Myra looked at him with withering scorn. “So you even bully children, you big cheese,” she said indignantly. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself!”
Bogle closed his eyes. “You again?” he said, tapping ominously on the table. “Every time I open my mouth, I get a broadcast from you. Listen, these kids want to shine my shoes. Well, I don’t want my shoes shined see? Does that call for anything from you?”