traveler in the crowd, why, it's considered kind of a professional
courtesy to let the lady have the first look-in. See? It ain't so
often that three people in the same line get together like this. She
knows it, and she's sitting on the edge of her chair, waiting to bolt
when that door opens, even if she does act like she was hanging on the
words of that lady clerk there. The minute it does open a crack she'll
jump up and give me a fleeting, grateful smile, and sail in and cop a
fat order away from the old man and his skirt buyer. I'm wise. Say, he
may be an oyster, but he knows a pretty woman when he sees one. By the
time she's through with him he'll have enough petticoats on hand to
last him from now until Turkey goes suffrage. Get me?"

"I get you," answered Jock.

"I say, this is business, and good manners be hanged. When a woman
breaks into a man's game like this, let her take her chances like a
man. Ain't that straight?"

"You've said something," agreed Jock.

"Now, look here, kid. When that door opens I get up. See? And shoot
straight for the old man's office. See? Like a duck. See? Say, I may
be fat, kid, but I'm what they call light on my feet, and when I see
an order getting away from me I can be so fleet that I have Diana
looking like old Weston doing a stretch of muddy country road in a
coast to coast hike. See? Now you help me out on this and I'll see
that you don't suffer for it. I'll stick in a good word for you,
believe me. You take the word of an old stager like me and you won't
go far--"