Jinx sat and Dugan sat. He smiled again and gazed at us eagerly as
though we were the flower of American Letters. Then he studied the
table and it looked as though he were itemizing the plates and glasses
all the while Jinx was making introductions.
Belcher said, "Another customer for you, Joey. Even if Jinx hadn't
given it away, I could have told you he was a writer. Land-sakes! I can
smell the manuscript in his back pocket."
Dugan looked embarrassed. He said, "Oh no--Really--I've just got a
story idea, so to speak, I--"
He said at lot more but I couldn't understand him. He mumbled something
like Mallison, only his speech was very sharp and clipped. It sounded
like a phonograph record with every other syllable cut out.