Page:The Family Album.pdf/33

Rh I don’t like to say it, who shouldn’t, but pop wasn’t too brave when he wasn’t sampling domestic cordials, but he was a fine man when you consider everything, which nobody ever does.

He and Riley Wilson used to go around together and they both had glass eyes. Riley used to carry a pocketful of them, like coughdrops in Winter, or camphor balls in Summer.

He would go into a buffet and say either “Good morning” or “Good night” to the proprietor, all depending on where the bouncer happened to be at that inopportune incident.

Then he would sidle up to the brass rail and speak familiarly to the strangers gathered round, who would return his greetings with accrued interest.

Then Riley would say something to the barkeeper when he caught him in a listening mood, “I’d like a snifter.”

The bartender would say, “So would I.”

That didn't discourage Riley any. He would say, “Who are you?”