Virginia looked admiringly at his silk hose.
Drawing up his trousers, Jimmie showed more of the hose above the pump. Grumbling, he said:
"Yes, they're all right. But what I object to is the draught that comes through the open windows! I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I had caught a severe cold in the instep! Pretty good looking suit, though, isn't it?"
"Yes, indeed!" exclaimed Fanny, examining the material more closely.
Her husband pointed with pride to his imitation pearl studs.
"And say--what do you think of my near-pearls?"
"I'll get you some genuine ones," laughed his sister-in-law.
"Don't you do it!" he retorted. "I looked the other fellows over and you couldn't tell 'em from mine! If you have any money to invest on me, put it into something that'll show."
"I will," said Virginia, much amused. "And now tell me, what did you really think of the opera, Jimmie?"
First he looked at his sister-in-law to see if she was seriously consulting his opinion; then solemnly he said:
Making a gesture of protest, he exclaimed:
"Won't you please drop the 'Jimmie' and call me 'James'?"
"I'm going to be a millionaire some day," he explained, "and when I am, 'James Gillie' will be bad enough, but 'Jimmie Gillie'--Jimmy Gillie wouldn't sound as though I had a cent."
Virginia nodded. Smilingly she replied: "I see! Well, from this time on it shall be 'James'."
"And now, having settled that point, I ask you again--what did you really think of the opera?"
"On the level, or to tell to the neighbors?"
"You bet there is. To the neighbors I'll say it was 'so delightful' and 'extremely artistic,' but if it's on the level I'll say it was punk."
"Yes! Fancy paying five a throw to hear a sawed-off Italian let go a few top notes, when you can have the same seat in a vaudeville theatre and get Eva Tanguay and a whole bunch of good acts for a dollar! Five a throw to hear a dago yodel something I don't even understand--not for my money!"
But, once started, Jimmie was not to be curbed. With a grin he went on:
"And the leading lady--a human joke if ever there was one. There they were all telling about this beautiful maiden of eighteen summers, and when she came on--a beautiful maiden? A milk wagon, believe me, a milk wagon!"