16
LEPRECHAUN TALES
won’t you smile just once so I’ll know you’re not too angry with me.” The girl hesitated for an instant, and then she noticed Jonathon’s clean, dark, good looks and wide shoulders. She smiled then. Not a big smile but just enough to let Jonathon know she wasn’t really mad. He sat down next to her feeling very happy and very reckless. “Since I’ve messed up things so terribly,” he said, “won’t you let me buy breakfast?” He slipped his hand covertly into his pocket and reassured himself that the dollar was still there. For a fraction of a second the girl deliberated. Then she smiled, a big smile this time. “I think that would be very nice,” she said gaily. Breakfast while it lasted, was one of the most delightful meals he had ever eaten. They talked of everything and anything and time slipped by rapidly. Finally the girl glanced at her watch and sighed regretfully. Jonathon called for a check and reached for his dollar bill. It wasn’t in the pocket he thought it was. He tried his other side pocket. It wasn’t there. Something like panic crawled into his throat and stuck there. Hurriedly he went through his other pockets. His vest, even his watch pocket he turned inside out. A cold clammy sweat broke out on his brow. What would she think? Naturally, that he was just some cheap cadger who was trying to sponge her for a meal. Or else just a blustering fourflusher. His heart began to pound against his ribs like a frightened bullfrog. Tink and Nastee were sitting on the edge of the counter, swinging their legs. “That’s two in a row for you,” Tink said. “First you knocked