Mr. Marple comes in, introduces himself, does the right thing with the bottle, sits down, and begins to make talk.
“Well, now, Mr. Webber, how d’yah like that drink I mixed for yah?”
“Oh, I like it, I like it.”
“Well, now, if yah don’t, I want yah t’come right out an’ say so.”
“Oh, I would, I would.”
“I mean I’d like to know. I’d appreciate yah tellin’ me. What I mean is, I made that stuff myself from a little private formuler I got—I wouldn’t buy no stuff from a bootlegger—I wouldn’t take no chance wit’ the bastards. I buy the alcohol that goes into that drink from a place I know, an’ I always know what I’m gettin’—d’yah know what I mean?”
“Yes, I certainly do.”
“But I’d like to know what yah think of it, I’d appreciate yah tellin’ me.”
“Oh, it’s fine, it couldn’t be better.”
“I’m glad yah like it, an’ you’re sure I didn’t disturb yah?”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
“Because I was on my way in when I sees your light there in the winder, so I says to myself, now that guy may think I’ve got an orful nerve buttin’ in like this but I’m gonna stop an’ get acquainted an’ ast him if he’d like a little drink.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“But if I disturbed yah I wantcha t’say so.”
“Oh, no, not at all.”
“Because here’s the way it is wit’ me. I’m interested in youman nature—I’m a great student of psychology—I can read faces the minute I look at a guy—it’s somethin’ that I always had—I guess that’s why I’m in the insurance game. So when I sees a guy that interests me I wanta get acquainted wit’ him an’ get his reactions to things. So when I sees your light I says to myself, he may tell me to get the hell outa there but there ain’t no harm in tryin’.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Now Mr. Webber, I think I’m a pretty good judge of character----”
“Oh, I’m sure you are.”
“—an’ I been lookin’ at yah an’ sorta sizin’ yah up while yah been sittin’ there. Yah didn’t know I was sizin’ yah up but that’s what I been doin’ all the time yah been sittin’ there because I’m a great student of youman nature, Mr. Webber, an’ I gotta size up all grades an’ classes every day in my business—_you_ know—I’m in the insurance game. An’ I wanna ast yah a question. Now if it’s too personal I wantcha t’come right out an’ say so, but if yah don’t mind answerin’ I’m gonna ast it to yah.”
“Not at all. What is it?”
“Well, Mr. Webber, I already reached my own conclusions, but I’m gonna ast it to yah just t’see if it don’t bear me out. Now what I’m gonna ast yah—an’ yah don’t have to answer if yah don’t want to—is—What’s your line?—What business are yah in? Now yah don’t need to tell me if it’s too personal.”
“Not at all. I’m a writer.”
“A what?”
“A writer. I wrote a book once. I’m trying to write another one now.”
“Well now, it may surprise yah but that’s just what I figgered out myself. I says to myself, now there’s a guy, I says, that’s in some kind of intelleckshul work where he’s got t’use his head. He’s a writer or a newspaperman or in the advertisin’ business. Y’see I’ve always been a great judge of youman nature—that’s my line.”
“Yes, I see.”
“An’ now I wanna tell yah somethin’ else, Mr. Webber. You’re doin’ the thing yah was cut out for, you’re doin’ the thing yah was born to do, it’s what yah been preparin’ to do all your life sinct yah was a kid—am I right or wrong?”
“Oh, I guess you’re right.”
“An’ that’s the reason you’re gonna be a big success at it. Stick to writin’, Mr. Webber. I’m a great judge of youman nature an’ I know what I’m talkin’ about. Just stick to the thing yah always wanted to be an’ yah’ll get there. Now some guys never find theirselves. Some guys never know what they wanna be. That’s the trouble wit’ some guys. Now wit’ me it’s different. I didn’t find myself till I was a grown man. You’d have t’laugh, Mr. Webber, if I told yah what it was I wanted t’be when I was a kid.”