Y'know they is a lot of nourishment in
them babies when they're properly prepared and--"

"You'll be around at that beanery _to-morrow_ night!" I shuts him off.
"To-night you're comin' up and have dinner with me."

He gets one shade redder.

"Why," he stammers, "Ahumph! That--er--that's terrible fine of you,
Mac, but on the level, I--y'know this place is the only one in New York
where they can cook them things and I'm a hound after them! I--"

"Come on!" I says. "We're gonna give the subway a play. The wife's
expectin' you and I got a friend that's crazy to meet you. Are you
gonna throw me down?"

He backs away and ruffles his hair.

"Mac," he says, "I'll have dinner with you to-night on one condition!"

"Shoot!" I says.

"Well, Mac," he tells me, "they ain't no doubt in my mind that your
wife is some cook, but if I'm gonna eat this stuff--I--well, I demand
the privilege of cookin' it!"

"Where d'ye get that stuff?" I says. "Why--"

"Lemme do this, Mac," he says, "and you'll never regret it. I can hang
it on any chef in New York for money and you'll eat the greatest meal
you ever got outside of in your life!"

Well, this was new stuff to me, but I figured I was gonna get five
hundred bucks outa it by way of Alex, so I fell.

"All right!" I says. "Come up and cook your head off. I'm game! But
if you're as good a cook as you are a ball player, I can see where me
and the wife suspends friendly relations for about a year!"

Alex is already on hand when we get to the house and I introduced him
to Hector.

"Howdy!" he says. "I seen you pitch the other day and I must say it
was a treat! The support they give you was brutal or you'd of shut
them other fellers out with ease."

"You know it!" says Hector. "If they's any one thing I can do, it's
play baseball. That's my dish!"

The wife horns in.

"I'm so glad to meet you, Mister Sells," she says, givin' Hector the
old oil. "My husband talks of nothin' but you night and day!"

Which was true--only not the way she meant it.

"That's fine!" says Hector. "Me and Mac has been friends since they
burnt Rome. Where's the kitchen?"

I showed him, and the wife shakes her head as much as to say, "Another
rummy, eh?" I steered Hector over to the ice box and told him to go
ahead and run wild. When I come out, Alex is featurin' his famous
grin, and I gotta show the wife my breath. In about ten minutes the
kitchen door opens and Hector's head pops ou