Elsie ; looked towards the bar ;
-- -- I think I will get a drink Ralph ...

-- -- Ok ... see ya when ya get back. [ Ralph laughs ..., right ... Elsie. ]

Elsie approaches the bar-keep.
-- -- Hello.

-- -- Hello he answers ..., enjoying the company Elsie.

-- -- YES ! .... How did you lie with my public figure, she asks ...

Mackay winks at her ; I like to live the names of my good looking customers ...

Elsie laughs ;
-- - full looking eh ! ... I am seventy untried man ... you should prise your elders.

-- - Oh I do, consider me ... You just do not appear to be an elder ... I had you figured for fifty-ish.

-- - Fifty-ish ... come on now ... How old are you ? ... she asks. You do not look a day over forty.

-- - FORTY ! ... While I will throw you know dearest Lady that I am 30 eight, going on XVIII.

Elsie laughs. He is funny remark, she thinks ...

Elsie monastic order her drinking and continues talking with the bar-keep ... She stands at the bar chatting with him for awhile. Mackay talks with her as he mixes drinking ..., excusing himself when he needs to blab with somebody else about their beverage.

Mackay politely returns to his conversations with Elsie as quickly as possible.

Elsie looks at his name tag ;
-- -- MacKay, is that a first figure for hold out name ?

-- -- First ...., its Mackay Morrison ma lady ... [ Mackay bows ... ]

-- - ... ma madam ... ? Now you are showing too lots respect.

-- - How about this Elsie ; [ Mackay deepens, his voice ... ]
-- -- -- -- -- -- Would you like to park that classy human body behind the bar ... [ He winks ..., or have I gone too far ... ]

Elsie laughs ;
-- -- Instead of arthritis I have rust ... [ Mackay smiles at her but he is busy with a con-sum-err ... ]
Elsie waits ;
-- -- That would be overnice ... I have never been behind a bar Mackay.

She stands at the end of the bar watching Mackay mix swallow ... he carries on very well with everyone she notices ... Soon Mackay leaves his post and getting even quickly with a stool.
-- -- Here ya go Elsie ... sit here and we can chat for as long as you like ...

Elsie moves behind the bar and twist herself up on the BM ...
-- -- This is different from what I imagined Mackay ...

-- -- Would you like something else to drink ? You don-t seem to be enjoying the one you have Elsie.

-- -- I am afraid I am not very much for alcoholic drink Mackay.

-- - I will mix you a drunkenness, non-alcoholic .... a special I serve to dignified ladies such as yourself.

Elsie sits quietly as Mackay serves several more people and finally concocts her fruity drink ... Which he labels ..., WITH DIGNITY ... [ Elsie gag. She is having a gay old time ... ]

They banter back and Forth for awhile. Elsie excuses herself and suss out up on Ralph ... He is sloshed, again, and seem-s to have attracted a few friends, also sloshed ...

This is not Elsie-s scene so she migrates back to Mackay ... eventually Mackay has a break from mixology ...

Elsie is sitting on the stool enjoying the various topic of conversation she and Mackay are delving into ... Without warning Mackay stares at her articulatio genus ..., making her very uncomfortable. Elsie closes her branch soused and wonders what he is up too ...
-- - Mackay, why are you looking at my human knee ... ?

-- - Looking for gibbosity pricy lady ...

Elsie looks at him, bewildered ;
-- -- Bumps, what in the creation are you talking about Mackay ?

-- -- If you do not have bumpy knees then it-s not arthritis, so it must be rust ... he says. heterosexual faced.

-- - Mackay, what are you talking about, it must be r -- ... [ The lighter goes on and Elsie get-s his humour. ]

Mackay smiles at Elsie, winking at the same clock time.
She looks at him sternly ;
-- -- -- -- -- -- You are a silly Mackay ... [ Then, thing of factly. ] ... Mackay I thought I had nice knee, even at my age ...

-- - You do Elsie ... that you do.

There is no one at the bar ... Mackay lowers his head and pretend kissing Elsie-s knee. She turns quickly from him.
-- - Mackay, what are you up to ?

-- - Kissing your overnice knee Elsie ...

-- - You will do no such thing young man ...

Mackay feigns kissing her knees again. Elsie jive her peg out of the way quickly ; letting out a slight squeal ..., like a little girl.

Elsie looks at Mackay ... He stands up, oculus sparkling, with a very sassy grin on his face ...
She gets it now, he was teasing her ;
-- -You terror. She say-s ...


... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....

Elsie checked on Ralph various more times ... he was having a good time ... She sat alone for a bit then returned to Mackay ...
-- -- My hubby is drunk as a skunk Mackay ... I am stuck here ... I guess we will be taking a cab place ... serves him right ... he will have to cab it back in the morning ... it-s going to cost him a pretty centime ...

-- - In which way do you live in Elsie ... ? I have a licence but no vehicle ...

Elsie told Mackay the area of the urban center she lived in ... As it turned out he lived in that direction but further on ..., on the other side of the river ...
-- - How about I drive you home and you pay for my cab across the river ... that would be cheaper for you and less of an in-convenience to your husband ...

Elsie agreed to that. They talked for awhile .... Mackay-s client dwindled to a trickle as the night became early daybreak ... Elsie was tired ...

Mackay convinced Elsie to test three of his mixes ... his disputation won her over rather easily he thought but it turned out to be a hoot. Elsie became a little tipsy and that changed her behaviour considerably ... they joked quite allot ...

Eventually Mackay drove Ralph and Elsie dwelling house ... Elsie sat alone in the back of their very nice Buick ... Ralph talked constantly, about of which was intelligible ... He had had a groovy time this nighttime and was grateful for Mackay-s assistance ...

When they got to Ralph and Elsie-s menage it was nearly 2:30AM ... Mackay helped Ralph into the planetary house ... He fell on his bed and stayed there, snoring loudly in minutes ... completely dressed ... shoe and all ...
Mackay had dealt with numerous drunks in his career ; Ralph was a well-chosen wino ... There were no problems, other than his weight ...
...

Elsie was in the kitchen making burnt umber ...
-- - I like a coffee before I retire Mackay ... would you like one before you cab it home ... Oh ..., and I will get you some money .... How much do you remember it will be Mackay ... ?

-- - About $ 30 Elsie.

... ... She dug into her purse and came out with $ 40 ...
-- - This is all I have Mackay ... I guess it will have to do ...

-- - I will devolve what is left to you ...

-- - You do not experience too, you have been very helpful tonight Mackay.

-- - I want to Elsie ... It gives me an excuse to talk with you again ... I enjoyed our conversations tonight.
... ... Mackay could see her face beaming with pridefulness ...

-- - Ok she said, but send for ahead to be sure enough I am here ...


AND so began the friendship of Mackay, a 38 yr old bar-keep, and Elsie, a 70 yr old dame ...
He would visit with her once a workweek usually, sometimes not if his job got in the way ... Ralph was felicitous that Elsie had a friend ... Ralph like the idea of a man stopping in randomly ... He liked the security factor ... The three became very close. Mackay even got them tickets to a couple of terpsichore he served at ... including some for their friends ..., the Maloney-s.

Of course, the question of Mackay-s personnel department life came up ... he had no-one ... and was quite happy that way.
-- -- Besides, he said ... I have Friend, and I have Ralph and Elsie ... my life is perfect.

Winter came and Mackay-s sojourn dropped off in frequency ... Dec 25 came and went with endowment and invitations exchanged ...

... All was well in the soil of Ralph, Elsie and Mackay ...