Raymond Chandler Quote of the Day -- Jan. 31, 2005

I dressed and went around the corner to rent the car and drove to an eatery. The waitress was sore too. She swept a cloth over the counter in front of me and let me have the last customer's crumbs in my lap.

"Look, sweetness," I said. "Don't be so generous. Save the crumbs for a rainy day. All I want is two eggs three minutes -- no more -- a slice of your famous concrete toast, a tall glass of tomato juice with a dash of Lee and Perrins, a big happy smile, and don't give anybody else any coffee. I might need it all."

                -- The Wrong Pidgeon, 1959