The Wealthy Barber

 

"Are you kidding, Davey? He knew who you were the whole time. It's all an act. He figures I won't ask him to pay if I think he's losing it."

"So, do you make him pay?" asked Tom.

"Sure do. If I gave a free cut to every weirdo who came in, I'd be broke in a month, and you two boys wouldn't have paid in years.

"Nice tan, Cathy!" Roy commented, before returning his attention to me. "Hey, Dave, did you see the article in the Times Herald last Wednesday on the female Midas here?"

Roy was referring to a full-page feature in the local paper that made my sister sound like the smartest and most talented woman alive.

"My mother showed it to me," I answered. "Five times."

"If you want to make it six, it's on the bottom of my birdcage," Tom added with a chuckle.

I myself didn't find that line particularly funny, but it got a couple of knee-slaps from Jimmy, who was reading the paper in the corner.

"Hey, where's Clyde?" I wondered.

"He's on vacation," James Murray informed me, "down in Florida at his sister's. I heard it was ninety-eight degrees down there yesterday. He'll be on a liquid diet for sure."

At this point I hopped up into Roy's chair. I always go before Tom, who insists on making sure that Roy is warmed up before he'll go near him.

"I was talking to my father last night about financial planning. With Sue and me about to buy a house and have a baby, I figured it's time I learned a few things. Dad told me you know more about financial planning than anybody, so Cathy, Tom, and I are hoping you can teach us the basics."

"Your father mentioned on Thursday that he was going