Two for a penny

Illustration from the Grapes of Wrath, v.1 p.193, illustrated edition. Thomas Hart Benton, a native of eastern Oklahoma, who was assigned to draw archetypal Oklahomans for 20th Century Fox as the studio believed that would make the casting more accurate. In chapter 15 Mae, a waitress at a coffee shop on Route 66, tells a man that peppermint candy is two for a penny. The man places a penny on the counter, and the boys each take a stick before leaving. Bill, a truck driver at the diner, realizes that Mae lied and the candy actually costs a nickel each. Bill is moved by Mae's generosity and leaves her a large tip.