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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hookers, by Richard F. Mann and Rae Bourbon
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Hookers
+
+Author: Richard F. Mann
+        Rae Bourbon
+
+Release Date: July 12, 2011 [EBook #36711]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOOKERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, Erica Altschul and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team (at
+https://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made
+available by Randy A. Riddle.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Transcriber's Note:
+
+Suspected printing errors in the original text have been changed. A
+complete list is included at the end of this e-book.
+
+Instances of inconsistent hyphenation have been left in place.]
+
+
+
+
+    Hookers
+
+
+    By
+    _Richard F. Mann_
+
+
+    PRINTED & BOUND IN U. S. A.
+
+
+    TO
+    EVELYN
+
+
+    COPYRIGHT
+    1932
+
+    RAE BOURBON
+
+    ALL RIGHTS AND TRANSLATIONS RESERVED
+
+
+    PUBLISHED
+    BY
+    HOUSE OF BOURBON
+    PHILADELPHIA
+
+
+
+
+"FOREWORD"
+
+
+In writing this preface, it seems that I have followed the old Mexican
+custom of "Manana," and waited until the book was finished, before
+writing it, then I discovered that it was a necessity.
+
+The characters in this story are real, live, and living people, and most
+of them are still in the fair city of Juarez, plying the oldest trade in
+the world, and were known personally by the Author, who studied them for
+several months in pop-eyed amazement.
+
+All of the incidents in this story actually happened, and are taken
+right from the bare facts of life; in fact, the Author has had to tone
+down some of the descriptions of the parties herein mentioned.
+
+The Author has not meant to be vicious in his statements of either
+country, but has merely stated conditions as they were found.
+
+                                                         THE AUTHOR.
+
+
+
+
+"You lousy bastard, don't you ever set foot in this room again. You sure
+got nerve--accusing me of holding out on you--you know damn well that
+guy never paid me a cent."
+
+"Well, Pearl, how was I to know? He came down into the street, and said
+that he gave you two bucks."
+
+"As long as you've been a Pimp, you should fall for that
+stuff--Screw--get out of my sight."
+
+"O. K. Baby, but remember that if you ever need me, all you gotta do is
+just say the word. You know I'm all for you."
+
+"Nuts--I've been in this burg a week, and all I done is turn Two Dollar
+tricks, and split with you, and for what? You ain't never brought me one
+dime, but you sure ain't missed any meals. I don't need you or any other
+guy from now on. I got my permit today from the Chief of Police of
+Juarez, to hustle all I want on the Mex side, and I'm doing it, starting
+tonight."
+
+
+One week had passed since the person of Pearl Jones had stepped off the
+west-bound Texas & Pacific train in El Paso, with one thought in mind,
+and that to make as much money as possible in as short a time as
+possible, and without bother from the police if--possible, which is not
+POSSIBLE, even in a border town like El Paso, as Pearl had already found
+out.
+
+In order for Pearl to hustle on the Mexican side of the border in the
+City of Juarez, it was absolutely necessary that she have a written
+permit from the Chief of Police, or any official whom she happened to
+please in the usual way that a girl of her ilk had to please one, when
+there wasn't enough money in the pocket to buy the permit. Consequently,
+Pearl found out later she could have had a permit from the most lowly
+Immigration official to the Mayor himself, but in the midst of her
+efforts to please, the Chief of Police seemed to be the one who was
+affected quickest in her efforts to--please--. Hence the permit.
+
+Juarez, Mexico, chief port of entry to Mexico, population of forty
+thousand souls, mostly lost ones, separated from the United States by
+the Rio Grande River, if it may have the luck to be called a river,
+which at no time is deep enough to wet the crucial spot of one's
+anatomy, in case one has to run through it owing to lack of time to make
+the bridge, which has often been the case.
+
+"Well, this is a night for celebration," thought Pearl, as she left her
+hotel to walk down to the corner of Stanton Street, to catch the Juarez
+car. The car was filled from door to door with old Mexican women,
+wrapped in black shawls, which would have been black with dirt had they
+been originally any other color, and loaded down with topping bags
+filled with the bare necessities that their own Immigration was kind
+enough to let them bring in, and anything else that they might hide
+under the numerous dirty underskirts they might happen to have on.
+
+
+The car clanged, and slowly started its noisy journey toward the Stanton
+Street Bridge, at which it stopped from three to five minutes, for the
+Mexican Immigration and Customs Officials to go through the car and make
+a pretense at examining everything that was being brought into Mexico,
+as if anything on the face of God's green earth that was brought into
+Mexico could hurt it.
+
+
+"I wonder where I'll get off, now that I'm over here," thought Pearl, as
+the car left the bridge to ramble on its way on into the heart of
+Juarez, which is the sixteenth of September St. "I know," she thought,
+"I'll get off at the Tivoli, where all the gambling is, and see if I
+have any luck there."
+
+"Hello, Honey," came the friendly voice of a heavy-set woman of about
+thirty, who five years before had been the toast of the border because
+of her beauty, but who now had begun to show what the excess of Men,
+Beer and Hook Shops, too numerous to mention, can do to a woman who had
+sold herself to any man with the price, and had given herself just as
+quickly to a man whom she thought she liked. "I saw you over here last
+night and wondered who you were. Did you just come to town? Well, my
+name is Evelyn--the last name don't matter, but better known as Bar Fly
+Ev. I'll be glad to show you the ropes around here. Come on and let's
+get off here at the Tivoli and snatch a couple of shots of whiskey, and
+see if there's a dollar to be made here. Of course, it's a little early
+just yet. The best time to pick a live guy is about an hour before the
+bridge closes tonight, that's when they are looking for a girl to spend
+the night with, and they ain't too particular. That's how I manage. Of
+course, you won't have to do that--you're too fresh looking--they'll go
+for you like a Texas hog goes for swill."
+
+
+The Tivoli, the official gambling house of Juarez with any kind of a
+game you care to play, run square, but with the percentage so heavy for
+the house that a winning customer is a scarce thing.
+
+
+"Say, Ev, did you have to get a permit when you came to this town,
+before you could hustle on this side?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Hell, no, that's a lot of dirty gippery. The only permit I've got is
+the one that every woman has. Of course, I know what you have had to go
+through, and it's a damn shame that some louse didn't tip you off.
+That's the way them Mex's have of getting first pop at every girl that
+comes down here."
+
+"What'll you girls have?" asked the bartender.
+
+"Whiskey for me, Joe. What will you have, Dearie?"
+
+"The same, and a big one," answered Pearl.
+
+"Say, Dearie, by what name are you calling yourself?"
+
+"Excuse me for not telling you before, but it's Pearl--Pearl
+Jones--let's have another drink on it.
+
+"Well, that's as good a name as any, at least, it's good and common,"
+smiled Evelyn, as she killed her second drink without a chaser.
+
+"You know the old saying, 'Common by name, common by nature.'"
+
+"I'm damned if you ain't O. K., and we'll have another drink on that
+one. Hey, Joe, two more drinks for two ladies."
+
+"Say, Ev, you must have something on your mind tonight the way you are
+starting off. You girls have a drink on the house, will you?"
+
+"Hell, Yes--I'll drink on anything. You know me, Joe--Bar Fly Ev, the
+girl without a limit--at anything. By the way, Joe, this is Pearl. She's
+a new girl in town."
+
+"Hello, Sister, glad to know you. Have another drink."
+
+"I'm glad to know you, and Ev and I will have another drink, possibly
+several more," answered Pearl, displaying her best smile.
+
+"Say, Sister, you're dern good looking. I'd like to see more of you,"
+said Joe, as he poured more whiskey, and leaned over the bar and patted
+Pearl on the arm. "I'm O. K. You ask Ev if I ain't. How about it, Ev?"
+
+"I'll say you're O. K., Joe, and you've spent many a dollar on me, but
+Jees, you're seventy years old if you're a day. Don't you ever get too
+old for this sort of thing?"
+
+"You'll have to ask somebody older than I am," answered Joe.
+
+"Don't let her kid you, Joe," smiled Pearl, "You and I will get together
+real soon, how's that?"
+
+"Here, here, here--you two, let's don't have an exhibition on such short
+notice. We gotta be moving along. We got a lot of hard drinking to do
+tonight, as well as a few dollars to earn."
+
+"Oh, Ev, don't be in no hurry. You and Pearl have another drink on the
+house."
+
+"Well--I guess we better have another little one before we go, eh,
+Pearl?"
+
+"Sure, Ev. I'd as soon get lit here with Joe, as later. Makes no
+difference by me."
+
+
+Joe poured the drinks, and one for himself. "Here's how," said Joe, as
+he poured his down.
+
+"We'll be seeing you," waved Ev, as they started for the door.
+
+"Let's see--seeing that we're on this side of the street, we might as
+well go to the Gold Palace. It's only four or five doors down this way."
+
+
+The Gold Palace, a large cabaret, with a balcony on one side, the dance
+floor surrounded by tables and chairs with their real ugliness covered
+with dirty green covers, of none too certain age, with a band stand at
+the far end of the place, the bar off to the right doing a rushing
+business.
+
+
+"We might as well go in here and cop a couple of snorts of liquor, and
+see if there's any of the girls in yet," said Ev, as she started for the
+bar.
+
+"Hello, Curley--my, you look grand tonight," Ev greeted the young
+bartender, as they stood up to the rail. "I want you to meet one of the
+new girls who just came to town. Curley, this is Pearl."
+
+"Hello, Pearl--I'm always glad to meet a new girl. Now, what will you
+have to drink?"
+
+"Whiskey for me," said Pearl, "what do you want, Ev?"
+
+"Whiskey, and lots of it, Curley," answered Ev.
+
+"Say, for cripes sake," said Pearl under her breath, "who is that kid?
+Jees, he's cute. I've been in here several times, and every time I've
+seen him, I get all worked up over him."
+
+"Cool thyself, Sister, it will doith thee no good to workith thyself
+into a lather about him. The old jane who owns this joint--well, her
+daughter married him. That's why he is working here, and is true to the
+wife, maybe not because he wants to be, but because he'd better be, or
+else lose a certain section of his anatomy which would cause him to be
+of no further use to anyone--ssshhh--here he comes with the drinks, I'll
+tell you more later. How is your wife, Curley?" smiled Ev.
+
+"She's fine," answered Curley, as he went to wait on other customers.
+
+"Well, as I was saying--the old jane who owns this place is Grace
+Valdez--no, she ain't Mex, but when she came down here about ten years
+ago she married one, in order to become a Mex citizen, so she could run
+a chain of hook-shops without any bother from the Mex government. Grace,
+at one time, was the biggest Madam in Denver, Colorado--but she's a
+good scout. If you're in a jam and she likes you, she can do you a lot
+of good; in fact, she can keep any girl out of this town that she don't
+like. I'll introduce you to her tonight, if she comes around. That's why
+I'm putting you hep--don't go on the make for the Son-in-Law. Hey,
+Curley, give me and Pearl another whiskey."
+
+"O. K. Ev, drinks coming up."
+
+"Don't be funny, Ev. I made five bucks off him yesterday afternoon."
+
+"Oh, Jees--" exclaimed Evelyn, with her eyes bulging, "Well, for the
+love of your own soul, don't let on to any of these other hookers, as
+they are sure to run to Grace with it, and Hell would break loose in a
+big way--but--I'm curious, is--I mean--is,--well,--how the Hell is his
+bed manners? I'm curious to know if the wife is getting a break,
+considering all the fun her Mother has had."
+
+"Oh, Ev, he's--well--"
+
+"Ssshh, pipe down, here comes Grace now. Hello, Grace, dear, how are
+you?" smiled Evelyn sweetly, "I got a friend here who is just dying to
+meet you, Gracie, dear."
+
+"Hello, Ev," answered Grace, as she walked up to the two.
+
+"Grace, dear, this is Pearl Jones. She just came to town, and I'm kinda
+showing her the sights tonight."
+
+"How are you, Pearl," said Grace, as she offered her hand to Pearl.
+
+"I'm glad to know you, Grace; won't you have a drink with us?"
+
+"I've just got time enough to have a drink, then I've got to get out to
+the Red Lights Apartments. Three of my girls got into a fight last
+night, and one got stabbed pretty bad."
+
+"What was the fight over--a man?" asked Ev.
+
+"Sure--that's always the cause of fights down there. One of the girls
+was caught with the other one's man," said Grace, as she threw her
+whiskey down, "I'm glad to have met you, Pearl. If I can be of any help
+to you any time, don't be afraid to call on me. So long, Ev," and with
+that Grace disappeared in the crowd.
+
+
+"Say, Ev, I like that old dame."
+
+"I knew you would--she's a pip--that is, as long as you don't cross her.
+Well, let's shove off from here. There's a lot of bars over on Lysol
+Lane we ain't been into yet."
+
+
+Juarez Avenue, better known as Lysol Lane, extends from the Sixteenth of
+September Street to the Santa Fe Bridge, and all traffic, pedestrian and
+otherwise, must go down this street and across this bridge to return to
+El Paso, as both bridges are one way, the Stanton Street Bridge is to
+enter Juarez, and the Santa Fe Bridge to leave it. This street, being a
+little over half a mile long, even if you were sober when you start down
+it, you would be drunk when you reached the bridge, as more than every
+other door is a famous bar, others infamous--but bars nevertheless, and
+as you near the bridge they are bigger and better and louder and wilder.
+So the girls started their trek down this street with the Barrel House,
+then to several bars of less importance, until they reached the Castle,
+which is known for its wonderful band, its good liquor, and its
+wonderful proprietor and his wife, who, when she has been drinking a
+little too much, does a strip dance on the floor that causes the Cholos
+to fly for the river, to keep from burning the seats out of their
+pants.
+
+
+"Hi, everybody," yelled Evelyn, as she threw the swinging doors open and
+strode in. "I crave whiskey and lots of it. Come on, Pearl, the night is
+just beginning--Everybody, this is Pearl, a friend of mine I've known
+for years--come on, everybody, drink to her--W-h-ee-ee," screamed
+Evelyn, throwing her arms around the nearest man, and everybody moving
+and milling around the bar. The band in the cabaret struck up a hot
+number, with everybody screaming and dancing and drinking, for the night
+was starting its mad, hilarious orgy, which always ended with anyone
+going to bed with anyone they happened to be with, regardless of who it
+might happen to be, sometimes even their own husbands.
+
+
+Pearl found herself swept along by strong arms, on to the dance floor,
+before she had time to see his face, and when she did get a real look at
+him, she wasn't displeased. He was a tall fellow, about twenty-five or
+less, in laced boots, riding pants and leather sport jacket, and grey
+slouch hat.
+
+
+"I'm hot for you, baby; I could use you plenty," were his first words to
+Pearl.
+
+"Well, you're not hard to take."
+
+"That will be for you to decide later," he smiled with his eyes.
+
+"My car is parked just back of this place. Shall we go out to it, or
+would you rather go elsewhere?"
+
+"Your car is as good a place as any--let's go."
+
+"Oke," he answered, as he put his arm around her waist and lifted her
+off her feet and carried her out of the crowd to the swinging door. "How
+much is this deal going to cost me, Baby?"
+
+"Just five bucks, big boy."
+
+"Oke, Baby," as he slipped a bill into her hand, "There's ten. If you're
+good for five, you ought to be a pip for that."
+
+
+In the dim light Pearl uncrumpled the bill he had slipped into her hand.
+
+
+"Nuts, big boy, what's the gag? This ain't no ten--this is a fifty."
+
+"I know it--see if you can make the next fifteen minutes worth it."
+
+
+The band played wild, hot, throbbing, beating, maddening,
+breath-taking, passionate music, while the crowd swayed in and out, and
+around. Young men whispered soft, sweet words. Old men whispered soft,
+sweet words. Young and innocent ears listened and remembered. Not so
+young and less innocent ears heard, still they did not hear. Hands of
+young men strayed over their partner's bodies. Hands of old men strayed
+over their partners. Young and innocent figures quivered, and whispered,
+"Darling, I love you," while less young, and less innocent said, "Get
+your hand off my Pratt."
+
+
+Evelyn looked around all the faces that were near her, but nowhere could
+she see Pearl. She ordered more drinks while she waited, knowing from
+experience that if a girl friend disappeared for a few minutes there was
+only one thing to do, and that was to--wait. There was no need for
+hurry--wasn't she drinking all she could hold, and it wasn't costing her
+a cent? Sure, she would wait--till Hell froze over--or at least till
+whoever was buying the drinks, stopped.
+
+
+"For the love of Jees--where the Hell you been? Look at your face--my
+God, but you need a drink, dear," said Evelyn, as Pearl and her boy
+friend came alongside the bar.
+
+"Excuse us for a minute, big boy," said Pearl, as she took Evelyn by the
+arm and started for the Ladies' Room.
+
+"You ain't answered my question, where--have you been?"
+
+"I just made some real money--look." She showed Evelyn the fifty-dollar
+bill.
+
+"Well, if you was out with that guy that you came in with, all I got to
+say is--you damn sure earned it."
+
+"Ev, you said it--I ain't so sure I care to meet any more like him, at
+least not tonight, although I gave him my address. He wants to come up
+tomorrow. What do you know about him, Ev?"
+
+"Plenty--dearie--plenty, and if you can put up with him you can have the
+world with a dirty shirt on it. He is filthy with money, owns a mine
+back out here in the mountains--you use your own judgment, dearie."
+
+"Were you ever out with him, Ev?"
+
+"No, thanks, I bar horses."
+
+
+The crowds were beginning to work their way down to the bridge district.
+All the bars were full of hard-drinking men and women. The cabarets were
+crowded, as it was time for the floor shows to go on in these places.
+
+
+"Come on, Pearl, let's go over across the street to the Lobby No. 2.
+It's a gay place, they have a good show there, and there must be some of
+the regular girls over there by now, and you've made enough tonight
+already to spend the rest of the night having a good time."
+
+"All right, I'm ready."
+
+
+Lobby No. 2, one of the most popular bars in Juarez, the bar in the
+front of the building, and the cabaret directly back of it, quite a
+large dance floor, with a band stand at the farthest end, and surrounded
+on three sides with tables, and every table filled with every specie of
+the human race, some drunk, some more drunk, and some blind drunk.
+
+
+"Hello, there, Ev," greeted the bartender. "How's the old girl
+tonight?"
+
+"I'm fine, Henry--I want you to meet a girl friend of mine. This is
+Pearl."
+
+"Hi, Pearl, what will you and Ev have to drink?"
+
+"I think I'll have Rock and Rye, and a big slug of it--Ev, speed up,
+you're holding up the parade."
+
+"Whiskey, my darlings--Hey, Harry--you damn good-looking bastard--come
+over here, I got a girl friend I want you to know."
+
+"Why, hello, Ev--I haven't seen you in days, or I mean nights. Where
+have you been?" greeted Harry Hicks, a tall blonde young man of about
+twenty-three, who was the Master of Ceremonies of the floor show.
+
+"Harry, this is Pearl--Pearl, this is Harry." Evelyn poured down her
+whiskey without further ado.
+
+"How do you do," said Harry, as he offered his hand.
+
+"I'm very glad to know you," said Pearl, as she took the offered hand.
+
+"How soon does the show go on, Harry?" asked Evelyn as she wiped her
+mouth on the back of her hand.
+
+"In about three minutes, come on in and see it. I've got a good table
+for you near the band."
+
+"I'd love to," said Pearl, as Harry took her by the arm and helped her
+through the crowd.
+
+"Hello, there, Irene," Evelyn greeted a girl friend, "How's tricks
+tonight?"
+
+"Lousy," answered Irene. "I ain't made but two dollars all day, but
+thank Heavens, tomorrow is pay day at Fort Bliss, the soldiers are
+coming, tra--la--la--la--la."
+
+"See you later," called Evelyn, as she shoved her way into the cabaret,
+and on down to the table where Harry had seated Pearl.
+
+"Say, Ev, that boy is a perfect darling--gee, he is sweet, so fresh and
+clean looking."
+
+"Yes--Yes--Yes--my dear, every Bat in this town has said them same
+words, and I been unlucky enough to be at every saying."
+
+"Oh--good--there goes the show--look, Ev, the way he announces, isn't he
+the cutest thing?"
+
+"Yeah--I suppose you've made a date with him tonight to meet at the
+States Cafe after you get back on the U. S. side, and he is to take you
+for a ride in his brother's car, and show you the Rim road on Mount
+Franklin, and how the lights of El Paso glitter down in the distance."
+
+"Why, Ev--how did you know?"
+
+"Dearest girl, he has only told that same line to five thousand other
+Hookers in this man's burg, and what's more, they all go for it--I don't
+for the life of me know what it is about him that gets all the girls
+going--but do they go--"
+
+"Did he ever tell you that, Ev?"
+
+"Heaven forbid--there's only one thing that Harry could make me do, and
+that's--puke."
+
+"Oh, Ev, look at the way he sings that song--why, I think he is about
+the sweetest thing I've seen down here."
+
+"Pearl, dear, don't you let my dislikes bother you. If you like him, you
+go for him. You see, I been in this town for a long time, and when you
+have been here as long as I have, you will hate every Son-of-a-Bitch,
+and all that goes with them. Don't pay any attention to my rants--Hey,
+waiter--bring us two whiskeys, and for Heaven's sake, make it pronto,
+I'm dead of thirst already."
+
+
+The show went on, to a solid success, as it did every night. It was
+eleven thirty, the band went wild, so did everybody else. There was only
+thirty minutes left to drink in, before the bridge closed for the
+night. Everyone was making the most of it.
+
+Evelyn and Pearl finally worked their way back to the bar, where Evelyn
+ordered a pint of whiskey, and killed the whole thing without taking it
+down from her lips.
+
+
+"Jees, am I gonna get drunk tonight--make it another pint,
+Henry--pronto," yelled Evelyn.
+
+
+Pearl and Harry were wrapped in each other's arms, conscious of nothing
+around them, living for the night only.
+
+The States Cafe, the rendezvous for the continuation of the gaiety after
+one has come on the American side, not a large place by any means, but
+serving good food, with no hindrance whatsoever for the noise and
+ribaldry of the crowd, and took no notice of the bottles of straight
+American whiskey that appeared as if by magic out of the ladies' bosoms,
+where they had been concealed while in Juarez. The crowd had just begun
+to come in when Evelyn and Pearl arrived.
+
+"Let's get a booth, Ev, and save a seat for Harry, as he ought to be
+here soon."
+
+"Sure, grab a booth--but there is no need of saving a seat for Harry,
+he's already here," said Evelyn, as Harry put his arms around Pearl from
+behind.
+
+"Oh, Harry, dear, I had no idea you would be here so soon," said Pearl,
+happily, "Sit here, dear."
+
+"What's the matter with you, Ev," asked Harry, "haven't you a boy friend
+tonight?"
+
+"Yeah, I've had a boy friend for the past twenty-four hours, but he's up
+in my room, trying to sober up enough to go home. He is a louse to his
+wife--but--damn--he's good to me. He paid my rent for a month, and
+opened me a charge account at the White House, and gives me twenty bucks
+a month."
+
+"Don't this place have but the one waiter for all these people?" asked
+Pearl.
+
+"Just the one dear; Frank is his name, and he takes his time, but he's a
+good scout--wait, I'll go and get you some water--gee, but you are
+sweet. Boy--oh--boy, I'd love to cut you," said Harry, as he kissed her
+on the ear and went for the water.
+
+"Good Lord, Ev, did you hear what he said--he must be a sadist."
+
+"No, I think Harry's Irish."
+
+"But he said he would love to cut me."
+
+"Well, dear, that expression has more definitions than the one you
+happen to know," said Evelyn. "My God, look who's here--if it ain't
+Mickey and Betty--for the love of Heaven, where have you two been for
+the past rear-end of the week?"
+
+
+Betty and Mickey came over to the table, hellos and greetings were very
+much in order, loud, noisy, raucous, but good natured was the dirty
+banter that passed to and fro among the crowd. Finally they left Pearl
+and Evelyn, but not until they made Pearl promise to pay them a visit,
+then they squeezed into a booth with four other people, but where they
+could still see everybody, and shout ribald songs of the border at the
+top of their voices.
+
+
+"What is the matter with Mickey's face? Why, Ev, she looks like she had
+been through nine wars, and fought them all herself. I've never seen so
+many scars."
+
+"Well, you see," explained Evelyn, "Mickey is the only woman in Juarez,
+or the world, for that matter, that--if a fight starts in Juarez, and
+she is on the U. S. side--she is sure to get into the fight before it is
+over. I've seen her with a bottle so deep in her skull it looked like a
+feather."
+
+"Darling," said Harry, "My brother loaned me his car, just as I told
+you. Shall we take a little ride when you are through eating?"
+
+"I'd love to, dear--I've never been riding around El Paso since I've
+been here, but where will we go?"
+
+"Well, we could drive out the Smelter Road and back the Mesa way, or we
+could go up on Rim Road, on the side of Mount Franklin, or maybe you
+would like to drive out to Washington Park--it is beautiful at night."
+
+"Well, if I were you," said Evelyn, "I'd go to Washington Park. At
+least, there's grass on the ground around there."
+
+"Well, why isn't there grass on the ground in the other places Harry
+mentioned, Ev?"
+
+"Well, you see, as far as I know--I believe the natives of El Paso have
+had something to do with the wearing off of the grass in said places."
+
+"Oh, I know," smiled Pearl, "You mean cows."
+
+"Yes--some cows, but mostly heifers."
+
+"How do you girls feel about a drink," asked Harry.
+
+"Well, why the Hell didn't you say something before--good Heavens, it's
+been a long time between drinks--bottoms up."
+
+
+Screaming, glasses crashing, curses, tearing of clothes, yells, biting,
+pulling of hair, turning over of tables, running of people, came from
+the rear of the place.
+
+
+"Good Heavens," screamed Pearl, "Those women are tearing each other to
+pieces--why don't somebody try to separate them?"
+
+"Come on, let's get going," said Harry, as he took Pearl by the arm and
+piloted her out of the place, never bothering to pay the check.
+
+"So long, kids, I'll see you tomorrow," called Evelyn.
+
+"But where do you live, Ev?"
+
+"San Antonio Apartments, on San Antonio Street, number twenty-seven.
+Come up tomorrow, dear--adios."
+
+
+Harry and Pearl went out into the beautiful new car, and took a long
+ride toward the Smelter Road, to the fork where you return by the Mesa
+Road.
+
+
+"Shall we stop and look at the moon for a while?" asked Harry.
+
+"I'd love it."
+
+"Then we'll stop."
+
+
+Harry pulled the car off the road at the top of a small Mesa Butte, and
+turned off the lights.
+
+
+"Isn't it beautiful here?"
+
+"Yes, but you are more beautiful than a thousand nights," whispered
+Harry into her ear.
+
+
+She turned her head, looked into his expectant eyes, and thought how
+handsome he was, with that tightly brushed blonde hair, bushy eyebrows,
+beautiful smile, backed by manly big white teeth, surrounded by red
+lips.
+
+"Oh, Harry, you are a darling," as their lips met and their young bodies
+quivered with the thrill of expectation to be fulfilled.
+
+
+El Paso, city of one hundred thousand, not counting the nearby towns and
+villages. Noon, the sun maddening with its terrific heat, asphalt in the
+street so soft that your foot-print is left in it on crossing, only the
+business that has to be done is all that is going on. People move about
+lifelessly, clothes sticking to them. Mexicans, dressed in black, with
+the usual black shawl around their heads, as though it were the dead of
+winter, and not a bead of perspiration on them, with the only cooling
+place in the town being in the theatres that are ice-cooled.
+
+
+"My God--I'll die from this heat," said Pearl to herself, as she raised
+up in bed, with her night-gown sticking to her. "Jees, I wonder if I'll
+ever get used to it," she mused, as she climbed out of bed and raised
+the shade, and looked out on the sun-baked city.
+
+"I wonder what I'll do today to kill the time before I have to go over
+to Juarez tonight. I know, I'll put on my things and go and wake Ev up
+and have breakfast--then maybe she can suggest some place to go where
+it's cool."
+
+
+Pearl stepped out of her nightgown, looked at herself in the mirror. She
+was twenty-three, but she didn't look more than twenty, her beautiful
+white figure, with all the curves of youth reflected back at her, gave
+her a happy feeling, knowing that she didn't look anything like the rest
+of the girls that had been down on the border long, and promising
+herself that she would watch out and see that she would never--never be
+like them. The door-knob turned slowly, then the door was thrown wide
+open. In walked the big boy of the night before.
+
+
+"Oh, Heavens," screamed Pearl, "Wait a minute till I get something on,"
+as she fled into the bathroom.
+
+"Never mind, sweetheart--I like you just as you are, that's why I came
+up at this hour; I thought I'd find you in bed, or just getting out of
+it."
+
+"Oh, please hand me something to put on," came the voice from the
+bathroom.
+
+"Hold your hand out to get it, then."
+
+
+Pearl opened the door to put her hand out, and as she did, he slid his
+foot into the opening.
+
+
+"Oh, please, don't come in--I haven't a thing on."
+
+"That's why I'm coming in," he answered, as he pushed the door open and
+caught her in his arms.
+
+"Oh, big boy, don't you know you shouldn't do this? What will you think
+of me?"
+
+"Baby, I love you--don't you know that?--I love you," he breathed hard,
+as he kissed her eyes, her neck, her shoulders, and gathered her up in
+his arms and walked toward the bed.
+
+"You will believe me--won't you--?" as he held her as if she were a
+small baby.
+
+"Oh, big boy, you shouldn't act like this. What would anyone think if
+they should see us like this?"
+
+"What the Hell do I care what anyone thinks--I want you and I want you
+all for myself--I'll buy you anything you want. I've got money--plenty
+of it. Can't you understand that I'll do anything for you? When you left
+last night without even saying goodbye, I looked all over town for you,
+but I couldn't find you. You know what I mean, I don't even know your
+name, but I want you to marry me."
+
+
+Tenderly he laid her down on the bed, smothering her with kisses.
+
+
+Pearl looked into his eyes--he was sober--sober as a judge. He was a big
+man, a very big man, but he was like a child that had found the toy it
+had been looking for for a long time, and was so happy at finding it
+that he would never let it go again. He was fresh, clean, good looking,
+and had that very manly odor about him that women love, and above all,
+he had money, and lots of it; didn't Eve say so and didn't he tell her
+so himself? He ran his hands over her smooth body, his head was laying
+on her shoulder, his big body against hers, his breath seeming to scorch
+her. What was the use to fight against this? She knew that sooner or
+later she would give in to his pleadings, the sooner the better.
+
+"Yes, dear, I do love you," she whispered, as she put her arms around
+him, and pressed her hot mouth against his hot, moist lips--they seemed
+to melt into one.
+
+
+"Pardon, Madam, do you want to carry all these bundles, or wouldn't you
+like for us to send them over for you?" asked the clerk in the White
+House, the largest department store in El Paso.
+
+"Hell, no--I'll carry them myself," said Evelyn, as she began to pick up
+the numerous bundles she had bought.
+
+"I beg pardon, Madam, but did you want to charge those things?"
+
+"Jees, my all to Heaven has gone--certainly I want to charge them, I got
+an account here, ain't I?"
+
+"I'm sorry, Madam, but we shall soon find out."
+
+"Yeah--and for the love of Pete, make it snappy--don't keep me in
+suspense."
+
+"Pardon, Madam," returned the clerk, laying down the receiver of the
+store telephone, "I'm very happy to inform you that your account is
+quite all right; thank you very much--call again."
+
+"Thank you very much, and I'll call again damn soon. Adios."
+
+
+Evelyn returned to her apartment about three-thirty, unwrapped her
+packages, smiling to herself, and fondling her treasures.
+
+
+"Well, I've bought a new outfit from top to bottom, and from the skin
+out. Won't I floor that herd of tramps tonight--Hot--ziggety--damn--now
+I'll bathe, throw on a load of that loud perfume, and damned if I won't
+be a lady, or know why."
+
+
+"What was that?" asked Pearl, as she sat up in bed with a start. There
+was a rapping on the door.
+
+"Who is it?"
+
+"It's me--Ev," came the voice outside the door.
+
+"Oh, just a minute, dear, till I unlock the door."
+
+"My God, don't you ever expect to get up today? Do you know it is after
+four o'clock?" said Evelyn, as she came into the room.
+
+"Well, I did get up for a little while, but you see I went back to bed."
+
+"Oh, I see," said Evelyn, as she walked to the bed on tiptoe, where Big
+Boy lay sleeping like a child.
+
+"He came in at noon, and I couldn't get rid of him, or I would have come
+over to your place," answered Pearl, in a whisper.
+
+"Well, I'm glad you're able to get up." She walked over to Big Boy, and
+pulled the covers off the bed.
+
+"Hey, what's the big idea?" asked Big Boy as he raised up in bed.
+
+"Shame on you," said Evelyn, mockingly, "Sitting up in bed in front of a
+lady, and you with no sign of any drawers on. Here, put these on while I
+ain't looking," throwing him the trunks of his two-piece set.
+
+"Oke, Sister; where is Pearl?"
+
+"Don't you hear the water running in the bathroom? Well, you know darn
+well I ain't in there."
+
+"Hey, look, Sister, I'll give you a hundred bucks if you will talk for
+me. Look--I'm nuts about that girl--there's nothing I want as much as I
+do her--here's the hundred--will you do it?"
+
+"Will I? Boy, my mouth will run from now on about you. Hell's fire--I'd
+talk for a bull with that much dough."
+
+"You know I want to marry that Broad."
+
+"Well, at least that's cause for the damndest drunk I can think of--Hey,
+Pearl--get them things on--Juarez calleth me in a big way--and you too;
+get them things on. Good Heavens, I'm dry as a bone. Come to think of
+it, I ain't had a drink in nearly an hour."
+
+"My, Ev, you look good today. Where did you get all those new clothes?"
+asked Pearl, as she came out of the bathroom.
+
+"The boy friend I told you about last night. He is the cause of all this
+dressing up, and do you notice the smell? I even put on my best
+perfume."
+
+"It sure smells good, all right."
+
+"It does now, but wait until I throw a few beers into me, and I'll be
+the only one in Juarez that will smell like a cross between a violet and
+a swill barrel," laughed Evelyn.
+
+"Don't you girls think we ought to have something to eat before we
+start on this drinking tour?"
+
+"Big Boy, you think of the best things--food will do us a lot of good
+right now. Come to think of it, I forgot to eat this morning. Damned if
+I ain't hungry," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Where shall we go," asked Pearl.
+
+"Well--I think that the Hilton Coffee Shoppe would be grand," suggested
+Evelyn.
+
+"Hey, look--Big Boy, you go on down to the cafe, and order for us, and
+we will be along in a few minutes--will you?"
+
+"Oke, Baby; what do you crave in the way of food?"
+
+"Well, as for me--I'll have ham and eggs--what do you want, Ev?"
+
+"The same, and lots of it."
+
+"Now, look, you two--don't be all day," said Big Boy, as he went out the
+door, giving Evelyn a wink.
+
+"Pearl--" said Evelyn, slowly, "Do you know what you're letting yourself
+in for?" as she sat down on the bed.
+
+"Why--I don't get you, Ev, what do you mean?"
+
+"Just this, Honey--I like you--you're a good kid, but don't be
+foolish--now don't think I'm trying to tell you your business, but you
+see I've been down here for a long time and I know this border--Oh, God,
+how well I know it."
+
+"What are you driving at, Ev?"
+
+"Honey, don't try to kid that guy--look here," said Evelyn, showing
+Pearl the hundred-dollar bill Big Boy had given her.
+
+"What's it for, Ev?"
+
+"Well, he's nuts about you--and he wants to marry you. Of course, you
+know that already, and what's more, it's none of my business, but for
+your own good, don't try to string that guy along. He looks like a kid,
+that's true. He is as easy to handle as a kid, but Pearl, he is a
+killer. I know him, and I know what he will do. So, if you want to marry
+him, and settle down, your nest will be feathered and in a big way, but
+don't try to kid him if you ain't serious--be frank about it--tell him
+the truth and then lay off him, or else be all for him. He gave me this
+money to talk for him, and to tell you what a great guy he is, and try
+to talk you into marrying him--I ain't telling you what to do and I
+ain't telling you what not to do--but don't kid him, and don't promise
+nothing you can't make good."
+
+"Why, Ev, I haven't known you for hardly twenty-four hours. I didn't
+even stop to think you had a serious side--you are a dear. Sure, I know
+what you mean. Now I'll tell you how I feel towards him. I don't love
+him, I never could. He's not my type, but when he gets around me, and
+puts his arms around me, and pulls me close, I can't hold out on him--he
+is the personification of satisfaction--Oh, Hell, Ev, you know what I
+mean, don't you?"
+
+"I admit you ain't left much to my imagination, but I get you."
+
+"You see, Ev, I am in love--but I know it is a hopeless love--but love,
+nevertheless--and it's Harry Hicks, the guy I went with when I left you
+last night in the cafe--that kid sure got under my skin."
+
+"Well, he better stay from under them things."
+
+"You don't like Harry, do you, Ev?"
+
+"Well,--I don't dislike him. I never thought of him as anything but a
+big kid and I always treated him as one--Harry is a damn good guy as far
+as I know, and I don't think that he has an enemy in the world, but
+don't make the mistake that lots of the other girls have made with
+Harry--he likes all the girls, and what's more, he couldn't be true to
+any one for five minutes, not even himself--he's like millions of other
+men; to him a woman is for one thing, and when he is through, he is
+through--so the only way to impress him is to never--never let him know
+that he means any more to you than the lowest Cholo."
+
+"That seems to be the standard formula to make any man nuts for you."
+
+"Oh--good--Heavens, Pearl, dear, we are forgetting Big Boy, and most of
+all to me, we are forgetting breakfast, even if it is almost dinner
+time," said Evelyn, as they hurried to the street.
+
+"Have you been waiting long?" asked Pearl, as they sat down.
+
+"Not long, but I had begun to be a little impatient."
+
+"Did you order for us yet?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"No, I thought I'd better wait, so I just had coffee, and decided to
+read the paper until you showed up."
+
+"Any news?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Paper says that some old boy down below the border is sore because he
+ain't President, and is gathering troops back in the mountains to start
+a little revolution."
+
+"That ain't nothing new," said Evelyn, "That's in every day's paper."
+
+"I'll bet it's something awful down here when a revolution does start,"
+mused Pearl.
+
+"Awful is right--awfullest laugh in the country," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Have you and Big Boy ever been down here when one started?"
+
+"I'll say," answered Evelyn, as she sipped her coffee. "I was over in
+Juarez when the last one started."
+
+"It must be awful, all those guns."
+
+"Yeah--the only kind of guns these Mex wars are fought with is Gonorrhea
+Guns."
+
+"Listen, honey," said Big Boy, "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"
+
+"Nothing--why?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Well, I won't be able to see you tonight, I've some business to attend
+to, but tomorrow afternoon I thought you might like to go swimming some
+place."
+
+"Oh--I would--wouldn't you, Ev?"
+
+"I would not. I hate water, even for swimming, but that don't stop you
+two from going and having a good time."
+
+"Well, I'll be seeing you, tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock, at your
+room, baby," as he picked up the checks and started for the door.
+
+"Are you sure it's swimming he wants to meet you for?" asked Evelyn,
+with a mouth full of eggs.
+
+"I don't know, Ev--I can't figure it. I've never been in love before,
+and I don't know what it's like, but I think this is the real thing."
+
+"You mean with Big Boy?" exclaimed Evelyn.
+
+"No--no--no--Ev, honey, I mean Harry Hicks. When that kid took me in his
+arms last night out on that mountain, I went hook, line and sinker, and
+I don't know how to handle it."
+
+"I'm sorry, Pearl, yet I'm happy--but there's only one thing can come
+from it, and that's--trouble--, but you got to expect that. You see, for
+every bit of fun you have in this racket, you have twice as much
+trouble, so my motto is--laugh, as long as you can, and take the rest of
+it with a grain of salt, so if you love Harry--you go right ahead--let
+nothing stand in the way--make it grand while it lasts--then when it's
+over, you will have something to remember, and nothing can take that
+from you."
+
+"Come on, Ev, let's get going. It's early, but let's go on over to
+Juarez and have a few snorts, what do you say?"
+
+"When you mention drinks, you're talking right up my alley."
+
+
+Evelyn and Pearl strolled out of the Coffee Shoppe, and down South El
+Paso Street, across in front of the Paso Del Norte Hotel, to wait for
+the Juarez car.
+
+
+"My God, what you all doing standing here, not saying a word?" came a
+voice from behind them.
+
+"Why, hello, Mickey," said Evelyn, as she turned and saw who it was.
+
+"Hello, Mickey," said Pearl.
+
+"Say, listen, you kids--got any dates for tonight?" asked Mickey.
+
+"I ain't," said Evelyn. "Have you, Pearl?"
+
+"I haven't."
+
+"Well, there's three old guys, five days older than Hell, throwing an
+all-night party in the Rio Bravo Hotel, and they asked me and Betty to
+get as many girls as we could. There's plenty to drink, plenty to
+eat--there will be lots of fellows there besides them old ones, and
+there's a chance to make a few dollars, and if you can't make any
+money--well--when they get drunk you can always go through their
+pockets," said Mickey, in a voice that was supposed to be confidential,
+but still could be heard at least a block away.
+
+"What do you say, Pearl?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Do you think Harry will be there?"
+
+"Oh, Heavens, be calm," as she lifted her hands in supplication.
+
+"Yes," answered Mickey, "He'll be there; you couldn't keep him away from
+them kind of parties. Last one Harry was on, he got so drunk he stripped
+stark naked and did a Spanish down the hall."
+
+"I'll bet that was a sight," said Evelyn.
+
+"Oh, honey, that wasn't no sight at all--that big guy here they call Big
+Boy, well--he was as drunk as Harry, and he got naked too, and took an
+umbrella and opened it, and used it for a parachute when he jumped from
+the second-story window."
+
+"Is that the Big Boy we know?" asked Pearl.
+
+"I don't know how well you know him," answered Mickey, "but it's the one
+you was out in the car with last night."
+
+"Why, jumping out of a second-story window like that, it's a wonder he
+didn't break his neck."
+
+"Pearl, dear," said Evelyn, "It wasn't his neck he lit on."
+
+"How did you know I was out in the car with Big Boy last night?" Pearl
+asked Mickey.
+
+"Well--you see, I had been mixing my drinks, and I was sick, and I went
+outside to heave. Well, I was sitting on the running board of the car on
+the off side, when you all got in, but I didn't sit there long."
+
+"Why?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Honey, riding a wild horse is tame beside trying to sit on that
+fender," laughed Mickey. "Well, I'll see you all tonight at the party,
+as soon as the bridge closes." She waved as she went on down the
+street.
+
+"Don't you get sore at nothing anybody says to you--she is a good scout,
+Pearl, and when you know her better you will like her, I'm sure."
+
+"Oh--Ev, why would I get sore--come, come, come--here is our car."
+Pearl grabbed Evelyn's hand and started running for the car.
+
+"My Heavens," exclaimed Evelyn, "This street car reminds me of some
+Madam's parlor--there's five girls I know--hello, gang."
+
+"O. K., Ev. How is the biggest liquor and beer consumer today?" asked
+one of the girls.
+
+"I'm fine. Girls, this is Pearl. She is a newcomer in our midst, and a
+good scout--Pearl, this is the girls--find out their names for yourself.
+I knew what some of their names was last week, but only Heaven knows
+what they are this week."
+
+
+The girls smiled and said hello to Pearl, and all moved over for them to
+sit down.
+
+
+"Ev, what's this I hear about a party tonight at the Rio Bravo
+Hotel--have you heard about it yet?"
+
+"Yeah--Mickey Finn, you know her, we just run into her at the corner,
+and she told us about it, and said for us to come. Are you going?"
+
+"Sure, we all are."
+
+"Do you think it will be all right, Ev?" asked Pearl, under her breath.
+
+"I don't get you--how do you mean all right?"
+
+"Well, I've never been on an all-night party in Juarez--so naturally I'm
+curious--but what I mean is--can you get away with much over here
+without the Mexicans landing you in jail?"
+
+"As long as there ain't no murder, or absolute destruction of
+property--you are pretty safe, but why bother--wait till you get in the
+can before you start worrying about it."
+
+
+Juarez, with its lights twinkling in the glowing dusk--with its midnight
+purple mountains looking like big, futuristic pillows flanking it on
+three sides, the skies screaming, flaming, gold, crimson, varied colors
+of reds, shading into blue, darker blue, then deep blue, then to purple
+in the far east, with the sounds of laughing, running, playing dogs and
+children, sounds of a twanging guitar slightly out of tune, accompanied
+by a nasal but sincere Mexican love song being sung to a Senorita with
+dark eyes and broken, dirty teeth, and bosoms that would make a Holstein
+cow's eyes bulge with envy--smells of all sorts drifted on the soft,
+gentle breeze, of tortillas, of beans frying with cheese, of chili
+sauces, of charcoal, of unwashed dirty bodies, of manure, both human
+and animal. A street car rattling by with its cargo of brilliantly
+painted cheeks, flashing smiles, syphilis-carrying, would-be, has-been,
+and are-to-be whores.
+
+Signs advertising whiskeys, and liquors of all kinds, brilliant in
+color, flashed in the deepening dusk, their utter defiance at the
+American side of the border. The extra bartenders were coming on duty,
+extra waiters were appearing in respective places, rubbing their hands
+together like pawnbrokers, at the thought of the night's tips; at the
+thought of what could be taken out of the pockets of one too drunk to
+notice; at the thought of the tips that would be thrown at the
+entertainers that would roll where they could stoop and pick it up
+without being noticed; at the thought of drunken women's pocketbooks
+that can so easily be gone into in a crowded place without fear of being
+caught. This was Saturday night, the biggest night of the week.
+
+
+"We are getting off here at the corner," said one of the five girls. "We
+are going to start with the Gold Palace, Pearl; you and Ev come along
+with us."
+
+
+Evelyn started to rise.
+
+
+"Thanks," said Pearl, as she caught Evelyn's arm, "We are going to ride
+around to the Lobby No. 2. I've a friend around there to see on
+business--but we will see you at the party, if not sooner. I hope you
+all have some good luck tonight."
+
+"Thanks, honey," called one of the girls, "I'm damned if we don't need
+it."
+
+"Why didn't you come on and get off and get a drink? I don't think Harry
+is there yet--it's a little early for him."
+
+"Oh, Ev, I just can't wait."
+
+"Well, I admit you sure got it bad."
+
+"Say, how do these parties usually end, and where?"
+
+"They usually end in the Goddamnest fight, and just anywhere that they
+didn't start," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Do you think this one will end that way?"
+
+"I can't see why this one should be any different from any of the rest;
+besides, Mickey Finn is going to be there, and that's always the sign of
+a fight."
+
+
+Hugo's Lobby No. 2 was brilliantly lighted, as ever, and much less
+crowded than the night before, owing to the early hour. As Pearl and
+Evelyn walked in, there were about fifteen or twenty people at the bar,
+and about three times as many in the cabaret having dinner.
+
+
+"Hello, Henry," called Evelyn, "Two whiskeys for two ladies."
+
+"Coming up, Ev."
+
+
+Pearl felt two cool hands slip over her eyes, and a soft voice in her
+ear, that made her body quiver and caused a tight feeling in her
+stomach.
+
+
+"Guess who, darling," said the voice in her ear.
+
+"Hi--Harry, you big louse," came from Evelyn before Pearl could say a
+word.
+
+"Oh, gee, Ev, you spoiled my game," said Harry poutingly.
+
+"She ain't no game, Harry--she's a sure thing," winked Evelyn.
+
+
+Harry took Pearl in his arms, gave her a big hug, and then kissed her.
+
+
+"Oh, Harry--what will people think?"
+
+"Look all around you," said Evelyn, "Not a soul has noticed you."
+
+"What are you having to drink, Harry?" asked the bartender.
+
+"Whiskey, pal," answered Harry; then to Pearl, "Listen, honey, are you
+doing anything tonight? I'm going on a party, and it may be a bit rough,
+but would you like to come? I know you will have a good time."
+
+"I know all about the party, darling, and Ev and I are both going,
+aren't we, Ev?"
+
+"Sure thing."
+
+"Oh, that's great," said Harry. "Well, I got to be going now. I've got
+to get that band to playing, and start a little excitement in there, or
+the guests will kick. So long, honey, I'll see you at the party."
+
+"Oh, Henry, another whiskey for me," called Evelyn. "What do you want,
+dear--whiskey or smelling salts?"
+
+"Both," answered Pearl.
+
+"Do you really like him as much as that? No kidding, come clean."
+
+"Honestly, cross my heart, I love him--like Hell."
+
+"Well, suppose you catch another dame cooing over him, and making love
+to him in a big way--then what?"
+
+"I'd cut enough meat off her rear end to feed the dogs for a week," said
+Pearl, viciously.
+
+"Well, I admit there are a lot of rear ends in this town that could
+stand a little cut off here and there, but some of them are so tough you
+would have to use a hack-saw to do it," tittered Evelyn. "Did you ever
+stop to think that Big Boy might feel the same way about you that you
+feel about Harry? Have you stopped to think of that, and have you
+stopped to think Harry might feel about you the way you feel about Big
+Boy? Now, honey, don't think I'm butting in, cause I ain't, but think
+about it, will you?"
+
+
+The Rio Bravo Hotel, on the Sixteenth of September Street, is the Class
+A hotel of the town. With the street cars running in front of it, with
+the railroad track on the side of it, a rip-snorting bar under it, and
+the numerous parties going on inside of it, it would hardly be a place
+one would pick out to spend a quiet evening, or get a night's sleep--so
+when one goes to the Rio Bravo, one does not go for anything less than a
+party--or maybe to earn two dollars, but, of course, that takes but a
+matter of a few minutes--in Juarez, but as so many of the local
+population figure, why spend a dollar for a room when there are so many
+dark nooks and corners off the main street, and parked cars, whether
+your own or someone else's.
+
+The rooms in this establishment are furnished with only the bare
+necessities of a room--a bed, a chair, sometimes a rocker, sometimes
+with the rockers broken off, but still used as a chair, a rug on the
+floor, but never a big one, or a good one, and the bathroom, but never
+in the history of Juarez has the hotel water heater ever been known to
+work, never any toilet paper, but a pile of newspapers stacked in the
+corner, a mirror, a cracked one, but still usable, if you are not
+particular--and one seldom is--when one is on a party.
+
+It was twelve-thirty, the mad rush for the International bridge was
+over, the gates separating the two republics were closed until six
+o'clock in the morning.
+
+
+"Think we better stop and have some coffee before we go on up to the
+hotel, what do you think?" said Evelyn, as she and Pearl walked arm in
+arm unsteadily up the street.
+
+"If we gotta do a lot of drinking up there, it wouldn't be a bad idea,"
+answered Pearl. "Here's as good a place as any." She took Evelyn's arm
+and turned her into a little Mexican cafe.
+
+
+They sat and sipped their coffee for a while, said nothing to each
+other, or to anyone else, as they were the only ones in the place except
+the little weezened black waiter, who could easily have been mistaken
+for a Negro, had it not been for his straight black hair.
+
+
+"All through?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Yeah--let's get going and see what this joint of joy is going to be
+like."
+
+
+They left the place, and walked up the street toward the Rio Bravo. As
+they were crossing the railroad tracks next to the hotel, Evelyn
+stopped, "Good Lord, look coming--there's Ruby, Myrtle, Betty, Billie,
+Lillian, Virginia, Annie, Laura, Irene, Marie, and I don't know any of
+the others."
+
+
+"Well, we must not be late for the party, anyhow, seeing that they are
+just arriving."
+
+"Jees--there's probably twice that many already up there," answered
+Evelyn.
+
+"Where do they all come from?"
+
+"A party in this town does the same thing to these Hookers that cheese
+does to rats."
+
+"Let's wait a minute and let them go on in," said Pearl.
+
+
+They waited until the girls had disappeared: "Come on, dearie, we might
+as well go on and crash it and see what's going on." They went up the
+steps and into the lobby, which was rather bare, with nothing but a few
+leather chairs, showing considerable use, and a desk at the back near
+the stairs.
+
+"Oh, Senorita Evelyn, I have not see you for so long time, I have near
+forget what you look like," bowed the clerk, who was possessed of a
+monstrous stomach.
+
+"Hi--Guts--we are looking for that party that's going on here tonight."
+
+"A thousand pardons, Senorita, there is five parties going tonight. You
+will look and see which one you are invited to. I need not go up with
+you--you will hear these parties long before you see them. Have a very
+good time, Senorita."
+
+"Come back here, you slut--do you hear me--come back here with my leg,"
+came a voice, as Evelyn and Pearl neared the second floor.
+
+"You can just go to Hell, you cheap, lousy bastard, having the nerve to
+promise me two dollars, and then when I'm ready to go, you saying you
+wasn't going to give me a dime--Goddam you, you just try and get this
+leg back," said Mickey Finn, as she came to the head of the stairs, with
+an artificial leg under her arm, with the shoe and sock still on it.
+
+"What's the trouble, Mickey?" asked Evelyn, as she and Pearl came up.
+
+"Why, can you believe a guy would have the nerve to pull a trick like
+that on me--promising me my money, and then not giving it to me? I'm
+taking this leg and hock it--to Hell with him--the thing that makes me
+sore is anyone trying to pull a lousy trick like that on me--can you
+believe it?" fumed Mickey.
+
+"Come back here with my leg, you bitch. If I get my hands on you, I'll
+wring your damn neck."
+
+"Go to Hell," screamed Mickey, "You'll pay me more than two dollars to
+get this leg back."
+
+"Pipe down, Mickey," shushed Evelyn, "If Guts hears you, he'll raise
+Hell right."
+
+"A thousand pardons, Senoritas, but what is this trouble--and you--what
+are you doing with the Senor's leg?" came the voice of Guts from behind
+the trio.
+
+"You seen me come in here with this guy, didn't you, Guts? He paid for
+the room, didn't he? Well, after he had his fun he refused to pay me my
+two dollars, and I'm damned if I ain't taking his false leg for the
+bill--and come to think of it, what have you got to say about it? Are
+you for me, or are you against me? You remember, I know of a couple of
+dirty deals I could tell the Custom and Federal authorities about--and
+by God, you know me, Guts," frothed Mickey.
+
+"Ah, Senorita--I am so sorry. Why you did not call me before? You are my
+friend, and no one can say different," answered Guts, as he pulled his
+enormous belly up, and with a scowl on his near-black face, started down
+the hall toward the half-opened door.
+
+"Take that leg away from that slut," ordered the man, leaning against
+the dresser to support himself, as Guts and the three girls came into
+the room.
+
+"Why have you refuse to pay the Senorita?" asked Guts.
+
+"Refuse to pay her--why, the damn liar--I have paid her."
+
+"You are just lying because there's some other people here. You ain't
+give me a red cent, and what's more, you are giving me ten dollars or
+I'm taking the leg. Ain't I right, Guts?"
+
+"Si, Senorita, you are right."
+
+"Hand the leg over and I'll give you the ten dollars to get rid of you."
+
+"All right, I'll give it to you, but don't you try to pull nothing funny
+or I'll take that thing away from you again, and beat the Hell out of
+you with it," said Mickey, as she handed him the leg.
+
+"Thanks," said the man, as he took the leg, and reached down the top of
+it and pulled out a roll of bills, "Here's your ten," as he dug it out
+of a roll of fifties and hundreds.
+
+"I'll be damned!" said Mickey, as they all left the room, "That's what I
+get for getting chicken-hearted, and giving it back to him. Every time I
+get sympathetic I lose money."
+
+"Cheer up, Mickey--let's find the drinks," said Evelyn.
+
+"Well, you ain't got far to look. They are right above us on the next
+floor," answered Mickey, as she made for the stairs.
+
+"Well, nobody can't say it ain't starting off well--if we all don't end
+in the Mex jail, it will be a miracle of fate."
+
+
+As they reached the third floor a sight greeted their eyes that would
+have made the old Roman gatherings look like child's play. There were
+couples everywhere in the hall, some fully dressed, some partially
+dressed, others practically nude, all oblivious of each other, while in
+the room there were less clothes but many more bodies, laying around on
+the floor, sprawled on chairs, on the bed, on the bathroom floor, while
+the bathtub was piled high with ice and bottles of every description;
+the connecting room to the bathroom had been opened, and an old
+phonograph was scratching the Mexican National Anthem, while a couple
+scantily clad, both male and female, in ladies' step-ins, insisted on
+doing their idea of the rhumba, which consisted mostly of the male part
+of the team goosing the female with the third finger of the hand, while
+she leaped, and screamed, with elephantine grace, much to the joy of the
+spectators, who were beginning to undress and join the dance, midst
+shouts and screams of gaiety.
+
+
+Of the three hosts that gave the party, two had passed to the realm of
+unconsciousness, while the third sat stark nude on the dresser, with his
+toupee in one hand, and a bottle of whiskey in the other, wasting no
+time in trying to join his friends in the happy state of
+unconsciousness.
+
+
+"Looks like good pickings to me," said Mickey. "Everybody is
+undressed--it won't be no trouble to go through their pockets."
+
+"Good God, the bathroom is the place we are looking for. That is where
+all the drinks are. Come, come, my dear, let us not waste time," said
+Evelyn, as she stepped over the sprawled bodies on the floor.
+
+"Jees, this takes the prize--I been on lots of parties, but never on one
+like this," said Pearl, as she followed Evelyn, who by this time was
+opening a fresh, cold bottle of whiskey.
+
+"Why, the Hell--will they put whiskey on ice."
+
+"Well, you couldn't expect anybody in this condition to know any
+different, could you, Ev?"
+
+"You couldn't expect people who get in this condition to give a damn in
+the first place," said Evelyn, as she took a long swig of the freshly
+opened bottle, "Even I don't care after the first ten drinks."
+
+"Quick--give me a slug of that stuff--if I ever get sober on a thing
+like this, and actually realize what it's all about, I'd do a nose dive
+out of my hotel window some morning," said Pearl, as Evelyn handed her
+the bottle. "Come to think of it--I ain't seen hide nor hair of Harry,
+and he said he would be here."
+
+"Well, Pearl, dear, when you see a pile of whores about ten deep, dig to
+the bottom of them and you will find Harry--at least, that's where he
+usually is."
+
+"Oh--Jees--that's lousy whiskey--open another bottle--that tastes like
+tobacco juice."
+
+"There's going to be trouble here this night as sure as the world
+stands--" said Evelyn under her breath. "I just saw Juan Moros pass the
+door--and that's a bad sign, as sure as you're born."
+
+"Who is Juan Moros?"
+
+"He's the boy friend of Negro Noche, and he has been on the trail of
+Irene, the blonde girl that came in with the crowd we saw come in just
+ahead of us. You know Irene, the tall blonde--he is crazy about her."
+
+"Well, what's that got to do with us?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Plenty--and in more ways than one--Negro Noche is the one woman in the
+town to be afraid of. She has been pulled in by the government officials
+several times for smuggling dope over the border into the United
+States--but they have never been able to convict her. She was arrested
+not long ago for smuggling Chinese across, and several attempts have
+been made to frame her, but no one has ever been able to pin it on her,
+and now she has threatened to kill any woman that she catches the boy
+friend with, and what's more, Irene is crazy about him. Now, ain't that
+cause for trouble?"
+
+"Well, I can't see what that has got to do with this party. He is here
+and so is Irene, but that is no cause for trouble--surely she wouldn't
+come up here and start trouble," reasoned Pearl.
+
+"Which proves conclusively that you don't know Negro Noche."
+
+"You might add that I don't want to."
+
+"Well--well, hello, Henry, you devil--I thought you went home to your
+wife every night," said Evelyn, as a bartender she knew came into the
+bathroom.
+
+"Well," laughed Henry, "She can't say nothing if I don't get through
+work in time, and get locked on this side of the river, can she?"
+
+"Not unless you pull that gag once too often--here, have a drink," as
+she offered him the bottle.
+
+"Well, Pearl, what do you think of the party?" asked Henry, as he
+turned to Pearl, who was looking out into the other room, trying to see
+Harry.
+
+"Henry, my darling, since you inquire, I think it is the most charming
+affair--in fact, I've never been on a party where so little
+self-consciousness was present--in plain English, it is the damndest
+thing I've ever seen--let's drink to it," as she raised her bottle and
+clinked it against his.
+
+
+The phonograph in the adjoining room had stopped, but everyone was
+singing instead. Everybody had joined the first couple in the rhumba,
+making the scene more hilarious by not having any clothes on at all.
+
+
+"Hi, baby," said Harry, as he staggered into the bathroom.
+
+"Oh, Harry, I'm glad you came. I was afraid you might change your mind,"
+said Pearl, happily.
+
+"Where you are concerned, baby, I never change my mind--let's have a
+drink."
+
+"Come on, Henry," said Evelyn, "Let's leave these two in here. It's
+plain to be seen they don't need us."
+
+"Ev, you're a damn good mind-reader," said Harry. "Here, take a couple
+more bottles with you, so you won't have to bother us."
+
+"Thanks, I'll just do that little thing," as she took two extra bottles.
+
+"Ah, baby--I want you so," said Harry, as he pulled Pearl to him and
+smothered her with kisses. "Come on, let's undress and go in the next
+room and join the dance."
+
+"Oh, no, Harry, I've never done anything like that."
+
+"Oh, baby--baby--don't you trust me? Have another drink."
+
+"Yes, but--"
+
+"No buts," said Harry, as he began to unfasten her dress. "Come on, I'll
+help you undress and then you have to help me."
+
+"Harry--please--I don't really want to undress."
+
+"You see--you see--you don't love me, that proves it."
+
+"Oh, yes I do, Harry--I like you so much, but I can't see where my
+undressing could have anything to do with it."
+
+"That just proves it--proves it right there--you don't care a thing
+about me."
+
+"Harry, if you were sober you wouldn't do a thing like this. I'm not
+sober by any means myself, but I don't want to undress."
+
+"You see--you just want to spoil my whole night."
+
+"Oh, all right--if my stripping will make you happy, I might as well
+strip--give me that bottle. I'll have to get a little drunker to enjoy
+this--here goes," as she put the bottle to her mouth, taking long, big
+swallows.
+
+"Atta girl--I knew you would be a good scout," as he tried to help her
+get her dress off over her head.
+
+Pearl took off her dress, laid it over a chair, took off her step-ins,
+laid them with her dress, keeping only her shoes and stockings on.
+
+"Oh, gee, baby--you sure look good to me--I'm just crazy about you."
+
+"All right--you keep your word--you undress, too."
+
+"Sure, I'll undress," said Harry, as he started to take off his pants,
+shirt, and underwear, and laid them on the chair with Pearl's things,
+standing before her in only his shoes and socks.
+
+"Let's have a couple more drinks, Harry, darling--you know, I believe
+I'm going to enjoy this after all."
+
+"I know I am," as he put his huge arms around her cool, pink body.
+
+"Well--so help me--what the Hell is coming off here?" said Evelyn, as
+she came into the bathroom, her face blank in wonderment.
+
+"Oh, Jees--this is great--let's have a drink," said Henry, as he came in
+behind Evelyn. "You know, Ev, we might as well join the merry, mad
+gang--what do you say?"
+
+"I dare you, Henry," answered Evelyn, as she started to strip with
+speed.
+
+Pearl, in Harry's arms, leaped into the milling, singing, drinking,
+wrestling mob, in the semi-dark room, held tight in each others' arms,
+naked bodies rubbed against each other, strangers kissed passionately,
+lovers kissed more passionately, enemies kissed less passionately, but
+kissed--in their drunken orgy they had forgotten what they were enemies
+about--couples who had been dancing longer than the others fell on the
+floor, locked in each others' arms, their legs stuck grotesquely in the
+air above them, while their burning wet lips were pressed tightly
+against each others' mouths, stopping only long enough to take a drink.
+
+A shriek from the bathroom--Evelyn and Henry leaped into the mob, naked
+as the rest--"Shake it up, baby," screamed Evelyn, as she and Henry in a
+tight embrace started singing and dancing with the rest; as the other
+couples fell to the floor newer and fresher couples joined the
+throng--only to fall later on the floor, to continue the party with mad,
+wet kisses, and--?
+
+"My snow-white darling, I have love you so veer long, I weel never love
+but you--I have never love no one but you--only you--my darling--my
+darling--" came a soft voice near Pearl's ear, and as she looked
+closely, she saw it was the tall, handsome Moros, with the blonde Irene
+in his arms.
+
+"Get your Goddam foot out of my face," yelled a drunken voice.
+
+"My humble pardon, Senor--I am looking for some one," answered the deep,
+sober voice of a Mexican woman.
+
+"Why the Hell don't you turn on the light, then?"
+
+"That, Senor, is a veer good idea," as she returned to the door and
+snapped on a flood of bright, red light.
+
+Couples that were still on their feet, stopped dead still. Couples that
+were on the floor, stopped whatever they were doing--all looking towards
+the door, where the Mexican woman was standing, her hand still on the
+light button. Not a soul moved.
+
+Negro Noche stood motionless--her pock-marked face covered with a heavy
+layer of snow white powder that is typical of all Mexican women. Eyes
+gleaming, breathing heavily, she pulled a heavy, dark-blue, 45-calibre
+automatic from under her dirty coat, as a grim smile broke the
+death-like mask that was her face. Six shots rent the dead silence. Juan
+and Irene lay in each others' arms, just as they had a few minutes
+before, but they knew it not. Negro Noche had accomplished her
+purpose--her lover and her rival were to annoy her no more--the gun
+silent in her hand, finger still on the light button, a blue wisp of
+smoke rose from the end of the gun, as the blood from the two bodies
+rapidly spread on the cheap, worn carpet--pandemonium broke loose.
+
+Pearl ran into the bathroom to get her clothes--Evelyn was already
+there--"My God, what will we do?" asked Pearl.
+
+"This ain't no time to sing Frankie and Johnnie--don't wait to put your
+clothes on--run for it," answered Evelyn, as she grabbed Pearl and
+started for the hall.
+
+Women were screaming, crying--men were yelling and cursing, running up
+and down the hall, some too excited to realize that they had on no
+clothes--others just running around in circles.
+
+As Evelyn and Pearl came to the stairs, Guts was on his way up. He
+started to ask Evelyn and Pearl what had happened, but they brushed by
+and on down the stairs. As they rounded the second floor, they saw
+Mickey Finn on her hands and knees looking through a key-hole.
+
+"My God, Mickey," said Evelyn, excitedly, "Don't waste no time--get out
+of here quick."
+
+"What's happened--what was all them shots?" as she rose off her knees
+and came to them.
+
+"Negro Noche--shot Juan and Irene--don't waste a minute--we have got to
+get on the U. S. side somehow."
+
+They all three ran down the stairs into the lobby, and out the front
+door, onto the street.
+
+"Down the railroad tracks towards the bridge."
+
+"We can't cross that bridge," said Mickey.
+
+"I know it," answered Evelyn, "but it's dark down that way, and we can
+put our clothes on--come on," as they ran down the tracks.
+
+They stopped in the deep darkness and put their clothes on.
+
+"Now, listen to me," said Evelyn, "I have a plan. We will get back over
+on Lysol Lane, and go in one of those all-night bars, and I'll telephone
+to Tony, a taxi driver I know, where to meet us."
+
+"Do you think it will work?" asked Pearl.
+
+"It's got to," said Mickey, as they started.
+
+"Now, you two stand around the corner--I'll stagger in this dump, as
+though nothing had happened, and use the phone."
+
+"Can't I go with you?"
+
+"No, you stay with Mickey--if they see all three of us they will be sure
+to suspect something, and I don't crave to get mixed up in this
+mess--stand back there in the dark," as she put on her best drunken
+smile and staggered into the place.
+
+"Hi, Senor--can a lady use your phone?"
+
+"Si, Senorita--right this way," he led her over to the phone booth in
+the corner.
+
+"Gracia, Senor," as she went in and closed the door, lifted the
+receiver--"El Paso operator, please--Hello--El Paso operator--give me
+Main Eight-Eight--Yeah--Hello, all-night taxi? Let me talk to Tony.
+What--Oh, that's you, Tony? Listen, get a load of this--this is Ev, you
+know--yeah--take one of the plain cars you got there, and cruise along
+the Smelter Road near the Southern Pacific bridge, and look out for
+three of us. No--no--no--it's not liquor--don't ask questions over the
+phone--make it snappy--good-bye." She hung up the receiver, and
+staggered out of the booth. "Adios, Senor," as she went out the door and
+around the corner, to Mickey and Pearl.
+
+"I just heard the ambulance and the police wagon going up the street,"
+said Mickey.
+
+"Tony is going to meet us up on the Smelter Road," said Evelyn. "We'll
+go down these side streets until we get to the river, and then we'll
+follow the levee on around to where it is only about twenty feet wide,
+and about three feet deep. I know the very place. We won't have any
+trouble if we hurry--come on." So saying, they started for the river,
+down dark alleys and side streets, of which there are plenty in Juarez.
+
+They stumbled on through the darkness, half running, sometimes walking.
+"I'm sure I hear someone following us," said Pearl, as they neared the
+river.
+
+"Your life ain't worth two cents over here in this section at this hour
+of the night," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Let's run," said Mickey, as they started on down the levee.
+
+"How far is this place you know about, Ev?" asked Pearl, out of breath,
+as they slowed to a fast walk again.
+
+"About a mile or more," answered Evelyn, "But it's our only chance."
+
+It seemed like ten miles to the three, as they ran stumbling through the
+darkness, when a flare lit up the sky ahead of them to the right.
+
+"What's that?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Thank Heaven, it's the smelter," said Mickey. "We are almost there."
+
+"Here's the place I mean," said Evelyn, as she pointed to a very narrow
+place in the river. "Now, let's all take hands, and hold tight. The only
+thing we have to be careful of is the quicksands--they are as
+treacherous as Hell," as they started to wade into the river.
+
+"Watch your step," said Evelyn.
+
+"Jees--that water is cold--hold tight to my hand, Pearl, and don't let
+go," said Mickey, as she took hold of Pearl, who was in the middle.
+
+"We are in the midst of a lot of quicksand here--I can't seem to find
+bottom any further than I am standing. Let go of me, Pearl, and I'll
+wade around a bit and see if I can find a more solid place."
+
+"Oh, God--now, Ev, don't do that. Don't let go at all here in the
+water--we will all wade together."
+
+"Hold tight, then, and we will wade up the side here a ways, and maybe
+we will find more solid bottom," as they started up the side of the
+stream.
+
+Slowly they waded in until they were in about five feet of the bank.
+
+"I think we are going to make it all right," said Evelyn, as she was
+almost jerked off her feet by Pearl falling to her knees in the water,
+and Mickey went out of sight.
+
+"Hold on to me," gasped Pearl, "I've still got hold of her--she is in a
+sand-hole," as she rose to her feet, pulling Mickey's head above water,
+helping her to get solid footing again.
+
+Evelyn reached back and took hold of Mickey's free hand, and slowly they
+reached the bank and climbed out on solid ground again.
+
+"Are you all right, Mickey?" came from Evelyn and Pearl at the same
+time.
+
+"Yeah--I'm O. K., but I'd been a goner if Pearl hadn't had a good hold
+on me. That hole I fell in back there didn't have no bottom, at least, I
+didn't feel any--My God, what a night," as she stooped over and felt of
+her stockings to see if her money was still there. "Yeah, I still got my
+money, but I'll have to dry it, but wet money is better than no money."
+
+"Listen--what is that I hear? It sounds--there it is--somebody trying to
+catch another car--it's the police siren and it's coming this way as
+sure as you're born," said Evelyn, "I'll go up near the road and see if
+I see anything of Tony. You watch me and when you see me motion to you,
+come a-running, because if we are caught at this, it will be just too
+bad," as she started toward the road.
+
+"Stoop down," said Mickey, "We will keep low to the ground and go as
+close to the road as we can, so we won't have far to run when Ev
+motions."
+
+Bright lights came into sight, of a speeding car coming from town, as
+Evelyn came up on the edge of the road, and as the car came near her,
+its brakes began to scream, as lights following it came into view, with
+the shrieking of the police siren.
+
+"Quick, get in," said the voice of a man, as the car came to a stop.
+"The cops are wise."
+
+"Oh, Jees, where are Pearl and Mickey?" as she jerked the door of the
+car open.
+
+"Here," as they came alongside of Evelyn.
+
+Tony shifted the gears of the car, and was moving, as the three pulled
+and helped each other in, the other car nearing, with the siren
+screaming louder and louder. Tony shot into the night. "Lay down on the
+floor, girls, and get ready for the ride of your life. If I can beat the
+cops to the fork of the Mesa road, we have a chance--if not--we are
+jail-house bound for some time to come."
+
+"What the Hell are we passing that's throwing all that light," asked
+Pearl.
+
+"It's some cement company," answered Evelyn, as they went into darkness
+again.
+
+"Hey, Tony, how do you think they found out about this?" asked Mickey.
+
+"One of them lousy telephone operators tipped them off, that is the only
+way they could have found out--the dirty fluzey."
+
+"Good God--I hope we get away from them all right," murmured Pearl, as
+the car lurched and shot through the deepening dark.
+
+"Are we leaving them behind yet, Tony?"
+
+"Not yet we ain't, not till we get off these curves, but when we get on
+that straight stretch of road, I'll leave 'em plenty far behind."
+
+"Hey, Tony," said Evelyn, as she got up on her knees, with her hands on
+the back of the front seat, "You don't think they could have sent a car
+out on the Mesa road, maybe to head us off, do you?"
+
+"Well, that's a chance we got to take, but I don't think they would have
+had time even if they had thought, which they probably didn't--but I'll
+tell you something--we gotta leave that bunch quick when we hit that
+straight piece of road, if we don't they will try to shoot the rear
+tires off. You girls stay on the floor, in case they do shoot."
+
+"O. K., Tony," said Evelyn, as she got back down on the floor.
+
+"Get ready, girls, we are coming to that straight part," as the car
+fairly felt like it was leaving the earth.
+
+"We must be doing seventy or more--at least, if anything does happen
+while we are going this fast, we won't have to worry about it, anyhow,"
+said Mickey, as she lay jouncing in her wet, sloppy dress, covered with
+sand and mud.
+
+"I hope you don't take cold, Mickey. You know you got your head wet. I
+was lucky, that's the only thing I didn't get wet," from Pearl.
+
+"Well--" said Evelyn, "If them guys start shooting at us, there'll be
+more water in the car, and it won't have come from the river."
+
+"I wonder what became of Harry?"
+
+"I'll bet he ain't worrying about you," said Evelyn.
+
+"I don't know--at least, I hope he won't get in jail."
+
+"Jail, Hell," said Mickey, "He came down them steps ahead of you two,
+and I mean way ahead of you. Them shots hadn't no more than stopped when
+Harry come down so fast it would take two people to see him, one to see
+him coming and one to see him going."
+
+"What was that hit the car?" asked Evelyn, as she raised up.
+
+"Just a bullet bouncing off--but they will have to shoot fast now, I'm
+doing eighty--and what's more, I'm leaving them behind. We will be
+fairly safe in a minute or so, unless as you said, Ev--about the other
+car on the Mesa road, and I don't think we will have any trouble from
+that."
+
+"Damn, I hope not--I'd hate to have to sit in jail with these wet
+clothes on," said Mickey.
+
+"I don't care much about setting in jail wet or dry."
+
+"You two don't have to worry--Tony is a good driver, and we got a good
+chance of getting away," reasoned Evelyn.
+
+"Well, suppose they start looking for us, to question us?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Well--" said Evelyn, "Here's our story--this goes for you too,
+Tony--Pearl, you stayed with me tonight in my apartment--and you, Tony,
+you stayed with Mickey, and remember, we all went to bed about
+twelve-thirty, and don't let them jar you loose from that story, so if
+we all tell the same story, and stick to it, what can they do?"
+
+"Look what a break you're getting, Tony," laughed Mickey, "You stayed
+with me tonight."
+
+"I suppose you are going to tell me now that I owe you two dollars,"
+laughed Tony, "But say--what the Hell happened over there--a fight?"
+
+"Hell, no, I wish it had been only a fight--but it wasn't--Negro Noche
+shot her boy friend and Irene."
+
+"Jees, Ev, are they both dead?"
+
+"Yeah--they never knew what hit them."
+
+"No wonder you were so anxious to get back on this side tonight."
+
+"How soon before we reach that Mesa fork, Tony?" asked Mickey.
+
+"In just a few minutes now--look back and see how close those lights
+are."
+
+"Oh, Hell," answered Evelyn, as she looked out the back of the car.
+"They are damn near out of sight, Tony."
+
+"Good--we'll make it all right now--hold tight back there--I'm making
+the turn--we are nearing the fork." The screaming of rubber on the
+concrete, as the big car turned the corner on two wheels. "Now, you
+girls can get on the seat and rest a bit, instead of laying on that
+floor, all crowded up."
+
+"Another night like this and I'll swear off for good," said Mickey, as
+she sat up on the seat.
+
+"Swear off what?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Well, off booze, for one thing."
+
+"You swore off once before, didn't you?"
+
+"Yeah--and that very night I was arrested in El Paso for Vag."
+
+"How long was you off liquor?"
+
+"Till I got out of jail."
+
+"How long was that?"
+
+"Two hours."
+
+The car was moving at a terrific rate of speed, up grade, and down
+grade. "See if you see any lights coming behind us," said Tony.
+
+"We won't be able to tell until you reach the top of the next grade, but
+I'll keep a sharp look-out," answered Evelyn, as she turned half around
+in the seat.
+
+"Just think," said Pearl, "This time last night I was on this road about
+this time, but how different it was."
+
+"Well, I've been on this road plenty of times, and no two times have
+been alike," answered Mickey.
+
+"There's lights coming, Tony, but they are a long ways back, and it may
+not be the police car, anyhow."
+
+"O. K., Ev, but I'll just keep moving pretty fast."
+
+"Listen, Ev, will you come over and stay with me tonight?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Why?"
+
+"Well, I don't want to spend the rest of the night alone--will you?"
+
+"Sure."
+
+They came into the city limits, but there was no sign of trouble. Tony
+slowed down to an ordinary speed, so as not to attract attention.
+
+"Listen--" said Mickey, "Why don't you two come and spend the night at
+our place--we have a furnished house, five rooms, three bedrooms,
+living-room, kitchen, and all that goes with it--you know the place, Ev,
+that little brick house me and Betty rented out on Myrtle Avenue. What
+do you say?"
+
+"Whatever Pearl says is all O. K. with me," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Well, I have something to drink out there."
+
+"Good," said Pearl, quickly. "We'll go."
+
+"Hey, Tony, you know where my joint is, don't you?"
+
+"I should, by this time. I've took you there enough--when you was so lit
+you didn't know where it was yourself."
+
+They arrived at Mickey's place in a few minutes, and it was just as
+Mickey had described it, and very tastily furnished in pinks and blues,
+with a faint odor of incense in the still, cool air.
+
+"Come on in, Tony, and have a drink," as the girls got out of the car.
+
+"O. K."
+
+They went into the rooms, snapping on the lights, then all heading for
+the kitchen by instinct. Pearl called Evelyn aside--talking in low
+tones, as Mickey got out the bottle of whiskey and set it on the table.
+
+"Help yourself, Tony, while I see what the conference is about."
+
+"What do you think?"
+
+"What do I think about what?"
+
+"About how much to pay Tony for his trouble tonight," said Evelyn.
+
+"Well," from Pearl. "If it hadn't been for him, I don't know what we
+would have done, and I think we should at least give him ten dollars
+apiece--what do you think?"
+
+"It's all right by me, and here's my ten to prove it," as she dug the
+wet money out of her stocking.
+
+Both Evelyn and Pearl dug into their clothes from the neck, and produced
+the ten apiece.
+
+"Tony," said Evelyn, as she turned to where he was standing, "Will
+thirty bucks be all right for your trouble tonight?"
+
+"Ah--nuts. Pay me my regular three bucks and forget about the rest. You
+have to work pretty hard for that money, and what's more, I got a real
+kick out of that run tonight."
+
+"The Hell you say," from Pearl. "You take this dough--what do you think
+we are? I admit I'm new down here, and you are a good scout, but you
+ain't no friend of mine if you don't take this," as she handed the money
+toward him.
+
+"Girlie, you're a good scout, and I tell you what I'll do. If it will
+make you feel any better, I'll take it--but remember this--when you
+want anything from me, or want me to take you any place or do anything
+for you, and you ain't got the dough--call me, and any time you need
+some dough yourself--I know you girls run short lots of times--don't
+forget--call me. Now, I'll be going," as he took his cap and started for
+the door.
+
+"Good-bye," from all three girls.
+
+"If I hear anything, I'll give you a ring on the phone and tip you off,"
+as he closed the door behind him.
+
+"Hell's Fire. Give me a drink, quick," said Evelyn, as she began to
+undress where she stood. "I've seen funny sights, but I would have loved
+to have been a bystander and seen us three wading across that river. It
+wasn't funny then, but Mickey, when you come up out of that water, I
+almost broke down, as dark as it was down there, you was funny
+looking--" laughingly.
+
+"It's a damn good thing Pearl had as good hold on me as she had, or I'd
+been a goner."
+
+"Do you think there will be much of a stink about this killing? You
+know, Irene is an American citizen, and she was shot on the Mex side,"
+said Pearl.
+
+"Well--" said Evelyn slowly, "You can't tell just what will come of
+this. The real trouble will come from Juan Moros' people, if there is
+any trouble at all. His old man is a political power down in that
+country--"
+
+"That shows what you know about it," said Mickey bitterly. "When
+anything happens to an American outside of the U. S., it's just too bad.
+When trouble starts down here the American Consul is the first one to
+run for the bridge. Our government figures that if you are out of your
+own country, that's your business--and it's your business to protect
+yourself. Look at Nicaragua, Panama, Haiti, as well as our nearby
+Mexico. When anyone of our American citizens are knocked off, said
+government sends a note of apology to our Consul, saying they are
+sorry--but that don't bring your life back. Believe me, if you are an
+American, and you're in some other country, my advice is to keep your
+mouth shut, or affect an English accent."
+
+"Well, surely they will do something with that woman that did the
+shooting," argued Pearl.
+
+"But my God, Ev, she killed one of her own people, and in cold blood."
+
+"Yes, dear--he was a Mex, all right, but when she tells the Mex judge
+how he broke her heart, and how she found him in the arms of a
+milk-white Gringo--it's a ten-to-one shot that the judge will weep for
+her broken heart, and tell her that she has done her country a favor--in
+shooting a cur that would so scorn his own countrywoman."
+
+"Well, you said that there might be trouble from his people, that his
+father was a big Mex politician."
+
+"Well, in that case, if his father isn't tied up at the present in some
+revolution of his own, he may come here--or send one of his loyal men,
+and cut Negro Noche loose from some of her vital spots."
+
+"I've been on some hot parties, and I've seen a lot of things happen,
+but tonight takes the prize," mused Pearl.
+
+"There's not much of the night left," said Mickey. "Let's get to bed and
+sleep a little of this off."
+
+"Pearl, didn't I hear you say you had a date with Big Boy this
+afternoon--to go swimming?"
+
+"Yeah--he asked me, and you, too, Ev."
+
+"Are you going?"
+
+"Sure, might as well. I can't lose nothing--I'll get up around noon and
+go over to the room, and wait for him."
+
+"You'll probably find him at the room waiting for you, if I know
+anything about men, and if I don't know anything about 'em, there ain't
+nobody who does. Where did Mickey go?"
+
+"I'm in bed," came from one of the bedrooms. "You two pick out the bed
+you want to sleep in and go to it when you are ready. Good night."
+
+"Good night."
+
+"Say, I'm ready to turn in now, are you, Pearl?"
+
+"Yeah--let's have another little drink before we go to bed."
+
+"That's my idea, too--a drink--and a big one," said Evelyn.
+
+"Listen, Ev--when I made up my mind to come down here, I only had one
+thought in mind, and that was to stay a little while and make some
+money, and get away while I could--you know what I mean, to get--well,
+to get away before it got me--do you know what I mean?"
+
+"Sure, Kid, I know what you mean, only you're too damn nice to say it
+for fear of hurting my feelings. You mean to get away before you get
+like me--and Mickey--and that gang you were with tonight."
+
+"Well, I don't quite mean it like that--I mean--"
+
+"Listen, honey, I know just how you feel--I only hope you can do what
+you want to. When I came down here, I had the same idea, but I let this
+damn place get me. Now I couldn't leave it, no matter how hard I tried.
+I guess the only way I'll ever leave it is in a box."
+
+"I don't quite know what to do. I'm kind of puzzled since tonight--the
+party, the shooting, and all. Maybe I've had a little too much to
+drink--or not enough--I--I--well, I ought never, never think, nobody
+should ever think, especially about the past--Oh, well, let's have
+another drink."
+
+"Well, if you could be bothered with Big Boy, you could feather your
+nest for good--honey, that means an awful lot these days--not having to
+worry about the rent, not having to put up with men that you hate the
+sight of, especially when you have to be nice, to make the lousy two
+dollars that they hand out grudgingly, and think that they are doing you
+a good turn--but, of course, if you can't go him--well, what's the use
+to try?"
+
+"I've been thinking about that myself--and I'm afraid it wouldn't work
+out. First, I don't care a thing about him, and he would be so jealous
+of me my life wouldn't be safe, if he caught me talking to anyone else,
+and knowing what I've been, if he ever got mad at me he would be sure to
+throw it up to me--and I'm afraid I couldn't stand that."
+
+"Well, if I'm not mistaken, you do care for somebody else, don't you?
+And if my guess is right--it's Harry, ain't it?"
+
+"Yeah--you're right, all right, it's Harry. He don't even know my name,
+and I don't know a thing about him, but Jees, how I love that kid--Ah,
+nuts, one would be as bad as the other; I would be so jealous of Harry
+every time he was out of my sight for five minutes, I'd think he was
+with some other woman, and what's more, I'd be right--second, he is not
+the marrying kind, that is, he don't marry my kind--that's damn certain.
+Ah--to Hell with both of them, I'll take 'em all on that's got the
+price. What the Hell am I mooning about? Let's have another drink."
+
+"O. K., we will have another drink, but Pearl, you are only fooling
+yourself--you may say to Hell with them for now, but when you get up
+today, you will feel different about them. I know--I've said the same
+thing every night for the past five years. You can't settle it like
+that--if it were only possible to settle one's feelings like that it
+would make a lot of difference in people's lives--tomorrow you will go
+on thinking you can see Harry every night, and how you can chisel Big
+Boy at the same time, without the other being positive of just what you
+are doing--Honey, I know what I'm talking about. Five years ago, when I
+came to this border, I was the toast of the town--I know I don't look
+it, but I was sure a looker in those days, and I had my way any time I
+wanted it--but I was just like you--I was going to make a pile of
+dough, and make a getaway while I could, and marry some good, honest,
+quiet guy that would never suspect me of having been what I was. Yeah--I
+was foolish, but--I guess we are all foolish like that at times--Oh,
+God, if I could only call back those five years, what wouldn't I give,
+but what's the use, I've drawn my own cards, it's up to me to play them.
+You say you want to get out of this--then you take the money you have,
+and what I've got, and you catch the first train--don't wait--don't wait
+for anything--most of all, don't wait for your own thoughts to catch up
+with you--just go and go quick, but you won't--what's the use--Oh,
+what's the use."
+
+"You're right, Ev, what's the use? But there's one thing--I'm going to
+do the thing I originally planned; I'm one Hooker that's going to get
+the dough and make the getaway. I'm going to do just what you
+suggested--I'm going to see Harry every time I can, and I'm going to get
+all I can off Big Boy--come on, let's get some sleep."
+
+"Honey, I'm for you hook, line and sinker. I'll also take the bottle
+and put it under the pillow in case I wake up thirsty."
+
+"You know, Ev, I've only known you for a little over twenty-four hours,
+but it seems I've known you for years, and you're a damn good
+scout--good night."
+
+"Good night, kid," said Evelyn, as she took a nip from the bottle.
+
+They went to bed, to sleep the sleep of the just, and the hours slipped
+by as though they were seconds, until--
+
+"My God, what is that, a fire alarm?" asked Evelyn, as she raised up in
+bed.
+
+Pearl was still sleeping.
+
+"It's that damn phone," growled Mickey, as she stumbled to it. "Who the
+Hell could be calling at this time of night--or day? Hello--what do you
+want? What? Oh, it's you, Tony--what's up? Oh, yeah, have they been able
+to trace the car, do you think? Do you think they will trace you?
+Thanks, Tony, I'll see you later," as she hung up.
+
+"What's up," yelled Evelyn, from the bed.
+
+"Well, for one thing, there's headlines in the papers about the shooting
+last night, and Tony said the police were down there this morning, and
+questioned everybody on the place, and the boss lied and said that Tony
+hadn't left the place between twelve and six this morning. He says he
+don't know if they suspect him or not, and the police said there was
+only one woman in the car--so they must be all balled up--what do you
+think?"
+
+"What's all the trouble, and what time is it?" said Pearl, as she raised
+up in bed.
+
+"It was Tony called," answered Evelyn. "What time is it, Mickey, or is
+your time-piece working?"
+
+"It's one-thirty," called Mickey from the kitchen.
+
+"Oh, good Heavens, I must get to the room, I don't even remember what
+time I had the date with Big Boy."
+
+"It don't matter what time you had the date with him--he'll wait if you
+are late," from Evelyn, as she climbed slowly out of bed. "Oh, my, I'll
+never be the same. I'm so stiff I can hardly stand up."
+
+"You spent all of last night getting that way," said Mickey.
+
+"Getting how?"
+
+"Getting stiff."
+
+"I know, Mickey dear, but the stiff I mean is not the kind of stiff you
+mean."
+
+"You better be careful, Ev," said Pearl. "You might catch pneumonia from
+being in that river."
+
+"You are wrong there--the only thing you will catch from being in that
+river is hydrophobia, and I think I had that when I was a virgin,"
+laughed Evelyn.
+
+"Good Heavens, Ev," said Mickey, "Was you ever a virgin?"
+
+"Well, there has always been a doubt in my mind about that--you see, if
+I ever was--it's been so long ago my memory fails to recognize the
+fact."
+
+"It must be grand to be a virgin," from Pearl.
+
+"Yeah--but think of the fun you miss," said Mickey. "I sure remember the
+time I stopped being a virgin, and do I remember the one who put a stop
+to it!"
+
+"What was he like?" asked Pearl. "And--what was you like?"
+
+"Well, I was a big, green, corn-fed country girl, in the corn and Bible
+belt in Kansas, wasn't hard to look at (of course, that's before I had
+all these scars on this pan of mine)--and the guy--was the son of the
+rural mail carrier, who had just come out of the Navy, and what he knew
+was plenty, and I had always read what devils sailors were with the
+women--I guess I was just as curious as he was ambitious. Come on in the
+kitchen and I'll put the coffee on the stove, and finish my confession."
+
+"For God's sake, make that coffee strong--I sure need it," said Evelyn,
+as she and Pearl followed Mickey in the kitchen, and sat down at the
+table. "Oh, I forgot--I'll get the cups and saucers," as she rose from
+the table and went to the cupboard.
+
+"Go ahead with that dirty story you started to tell us," said Pearl.
+"One of my pet weaknesses is the true story of How, Why, and Where
+Trollops like us three came from, and what caused it."
+
+"Well, as I was saying, I was as green as they come, and I had already
+spurned, so to speak, the advances of the hired hand, which he made to
+me one day in the barn. We drove to church as usual on Sunday, in the
+Goddamndest rig you ever saw, a buckboard buggy with two horses. Dad and
+Mother sat in the seat, and me, being the only child, I stood up in the
+back and held on to the seat, and there I was, with my skirt and
+underskirts and drawers starched so stiff that when I sat down it
+sounded like somebody breaking macaroni in a cooking pot, hair done up
+in the latest, two big buns over each ear--when I look back at that now,
+I have all I can do to keep from screaming with laughter at the way I
+must have looked. Well, I was introduced to Jerry at the church, and he
+asked me if he could take me home in his buggy--that is, it was his old
+man's buggy that he had borrowed for the purpose. Mother and Dad thought
+it would be lovely if he drove me home, so they went on ahead when
+church was over, and left me with Jerry. Of course, him having been
+places and seen and done things, I was a pushover for him. When I look
+back at it, I must have been a panic. He drove off the main road, and
+said we should tie the horse, and go for a lovely walk under the trees.
+I was timid at first, as we sat on the ground under an old pine tree. He
+kissed me, and I wasn't so keen on it, then he took me in his arms, and
+it done something to me, and I came right back at him. In my ignorance I
+decided that I would show him that us country girls was just as up to
+date as any of those girls he met in foreign countries, and I stopped at
+nothing--well, that was the memorable time when I stopped being a
+virgin."
+
+"I bet that was a sight," said Evelyn.
+
+"And how," from Pearl.
+
+"Ah, damn, that coffee would boil over--hey, Ev, get the cream out of
+the ice-box, will you?"
+
+"I'll get it," said Pearl, as she rose from the table. "You haven't told
+us what happened after that afternoon."
+
+"There's not a lot more to tell. Jerry got an awful crush on me, so I
+thought--he came after me every evening or so, and took me for a
+drive--and a walk, as well, and three months after that first Sunday
+afternoon I began to blow up like somebody had been using a bicycle pump
+on me, and then Jerry decided to re-enlist--which he did do, without
+even saying good-bye--shortly after that my father found out all the
+dirt, and he literally put his foot against my dainty behind, and kicked
+me out, that being the proper thing to do to a wayward daughter in the
+Bible belt, and me, I went from bad to worse, and then to Kansas
+City--and by that time I had learned to step, and did I use to burn
+Twelfth Street up. I'd start at the old Gaiety Theatre, on 12th and
+Wyandotte Street, and on down 12th to McGee Street, then back on the
+other side of the street. Sometimes I'd be a long time making the round,
+but I made the money. That was in the days when Kansas City was good--a
+girl could easily make twenty bucks in a night of hard labor, besides
+what you could roll a guy for when he went to sleep--but eventually the
+police gave me the works in the form of a floater out of town, and I
+floated to Denver. Boy, Oh boy, will I ever forget Denver? Many's the
+pair of heels I wore off on Curtis Street and many's the dollar I've
+earned there--and from there to many places, till I arrived here, and
+this will probably be my finish--but what the Hell, drink your coffee."
+
+"In that case, you blame the cause of your--well--the cause of this
+life, on a man, then," from Evelyn.
+
+"I can't say I do--I'm what I am because I wanted to be--I need men.
+When I went to Kansas City, I could have found a job of some kind, and
+worked like thousands of girls do, but I didn't want to. I've never
+wanted to be what is called decent. I think that a life like that would
+be damn slow, and it's not in my nature to live like that. I love all
+this excitement--all this uncertainty, and most of all, I could never be
+true to one man, because--well, because when I see a man that arouses my
+interest, I could never resist the impulse to satisfy my curiosity,
+so--what good would I be with a husband--I'd only make the poor guy
+miserable, or else cause him to kill me--I know me, like no one else
+does."
+
+"You are right there, Mickey," said Pearl. "No girl ever went the wrong
+way unless she wanted to--she may cry and say that a man made her what
+she is, and that she would never have been so unless some man tricked
+her--but down deep in her heart she wanted to be what she is. No girl
+was ever really raped--unless she helped the process along a little. The
+girls who have been raped, and really in their hearts didn't want to be,
+were the only ones that have been found dead, after an awful fight. No
+man can really rape a girl who doesn't want to be raped just a little. I
+know from actual experience."
+
+"You're both right," said Evelyn, as she reached for the coffee pot, for
+her second cup of coffee. "This coffee hits me right where I sit this
+morning--it sure tastes good."
+
+"Well, I gotta get dressed and start for town. I gotta date with Big
+Boy, but I can't for the life of me remember what time it was for. What
+are you going to do tonight, Ev?"
+
+"I suppose I'll do the usual thing--go over the bridge."
+
+"Do you suppose there will be anything said to us about last night?"
+
+"I don't see how they can say anything--we weren't caught doing
+anything, and there's no proof that we were mixed up in that mess, and
+we weren't caught coming over the border, so--what can they say?"
+
+"Yeah--I guess you're right at that--well, I'll see you later," as she
+started for the door.
+
+"But where?" called Evelyn.
+
+"I'll tell you what--you come over to my hotel, Ev, about six o'clock.
+How is that, and we'll go to supper--oh, by the way, Mickey, what are
+you doing tonight--the usual thing?"
+
+"Sure--the usual thing, but I'll see you over on the other side,"
+answered Mickey.
+
+"Then I'll be over at your hotel at six," said Evelyn.
+
+"O. K., Ev, see you then--and thanks, Mickey, for the hospitality. So
+long," as she closed the door behind her.
+
+"That girl's sure a real good scout, Mickey--it's too bad that she has
+got to go the route."
+
+"Let's have a little drink--what do you say, Ev?"
+
+"Quick."
+
+"Say, Ev, where did you meet Pearl?"
+
+"On the car the other night--and right away that Big Boy falls head over
+heels for her in a big way, and wants to marry her, and she can't see
+him--but--she is nuts over Harry Hicks--ain't that something to tie your
+bowels in a knot?"
+
+"Oh, Jees, Harry will do to her what he has done to all the rest that's
+come his way--he will get tired of her as quick as the rest, and then I
+suppose she will grieve, and go on the usual drunk, to forget it. I
+don't know what it is about that guy that makes these girls go for him
+like they do."
+
+"Yeah--and look at the dough she could get from that big guy."
+
+"I sure wish I could get my hooks into that Big Boy for a couple of
+days, but he won't even give me a tumble," as they went on sipping their
+coffee.
+
+When Pearl arrived at her hotel, she found Big Boy sitting in the lobby,
+with a sour expression on his face, which brightened when she came in.
+
+"Hello, Big Boy," said Pearl, "Did you think I was going to stand you
+up?"
+
+"No--I forgot what time our date was for, so I came at noon, and they
+said you hadn't been in all night. Where have you been?"
+
+"Well--now, is that nice, to ask me where I've been, and what do you
+care where I've been? I'm here for our date, am I not? Isn't that
+enough? Come on up to the room, while I get dressed for wherever it is
+we are going?"
+
+Big Boy followed Pearl into the elevator and to her room, without saying
+a word. When she closed the door, then he turned to her, face red with
+anger.
+
+"I know where you've been--look at that dress--I know you was one of the
+women who waded the river last night. I suppose you went and spent the
+night with the guy that helped you across."
+
+"Listen, Big Boy, what ever gave you the notion that you had the right
+to question where I've been, and who I've been with? Get a load of
+this--there is no man, woman or child that has a right to talk to me
+like that, see--so don't you try it."
+
+"Well, what was you doing in Juarez that you couldn't have come across
+the bridge before twelve, and why was it so necessary for you to come
+back over here that you would take the chance of wading the river to get
+here?"
+
+"I--I--well--I just didn't make the bridge, and I--well, I was afraid to
+stay over there all night."
+
+"You're lying like Hell, and you know it. You was on that party last
+night at the Rio Bravo--" as he came over to where she was standing.
+
+"I was invited over there, but I didn't go," said Pearl, timidly.
+
+"Stop that lying--you was invited all right--and you went, and when that
+shooting happened, you thought you better beat it. Who was with you?" as
+he moved closer, "Where was Evelyn?"
+
+"I don't know," lied Pearl.
+
+"Now, you listen to me--I don't care what you do, or where you go,
+see--but don't lie to me," as he took hold of her, "You are the first
+woman in my life I have ever asked to marry me--and get this--if I can't
+have you, nobody else will--I mean it."
+
+"You turn loose of me--I don't see what right you have to treat me this
+way, because I've been nice to you, you think I belong to you body and
+soul. Well, you let go of me, and get out. Who do you think you are?"
+
+"Oh, so that's the way you want it--well--what I said goes--if I can't
+have you, there's no other bastard will get you," as he punched her in
+the eye.
+
+"Oh--help--help--you lousy tramp, get out of this room," screamed Pearl.
+"God damn you, don't think you can get away with that kind of stuff with
+me."
+
+"Oh, Pearl--Pearl, please forgive me--I'll never do that again. Oh,
+honest, kid, I let my temper get away from me--Oh, please listen to me.
+I didn't mean it--if I didn't think so much of you I wouldn't have done
+it," as he took her in his arms, while she sobbed violently, and let him
+hold her close. "I'll call a doctor and have him fix the eye up so it
+won't get black," as he held her away from him, and then went to the
+phone.
+
+"Oh, Jees--" sobbed Pearl. "It's too late, my eye is already swelling
+shut--Oh, what a sight I'll be," as she threw herself on the bed,
+kicking her feet and crying loudly.
+
+Big Boy called the doctor, and was told he would be there at once, then
+he threw himself on the bed beside Pearl, taking her in his arms,
+kissing her and trying to stop her from crying.
+
+"You see, you don't trust me--then you call me a liar--and then you beat
+me," said Pearl, between sobs, as she thought, "I'll put on a real show
+for him, I'll make him shell out some dough for this."
+
+"Oh, honey, can't you see I'm crazy about you--honestly nuts for you? If
+I didn't love you, I wouldn't be jealous of you, would I? I'll never do
+that again--will you believe me--let me get you a glass of water--please
+don't cry--come on, straighten up--the doctor will be here in a minute,"
+as he held her in his arms.
+
+A rap came on the door.
+
+"Come in," called Big Boy, as he got off the bed, "Oh, hello, Doc--I
+want you to fix this eye for Miss Jones--she had a little accident."
+
+The doctor walked over to the bed, stooped over Pearl, and looked at her
+eye, already swollen shut, and turning a deep blue.
+
+"That's a peach," said the doctor, "How did you get it?"
+
+"I was coming in the door, doctor, and I dropped my key on the floor,
+and as I stooped over to pick it up, I hit my eye on the door-knob,"
+lied Pearl.
+
+"Well, it's the first door-knob I've ever seen that left knuckle
+prints," laughed the doctor, as he went to work to fix the eye.
+
+"How long will it be black, doctor?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Oh, about a week or so, and then it will be as good as ever."
+
+"Ah, gee, that's tough," said Big Boy awkwardly as he backed towards the
+door, "I'll be back in a minute," as he left the room.
+
+"Will I have to wear a bandage over the eye until it gets all right?"
+
+"No, you don't have to wear a bandage at all, unless you want to, but
+you know a bandage covers a multitude of sins. You can say you got a
+piece of glass in your eye, and that way you won't have to stay in your
+room for a week until it gets well."
+
+"Ah, gee, Doc, you're a peach, thanks," as she got off the bed.
+
+"Well, I'll be going now," as he gathered up his things. "Next time tell
+your boy friend to hit you some place it won't show," as he went out the
+door.
+
+Pearl lay on the bed--there was nothing else to do. Now she couldn't
+very well go to Juarez, with her eye bandaged up. No matter what lie
+she told, nobody would believe it. Maybe it was just as well not to go
+over for a few days anyhow--let some of the trouble of the shooting die
+down, and that would be time enough, but she couldn't stay in the room
+all that time--she would go crazy. She arose from the bed, went to the
+phone, and called Evelyn's apartment and left a message for her to call
+as soon as she came in.
+
+The door opened slowly, as Big Boy came in, loaded with candy and fruit
+and flowers.
+
+"My God, what all have you got there?" asked Pearl, as she looked at him
+with the one good eye.
+
+"Some little things you might like, Pearl. You can have anything you
+want, no matter what it is. Will you please forgive me?"
+
+"Well, it will take a lot more than candy or flowers to make me forget a
+sock like that."
+
+"Ah, gee, honey--you can have anything you want--just name it. Let me
+get you a nice apartment, and some clothes, open an account for
+you--just anything to show you I do really love you, and I only want
+you to marry me--will you?"
+
+"No, I won't marry you--but I'll think about the apartment and the other
+stuff you mentioned."
+
+"Ah, that's great--I gotta go now--I gotta meet a guy on some business
+about the mine--I'll be back tonight."
+
+"Aw--alright, go ahead--I'll be here when you get back--you've seen to
+that, all right," as he came over to kiss her--"Never mind kissing
+me--I'm still mad."
+
+"I love you--can't you understand that," as he took her in his arms.
+
+A rap came on the door.
+
+"Who's there," called Pearl.
+
+"It's me--Ev," came the voice.
+
+"Come on in."
+
+"My God--what's happened to you--your eye--what's happened?" asked
+Evelyn, breathlessly.
+
+"Well, you see, it was like this," said Big Boy.
+
+"Never mind--never mind--I get it--she was late for the date and you
+socked her for it--ain't you the big bully?" said Evelyn, as she walked
+over to Pearl.
+
+"I just lost my temper, and I didn't mean to."
+
+"You said you had to go--well, go ahead--I want to talk to Ev."
+
+"Will you be here when I get back?" asked Big Boy anxiously.
+
+"Yeah--she'll be here, all right, thanks to you--scram--" answered
+Evelyn, as he went out the door.
+
+"My God, this thing hurts," said Pearl, as she put her hands to her
+head.
+
+"What happened?"
+
+"Oh, we got into an argument about last night, and he was furious, and
+just took a punch at me, that's all."
+
+"Well, what was you saying?"
+
+"He wanted to know about last night--and I was lying and trying not to
+tell him anything, and he seemed to know that I was lying, so he gives
+me the shiner."
+
+"Didn't I tell you about that guy--I told you not to try to kid him, or
+lie to him. He is the meanest louse that ever lived when he loses his
+temper, and if you go ahead and play around with him, you won't only get
+another black eye, but you'll get a beating, and one that you will
+remember. I know him, and I also know his reputation. It's like I
+said--that guy is a killer, and if you go on fooling with him, and he
+ever catches you with Harry, he'll kill you as sure as you're born. I'm
+not saying I told you so, or any of that stuff. Heavens knows I know
+what it is to have a black eye, and it's no fun, but remember what I'm
+saying--I suppose he rushed out and bought this stuff to get you to
+overlook the sock, eh?"
+
+"Yeah--that's what he bought it for, and he also is going to get me an
+apartment, and some new clothes--he said I could have anything I want--"
+
+"Well, you better take sparingly, because, sister, you will pay in the
+end. You let that guy go do all that, and you don't stay true to him,
+it's curtains for you--I'm telling you, because when he finds you are
+hot for Harry, he'll go up in smoke anyhow. He and Harry are the best of
+friends, but they are rivals as well. I'm dying for a drink--I'll bet
+you haven't got a drop around here, have you?"
+
+"Look in the top dresser drawer--there's a full bottle that hasn't been
+opened."
+
+"Thank Heavens--that's a life saver," as she fished the bottle out of
+the drawer, and opening it, took a long, deep drink. "Want one too,
+don't you?
+
+"Might as well," said Pearl, as she raised up and took the bottle Evelyn
+handed her.
+
+"Maybe I'm nuts, but I can't figure it out--here is a guy that wants you
+to marry him, and you can't see him for Harry. Ah, Hell--give me another
+drink--the world's all haywire."
+
+"Hell, I'm not going to stay in this room all day. I want to go out, at
+least for a little while. I know, Ev--let's you and I go get an
+apartment--you come with me and help me hunt."
+
+"Why go hunting apartments? If you really want to be swell, then take an
+apartment in the Hussman Hotel. They got the swellest in this town, and
+there's no use taking anything but the swellest, since Big Boy is going
+to pay the bill."
+
+"That's an idea--I'll do it--you are all wrong about me taking
+sparingly--I might as well have whole hog or none, because he won't
+figure that, in case there is a big showdown. If I have to pay the
+price, I might as well make it worth while, ain't I right?"
+
+"Yeah--I guess you're right, at that, because when he does start mopping
+the town up with you, he won't figure what he has spent--he will just
+figure you have been a louse, and you will get it--and how!"
+
+"I'll change this dress and we will go," as she started to strip again.
+
+"Gee, I'm sorry you won't be able to go across the border tonight. I
+hate to go over there alone."
+
+"Don't worry, you won't be alone--I'm not the first Hooker that has
+sported a black eye in this burg. I'm going over--to Hell with what that
+crowd thinks. I've got a sucker on the string that's not so bad, so
+let's have the fun while we can. Give me that bottle, darling, I need it
+badly."
+
+"Damn if you ain't the best pal I've had in a long time, Pearl."
+
+"You ain't so bad yourself, Ev."
+
+They left the hotel, also a note on the door, saying they would be back
+shortly, as they had gone apartment hunting. They moseyed by the Plaza,
+and over to the Hussman, where they looked at apartments, which ended in
+Pearl taking one.
+
+"This is some hot-looking joint," said Evelyn, as she sat down,
+gorgeously putting on the Ritz, "If I'm going to come up here to see you
+I might as well start putting on the dog right now."
+
+"Come up and see me--you--you're going to move up here with me."
+
+"Like Hell--I'll come up and see you, but I ain't moving in here--I
+don't want to have to jump out of one of these windows some night when
+you and Big Boy have one of your grudge fights--I'll stay where I'm
+at."
+
+"Come on, let's go back to the hotel, and I'll get my things packed, and
+start to move--will you help me?"
+
+"Sure, why not?"
+
+They went back to the hotel, and found Big Boy waiting for them.
+
+"Did you find the kind of a place you want?" he asked anxiously.
+
+"Did I? Did I? I went to the Hussman and picked the best in the
+joint--is that all right?"
+
+"Right," he smiled, "And the best is none too good."
+
+"I'm going to pack and move right now, Ev, and you are going to help
+me."
+
+"No, you call the maid and let her pack your things, and send them over.
+Here's a little present I have for you," as he handed her a small book.
+
+"Oh, that's wonderful--now I'll forgive you for the black eye. Look, Ev,
+my own bank book, and already a thousand dollars to check on--Ah, gee,
+that's swell, Big Boy," as she gave him a peck on the cheek for a kiss.
+
+"How would you and Ev like to go to a show for the rest of the
+afternoon?" asked Big Boy.
+
+"I wouldn't mind if I can have a few more drinks before I go in," said
+Evelyn.
+
+"I'm all fixed for that," he answered, as he took a pint out of his hip
+pocket.
+
+"I'll tell you, Pearl, you kill a third, and you kill a third, and I'll
+kill the rest. How's that?" said Evelyn, as she took the bottle from Big
+Boy.
+
+"Why just the pint? I've a quart in the other dresser--wait, I'll get
+it," as she went to the dresser and took out a quart of Kentucky
+Bourbon.
+
+"Why not kill both?" suggested Evelyn.
+
+"Did you say you wanted to see the picture, or just want to go in the
+theatre to sleep?" asked Big Boy.
+
+"Well, we'll get a bigger kick out of it, if we are stiff; I know we
+will."
+
+"I've a better idea than that," said Pearl. "Let's just kill the quart,
+then take the pint into the theatre, and have a nip during the picture,
+huh, what do you say?"
+
+"It don't matter where I drink it, as long as I drink, let's get
+started--Big Boy, you drink first, then you Pearl, then I'll knock the
+rest of it off," suggested Evelyn.
+
+"Oke," answered Big Boy, as he turned the bottle up to his mouth, while
+deep gurgling sounds came forth.
+
+The quart was finished, and all went to the theatre, as Pearl left
+orders with the maid to pack her things, and have them sent to the
+Hussman.
+
+The afternoon papers carried warnings to all Americans that the
+long-expected rebellion in Mexico had broken out in Durango, and that
+the administration of Portes Gil, Mexico's President, looked as though
+it were at an end.
+
+Portes Gil was at a loss--his troops could not seem to do
+anything--there was only one thing for him to do, and that was to recall
+ex-President Calles, known as the Iron Man of Mexico, to help in
+breaking the rebellion.
+
+Juarez, with its large garrison of soldiers, was at a nervous tension,
+and the bar owners were twice as nervous, not knowing how long the
+garrison would be loyal to the Federals, as all that is necessary to
+change their loyalty is to shoot the commanding officers, and declare
+they were loyal to the other side, which is so often the case when the
+opposing side is much larger, or when there is a little looting to be
+done.
+
+Fort Bliss, with its rows of beautiful two-story brick houses for its
+officers, its large brick barracks, housing its hundreds of men, and
+small, newly built brick bungalows for its petty officers, its
+tremendous stables housing its hundreds of horses, its enormous parade
+and drill grounds, clean as a freshly swept floor, aroused from its
+lethargy at the rumors of war. The men were raring to be let loose to
+fight, anybody or anything, as long as it promised excitement and fight.
+
+"It sure looks like a hot time in the old town soon," said Evelyn, as
+she lay back and stretched out on the beautifully appointed divan in
+Pearl's new apartment.
+
+"Wait a minute until I change the bandage on this bum eye, and you can
+read the newspaper to me," said Pearl, from the bathroom.
+
+"Why don't you leave the bandage off when you are in the house? There's
+nothing you can put on it now that will take the black out of it--just
+leave it alone, and when you start to go out, then stick the patch over
+it."
+
+"That's a good idea, I'll do it," as she sat down in front of Evelyn.
+"Now, tell me more, what the paper says about war."
+
+"The American Consul says in a statement in the paper that he cannot be
+responsible for American citizens who go over to Juarez just to have a
+good time, and that only those who have business and have to go over are
+the only ones to go over--Well, in my business it's necessary for me to
+go over--but you having a man who has money, on the string, you don't
+have to go over--but I can see by the expression in the one good eye of
+yours that you will have important business in Juarez--will you not,
+Miss Jones?" said Evelyn, with mock elegance.
+
+"With all this excitement brewing I should stay up here in the
+apartment, and act like a lady. Now's the time to go over there and
+raise Hell--with the revolution coming on, they will have forgotten
+about the shooting, and will be so taken up with other things, it will
+be as safe as ever, if you can ever call Juarez safe."
+
+The telephone started ringing madly--"Who the Hell can that be?" asked
+Pearl, as she went to answer it.
+
+"Hello--Oh, yeah--yeah, I hear you all right. You have to go right
+now--well, when will you be back?--Oh, gee, I'm sorry--well, is there
+anything you want me to do?--sure, I'll be careful--will you be safe in
+that territory? That is where most of the fighting will be, so the paper
+says--Oh, that's why you have to go down there--I didn't get that last
+crack--come again--don't mind if I go over to Juarez with Evelyn, and
+have a few drinks, do you? I can go, but you would rather I wouldn't?
+And have a drink whenever I want, too--No, I'm not mad--why should I be
+mad? But why should I go into the sisterhood just because you will be
+out of town for a few days? Oh, it might be weeks--well, you are going
+of your own free will--nobody is making you go--Oh, Hell, yes, certainly
+I've enough money till you get back--yes, O. K., goodbye," as she hung
+up the receiver.
+
+"What did I tell you?" said Evelyn. "He has to go to the mine and wants
+you to be the sweet and innocent one till he gets back--that guy is so
+jealous of you he smells bad--what are you going to do tonight?"
+
+"Well, I was thinking it would be grand to go over to Juarez, and before
+the bridge closes, bring our own gang here for a party--what do you
+think?"
+
+"Yes, dear--Harry will like your new apartment--you ain't kidding me,
+I'm wise--and what's more, I'm staying here myself tonight with a boy
+friend--that is, if I can pick up one that is young enough to come
+without his wheel chair."
+
+"All right--let's get started--wait till I put the patch on the bum
+eye."
+
+"If anybody asks you how you got the eye, what are you going to tell
+them?"
+
+"Tell them the truth--they won't believe it anyhow."
+
+"I never thought of that before, and the way I've worried over trying to
+think up a grand lie to tell someone when, if you were to tell the truth
+it would be just as good, because they would never believe it, anyhow.
+That is a new idea, and I won't have to think so much now--Hooray--let
+us drink--Oh, damn it--there ain't no more whiskey."
+
+"Never mind, dear, we will soon be in Juarez," said Pearl, as she pulled
+the hat down over the patch on her eye.
+
+"The way you have that hat on, you would hardly notice that eye,"
+remarked Evelyn, as she arranged her dress.
+
+"Don't you worry, that herd of hawk-eyed whores will see it long before
+I get there. Any time some woman's man socks her in the eye, it travels
+by mental telepathy--not that they have any mental capacity, but even
+the most lowly animal has instinct--therefore they would know it."
+
+"Oh, sister, thou speaketh the truth--thou wilt be blessed," said
+Evelyn, lifting her hands to Heaven, "Come, Juarez calleth."
+
+They boarded the Juarez-bound car, and as the car stopped for the
+Customs and Immigration officials of Mexico to get on, more than usual
+boarded the car, questioning everybody as to their reason for going over
+the border,--the extra questioning was because of the revolution having
+started.
+
+"For what reason, Senorita, are you going to Juarez tonight?" one of the
+men asked Pearl.
+
+"I'm going over to see a friend on business," answered Pearl.
+
+"What manner of business, Senorita?"
+
+"About a job he promised me."
+
+"And you, Senorita Evelyn, why are you going over tonight?"
+
+"Well--to be damn truthful, Senor, I'm going over for a drink," answered
+Evelyn.
+
+"That is a very good reason, Senorita--Gratias!"
+
+The men moved slowly through the car, going through every bundle and
+package, regardless of size, whether it be large or small, making men
+stand up, and feeling them over for firearms, finally leaving the car to
+ramble its way on to town.
+
+"My Heavens, they are particular tonight," said Pearl.
+
+"They will be that way until the war is over, and what good it does, I
+don't know," answered Evelyn.
+
+Juarez, since the reports of the war, and the warning for Americans to
+stay on their own side, there were twice as many people in the bars as
+there usually were at this hour of the evening. They stayed on the car
+until they arrived at the Lobby No. 2, where they got off the car, with
+Pearl holding her head down so that no one might see the black eye.
+
+"I wonder what Harry will say when he sees my shiner?"
+
+"Black eyes are nothing new to Harry."
+
+They went into the bar--crowds were milling, singing, talking, cursing
+and drinking to the war.
+
+"This is going to be another wild night over here--I can see that
+already--come on, let's get a drink, and then you can go in and see
+Harry."
+
+"O. K."
+
+"Well, for the love of Jees--what happened to you?" asked Mickey, as she
+came up to Pearl. "You needn't tell me--Big Boy--ain't I right?"
+
+"Right--what are you drinking, Mickey?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Whiskey--but how did it happen, and when?"
+
+"Well, he is jealous of me--and he knew I was lying about last night,
+and so--he took a sock at me."
+
+"Ah, that's lousy."
+
+"Yeah--that's lousy, but she got returns at once," said Evelyn. "She has
+already moved to the Hussman, and what an apartment--and then the boy
+friend came in and handed her a bank book all her own, with a grand for
+her to check on--then he goes away tonight to the mine, and Pearl is
+going to be true to him till he comes back--like Hell."
+
+"Well, that calls for celebration," said Mickey, as she drank her
+whiskey.
+
+"It does," answered Pearl. "I think we should do it tonight, after the
+bridge closes--what do you say?"
+
+"Good--I'll be there, but I ain't telling anyone about it--you do your
+own telling--I might invite someone you don't want--well, I got a date
+to roll a guy--I'll be seeing you," as she went into the crowd.
+
+"Mickey is a damn good scout," said Pearl.
+
+"She's regular," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Oh, listen--that's Harry singing--come on in and let's sit at a table
+and see the show--I could watch him all night."
+
+"You probably will--but he won't be singing."
+
+"Now, Ev, you shouldn't begrudge me a little pleasure--at least Harry
+never gave me a black eye."
+
+"No--and from all I hear, he ain't got much of what you're crazy about,
+to give, either."
+
+"Do you believe all you hear, Ev?"
+
+"Well, I can't say that I do--but I have no reason to doubt the rumor,
+unless you care to enlighten me on the subject."
+
+"Well, darling, you use your imagination--and sign my name to it."
+
+"Really."
+
+"Surest thing, Ev."
+
+"Don't tell me I've missed something."
+
+"I think you have."
+
+"Well, it's really too late now--all I can do is be sorry."
+
+"You see, Ev--what I really like about Harry is his--well, his way."
+
+"No--REALLY," said Evelyn, eyes wide.
+
+"That's what it is."
+
+"Well, I admit I've always suspected Harry."
+
+"What?" said Pearl.
+
+"Oh, nothing," smiled Evelyn, "But that calls for another drink--waiter,
+whiskey, quick."
+
+"I'll have one, too--pronto."
+
+They drank the whiskey, and crowded their way into the cabaret, and back
+near the band stand, where they found an unoccupied table, that
+commanded a good view of the show.
+
+"I'll be with you in a few minutes," said Harry, as he passed their
+table.
+
+"Just a minute--Ladies and Gentlemen--I have some news--I've been
+requested by the management to read for your benefit," said Harry, as he
+silenced the crowd, then continued reading from a yellow piece of paper
+in his hand: "The Rebels have taken Chihuahua City, and are organizing
+more troops for the march on Juarez."
+
+The crowd was silent; not a sound or a word for several minutes, then
+the sounds started, with low whispers, then rose to the usual loud
+singing, talking, dancing, still rising higher and noisier, until the
+gaiety was at the point of hysteria.
+
+Mexicans stole sly glances at each other, some very serious and worried,
+others not noticing or caring that the rebels were going to march on
+Juarez, and others wondering which side to stick to, as the winning side
+is always the best, and if the rebels had taken Chihuahua City, Juarez
+would be nothing.
+
+Americans who ordinarily came over the border every night to have their
+little drink and waste a few hours, and go home practically as sober as
+they came over, were drinking with the best of the lot, as they knew
+that if the fighting was to take place in the city, as it had done
+before, there would be no chance to come over and have the usual drink;
+therefore drink all that was possible while the drinking was good;
+others, who remained gentlemen, whether drunk or sober, were making
+asses of themselves in huge form, and there is nothing that can be so
+perfect an ass as an American in a country other than his own, and with
+a mind made up to show off; hence, hilarity in its most violent form
+held sway for the rest of the night, cars and drunken people so numerous
+on the International Bridge it would be impossible for the gates to be
+closed before at least one o'clock, and the Customs and Immigration
+Officials dared not close the bridge until those that were dragging
+themselves and others were across, as it was possible that the Rebels
+would take a train, or an engine with a caboose, and in one of their
+moments of madness, which are many in the Mexican temperament, and leave
+Chihuahua City without the rest of the Rebel army, and just cause enough
+for a fight, to kill some innocent bystander, which is a known fact,
+that in a battle in Mexico there are more people killed by accident than
+with actual intent, as they are very bad shots, but if they ever work up
+enough courage to come close enough for a hand-to-hand fight, they
+either do it with knives, or call the whole thing off and go into the
+nearest bar, and have a drink. It is not an unusual thing to see the
+Federal army and the Rebel army call off the fighting for lunch and the
+usual noon siesta, and a general get-together, and congratulate each
+other on the bravery of the things they have seen done, or have heard
+of. Knowing this, and knowing that when the fighting did start in
+Juarez, that there would be as many bullets fall on the American side as
+on the Mexican side, Fort Bliss had already stationed a troop of men at
+the foot of the Santa Fe Bridge; consequently, with all the ribaldry the
+bridge had to be kept open until nearly two o'clock.
+
+Thrill seekers and tourists who were out to see everything and
+experience everything, stayed in Juarez that night, hoping to see some
+fighting and have first-hand information to tell the folks back in
+Kansas, or Ohio, just what it was like, and with the usual intelligence,
+which isn't above that of a stray cur, thinking it possible to witness a
+battle, but expecting that, owing to the fact that they were American
+citizens, that the Mexicans would watch where they were shooting, and
+not a hair on them would be harmed.
+
+Men whose wives in their drunken stupor wanted to stay in Juarez; men
+with women that they had picked up, but were too drunk to walk, were
+thrown over their shoulders, and carried like a bag of meal to the
+American side of the bridge; drunken women helping women more drunk than
+they, with the occasional leaning over the side of the bridge to let off
+some of the last of the liquid cargo they had taken on at the last bar.
+
+Pearl, Evelyn and Mickey were among the last to come across, with Pearl
+and Mickey leading Evelyn, who was too drunk to make it alone.
+
+"Ev, you should never get this drunk," said Mickey.
+
+"Who are you, sister? I'll get as drunk as I like," mumbled Evelyn.
+
+"What I'd like to know is how much she drank to get this drunk. I've
+seen her kill a quart at a time, and never phase her, but my God, she
+must have got to a barrel this time," said Pearl.
+
+"Let go of me--I can walk alone," said Evelyn, as she pulled away from
+them.
+
+"Do you think you can, Ev?"
+
+"Sure," said Evelyn, as she staggered to the curb, vomiting down her
+entire front.
+
+"There she goes; now she will feel better as soon as she gets some of
+that stuff out of her," said Mickey.
+
+"Yeah--but we better hold her, she might fall," but she was too late;
+Evelyn was already lying in the gutter. "What a sight she will be
+now--come on, Mickey, let's get her up to my hotel--call a taxi."
+
+Mickey called a car--they got Evelyn in, with much trouble, and finally
+arrived at the Hussman.
+
+"My God, Pearl, what will they think--you dragging her through the lobby
+looking the way she does," as they were pulling Evelyn out of the car,
+with the help of the driver.
+
+"I don't know, but I hope they let one crack out of them--that will give
+me all the excuse I'll need to wreck this joint without stalling."
+
+"Wait a minute, girls," said the driver. "I'll take her up like this,"
+as he threw Evelyn over his shoulder and started into the lobby.
+
+"I'll get her up there and put her to bed."
+
+"Don't you think, Pearl, that if you could get some hot coffee down her
+it might make her come out of it?"
+
+"I don't know, but I'll try it--" as she said to the bell-boy, "Bring me
+some hot coffee up here, quick."
+
+"Are you going over to the States after we get Ev to bed, Pearl? You
+know you've a date over there with Harry."
+
+"Have I? I've been doing some heavy drinking myself--I don't even
+remember it. Sure, we'll go over there as soon as we give her some
+coffee."
+
+"Let's take her into the bathroom, and strip her in there, and then put
+her to bed," said Pearl, as she opened the door for them to enter.
+
+They took Evelyn in to the bathroom, the driver holding her up while
+Pearl and Mickey stripped her, clean to the skin; then the bellboy
+arrived with the coffee.
+
+"Wait a minute--I'll get a night-gown for her, and then we will put her
+in bed, and pour some of this hot stuff down her gullet. O. K., driver,
+bring her in."
+
+He picked her up, and bringing her into the room, laid her down, holding
+her head up, as he took the cup out of Pearl's hand, and holding it to
+Evelyn's lips, while the hot liquid brought moans and groans from
+Evelyn--Pearl and Mickey stood by to help.
+
+"Now, let's cover her up, and leave her alone to sleep--she will be all
+right when we get back from the cafe."
+
+Pearl turned the lights out, and down they went, leaving Ev behind for
+the first time since they had met.
+
+"Jees," said Pearl, "I feel lost without her--she is sure some regular
+scout." As they got into the car that had brought them from the
+bridge--"To the States, driver."
+
+When they arrived at the States Cafe, the height of the hilarity for the
+evening had passed, for the less noisy crowd had settled down to black
+coffee and food, to try and kill off some of the liquor.
+
+Harry was sitting in a booth all alone, near the door, eating a
+sandwich, as they came in. He did not notice them until Pearl walked
+over to his table.
+
+"Hello, darling," as she sat down.
+
+"Ah, gee, I'm glad you came--I've been waiting a long time. I'd begun to
+think you were going to stand me up," smiled Harry, with gladness
+beaming from his face.
+
+"Pearl, you and Harry excuse me--I'll see you later," said Mickey, as
+she went towards the rear of the place to join a crowd of people she
+seemed to know.
+
+"I haven't had much chance to talk to you about last night, when that
+awful thing happened. Evelyn and Mickey rushed right out over me, and I
+didn't know what had become of you, Harry. Did you get over the river
+all right?"
+
+"No, I stayed on that side, at Dan's Hotel--they know me. You see, lots
+of nights when I don't make the bridge, I stay over there. It's not
+bad, really, but last night was a little unusual. When I couldn't find
+you, I had a hunch that Evelyn had gotten you clear of the place, and
+when I heard that some women had waded the river I knew that you were
+safe, because that's one of Evelyn's pet tricks. No matter if the bridge
+is open or closed, and Evelyn thinks that she had better get across that
+border, she goes for the river, and she has always been lucky--they have
+never been able to catch her. Boy, Oh boy--what a woman," laughed Harry.
+
+"Oh, Harry, you should see my new apartment--it's just grand."
+
+"You said you have moved tonight--but I don't think you told me where."
+
+"To the Hussman."
+
+"Oh, baby--putting on the Ritz."
+
+"Of course not--I just had a streak of luck, but you haven't even
+noticed my black eye."
+
+"Yes, sweetheart, I had noticed it, but I didn't want to say anything--I
+know if it is any of my business you will tell me, and it's not polite
+for a man to ask personal questions of--well--of a girl he really is
+crazy about."
+
+"Harry, you are sweet, but you see the black eye is the cause of my good
+luck. First, jealousy caused the black eye, then the apartment was
+rented to make up for it--see--that's all very simple."
+
+"Well, I can realize that anyone could be jealous of you, but I can't
+imagine anyone being mean enough to give you a shiner like that--I'm
+terribly jealous of you, but I couldn't do that to you--let's get out of
+here--this is no place to talk--can't we go somewhere, just you and I?"
+
+"Yes, my apartment--just you and I--Evelyn has passed out."
+
+They arose from the booth--this once Harry took time to pay before they
+left. They strolled leisurely up the street to the hotel, which is only
+a few blocks away.
+
+Pearl opened the door to the apartment, and Harry went in, his eyes wide
+in amazement at the loveliness of the place.
+
+Evelyn, in the meantime, had aroused from her drunken stupor and had
+ordered some food, and was sitting on the divan eating it, when they
+came in.
+
+"I thought you two would be here sooner or later. I sure have been on a
+good one tonight," said Evelyn, as they came in.
+
+"Oh, Ev--I'm glad you came out of it--how do you feel?" asked Pearl, as
+she went over and felt of Evelyn's head. "Gee I'm glad you are eating
+something. What was the matter tonight that you passed out?"
+
+"You don't mean to tell me that you passed out tonight, Ev?" said Harry,
+as he came over and stood in front of her.
+
+"Well, it's the first time in years, and I can't imagine what caused it.
+I don't remember much of anything."
+
+"Here, Harry, sit down by me and tell me what you think of my new home.
+Don't you think it is lovely?"
+
+"Yeah, its fine, but I don't get the connection of the black eye and the
+apartment."
+
+"It's just as well," said Evelyn. "The less you get, the better off you
+will both be."
+
+"No kidding, Pearl--what is the gag--who is the sucker?"
+
+"Oh, just a guy that thinks he is crazy about me, that's all."
+
+"Now, Harry, I want to ask you something seriously," said Evelyn. "Maybe
+I'm wrong, maybe I'm not, but you might as well know--you will sooner or
+later--I been telling Pearl she is nuts, now let's see what you think."
+
+"Let's hear it," answered Harry.
+
+"Do you mind, Pearl?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"No, I don't mind."
+
+"Well, here's the story. You know that big guy they call Big Boy? You
+and he have been more less rivals for some time, and I know you are very
+good friends. You know the guy pretty well--you have seen him go on a
+rampage and wreck a place, then pay for it. Well--he's nuts for Pearl,
+and he is the one who gave her the black eye because she lied to him
+about last night, then he gave her a thousand bucks, and this apartment,
+and anything else she wants--now, what I'm coming to--this guy wants to
+marry her--I know that will floor you--and he means it. Pearl is taking
+all he can give her. Don't you think that if he is crazy about her, that
+if he catches her two-timing him he will go on such a rampage he might
+kill her?"
+
+"Yes, that's right, Ev, that guy is a bad hombre--but why should he
+catch her?"
+
+"I give you credit for some sense, Harry. If he gave her a black eye for
+lying, what will he do to her when he finds out you or some other guy is
+playing around his duck's nest?"
+
+"Don't worry, Ev. Pearl's too clever for that--anytime I fall for a
+woman I know she is clever," laughed Harry assuredly.
+
+"That may be all well and good, but I'm damned if I care to be around
+when the thing happens," said Evelyn, as she guzzled some more coffee.
+
+"You didn't tell me what they did to Negro Noche about that shooting
+last night, and what did they do with Irene's body?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Negro Noche wasn't even arrested--the authorities said that she was
+protecting her home, and that if another woman was trying to steal her
+man, and she found them in each other's arms, she had done the right
+thing, so she was let free. About Irene, nobody seems to know where her
+home is, or if she has any people. They are holding her body over in
+the morgue until they can find out something, and if they don't they
+will bury her out here in the usual pauper's grave."
+
+"Oh, Jees that's awful," said Evelyn. "Well, they won't bury her in no
+pauper's grave as long as I got a cent."
+
+"You are right," answered Pearl, "But Ev, I've more money than you
+have--I'll pay for the funeral, poor kid--that's usually the end of most
+of us--God, that's awful--I'll tell you what we will do--we'll get up
+early in the morning and go over to the morgue, and arrange for her to
+have a decent funeral."
+
+"I haven't any money," said Harry. "But I'll do anything I can."
+
+"That's all right, Harry--I'm glad that I have the money to do it--shall
+we bury her on the Mex side, or shall we bring her over here?"
+
+"What's the difference? I'm sure it wouldn't make any difference to her,
+and then you might have to go through some red tape about bringing the
+body across the border," said Evelyn.
+
+"Well, I better be getting home," said Harry, as he arose to go.
+
+"Oh, no, Harry--stay up here tonight, won't you?"
+
+"Do you really want me to?"
+
+"Oh, darling, you know I want you to."
+
+"If you two must have your fun, then listen to me--I'll stay in the
+other bedroom, and if anything should happen that Big Boy would come in
+any time, Harry, you come and get in bed with me, then he couldn't say
+anything," explained Evelyn.
+
+"Ev, you're some little thinker--what would we do without you?"
+
+"Oh, nuts," exclaimed Evelyn. "I'm going to bed--good-night," as she
+arose and went into the bedroom.
+
+Harry and Pearl sat for a long time on the divan, holding each other's
+hands, not saying a word. This was the third night they had known each
+other, and events since that time had been rather swift.
+
+"I've seen lots of girls come down here, and stay around for a while,
+then maybe make a good marriage, then others go to the dogs, but of all
+the lot you are the first one that I've ever really been in love with,"
+said Harry, softly.
+
+"I love you, too, Harry, and it's my first real love, but I don't quite
+know how you can love me when you know what I'm doing and what I
+am--don't that make a difference?"
+
+"It might to some people, but not to me--but you see I couldn't give you
+what Big Boy can."
+
+"You mean you can't give me the money he can?"
+
+"That's it--he can give you everything you could ever want--money,
+clothes, cars--or just anything you happen to want--why, look, he has
+already given you a thousand dollars--I doubt if I'll ever have a
+thousand in my whole life--I'm just a bum singer."
+
+"But just the same I love you, Harry--why couldn't we do this--I've an
+idea--let me string this guy along and get a load of dough, and then we
+can beat it and start fresh some place where no one knows us--would you
+like that?"
+
+"Well, I don't know about that--I'll have to think it over--that is a
+little too much to say yes to on so short a notice, and not a nice thing
+to do."
+
+"What's the difference? What I'm doing already is not exactly what the
+general run of people would call decent."
+
+"Oh, that's nothing--I know women about this town that have good
+husbands and friends, and they step out on the side for the dough, to
+buy something they want, but they were respectable girls before they
+married, but this much I know--if I marry a girl like you, I can depend
+on you being on the level with me--I've seen enough of life down here to
+know that."
+
+"Suppose we talk this over some time tomorrow or later. We should get
+some sleep tonight," said Pearl, as she laid her head on his shoulder.
+
+Harry pulled her close to him, all was quiet in the hotel, and the
+streets were quiet. The rest of the night was bathed in liquid silver of
+a belated moon, but inside each of them there raged a tornado of love,
+desire, passion, that was soon to be quelled by complete possession of
+each other, then a sweet sleep of quiet and peace, that equaled the
+quietness of the silent city outside.
+
+Morning quietly slipped through the windows, the bright hot sun rose,
+dispelling the chill of the night. The city rose with all its noise and
+bustle, as a sleeping dog rises and shakes itself, to be about its busy
+routine of the day.
+
+Evelyn awoke, looked around, then realized that she was at Pearl's
+apartment, then looked next to her in bed, and was surprised that she
+was in bed alone. She slowly climbed out of bed, going to the window,
+looked out on the lovely morning, then thinking of Irene, she started
+for the bedroom where Pearl was lying in Harry's arms, sleeping quietly.
+
+"Hey, you two," as she shook them. "Come on--come on--snap out of it--we
+have lots to do today," as Pearl and Harry opened their eyes to behold a
+sight which caused them to laugh loudly. Evelyn standing in teddies,
+with her hair standing on end, eyes bloodshot from the night before.
+
+"Ev, have you looked at yourself in the mirror yet?" asked Pearl.
+
+"No, I haven't--I'm afraid to--I've heard people sometimes die of
+fright--so I'm just working up the courage to do that little thing--do
+you want me to order breakfast?"
+
+"Breakfast--that sounds good," said Harry, as he sat up in bed.
+
+"Ev, you're a darling--order a big one for me--I need it--I'm
+starved--then we will go over the river," as she went to the bathroom.
+
+Evelyn called the morgue, and found that no one seemed able to find
+Irene's people, or to find out anything about her, so she told the
+undertakers to get Irene ready and make all the arrangements for the
+funeral to be held at two o'clock that afternoon, at the Mexican
+Cemetery on the outskirts of Juarez, then she spent the next half hour
+calling every Hooker that she knew, and told them the time of the
+funeral, and asked them to be there, and to bring any of the other girls
+they could get hold of.
+
+"How many have you called, in all, Ev?" asked Pearl, as Evelyn sat down
+beside her. "I'll call and have these dishes taken away."
+
+"About twenty in all, but they all know others that I don't know and
+they will tell them."
+
+"Well, I'm going to run out home," said Harry, getting ready to leave,
+"I'll see you at the funeral."
+
+"All right, dear," said Pearl, as she kissed him goodbye.
+
+"Don't you think we better go over and see if there is anything we might
+do? I'll get a check cashed and take enough money over to pay the
+expenses for the flowers, since you insist on paying all the funeral
+expenses--the least I can do will be to see that she has lovely flowers,
+poor kid."
+
+"That's right, Ev, we had better go on over--I'll have to get a check
+cashed, too."
+
+They called a taxi and started for Juarez, and as the car pulled over
+the bridge, and under the shed where all cars stop to be questioned by
+the Mexican officials before entering Juarez, there were soldiers
+everywhere.
+
+"Why are you Senoritas going to Juarez at this time," asked one of the
+officials.
+
+"We are going over to attend the funeral of the American girl who was
+shot Saturday night in the Rio Bravo Hotel," answered Pearl.
+
+"What other business have you to attend to over there?"
+
+"None."
+
+"You will pardon, Senorita, but may I suggest that as soon as possible
+you will return to the American side--the rebels have left Chihuahua
+City by train, and they may arrive at any time from one o'clock to six."
+
+"Thanks, we will," answered Pearl, as the official motioned to the
+driver to drive on.
+
+"I bet there will be some wild carrying on here with the rebels, when
+they do arrive," laughed Evelyn.
+
+"I wonder if there will be much fighting?"
+
+"Sure, there will be fighting, and lots of screaming and running. The
+way they carry on you think there is twice as much fighting as there
+really is."
+
+"I guess we had better try and get back before the rebels arrive. What
+do you think, Ev?"
+
+"Well, after the funeral we will come back. We won't waste any time."
+
+"Come right in, Senoritas," said the Mexican undertaker, as he bowed low
+to them.
+
+"You have made the necessary arrangements that we called you about this
+morning?"
+
+"Si, Senorita."
+
+"How much is the whole bill?" asked Pearl, as she fished into her bag.
+
+"Four hundred Pesos, Senorita."
+
+"How much American?"
+
+"That will be two hundred dollars, Senorita, and that is everything. I
+have already had the grave dug, and the time you said over the phone is
+the time the funeral will take place. I, Senorita, have taken the
+privilege of calling a Padre--was that right?"
+
+"That's O. K. by me, don't you think, Ev?"
+
+"Sure."
+
+"Here's your money," as she handed him two hundred dollars.
+
+"The good God will be kind to you, Senorita, for this good deed," as
+Pearl and Evelyn went out.
+
+"Hell, I need a drink, don't you, Ev?"
+
+"Yeah--a good stiff one," as they climbed in the car.
+
+"Driver, take us to the Central, and come in and have a shot with us."
+
+"Oke, Sister," answered the driver.
+
+They turned on the Sixteenth of September Street, and had to stop to let
+troops pass, some short, some tall, but none with uniforms that fit,
+except the officers, who were perfectly groomed, with beautiful uniforms
+that would have done credit to a rear Admiral of anybody's country, and
+as they marched past, sullen dirty faces showed no sign of expression,
+of joy, of madness, chagrin, nor contempt--they were like so many dirty
+brown masks, that hide so much thievery, murder, and cowardice
+underneath.
+
+"Do the rebels look anything like this?" asked Pearl, as they passed.
+
+"Just the same--clothes may be different, but that means nothing. These
+men that just marched past may be on the rebel side before sundown--they
+are just as willing to fight for one side as the other, as long as it
+promises to be profitable."
+
+"I can't understand why they are always having these revolutions down
+here."
+
+"Pearl, in our country every boy is taught that he can, by hard study
+and work, be the President if he wants to be, but down here every boy is
+taught that he must be President, even if he has to kill the former one,
+and they have tried to live up to their teaching, so it's just another
+case of some bad boy taking what he thinks is rightfully his."
+
+"I suppose they will stop the trains out of town, and march in."
+
+"Oh no they won't--they will ride those trains into the heart of the
+town, screaming and yelling and shooting at anybody that happens to be
+in sight, at least that is the way they always have done, and Mex's
+never change."
+
+"I hope the rebels don't arrive before the funeral is over--that would
+be awful."
+
+"I'll say it would," as the car stopped. "Come on, here's where we
+drink--come on, driver." They all went in.
+
+"I'll have whiskey," said Pearl.
+
+"So will I."
+
+"Make it three whiskeys," answered the driver. "Say do you girls want me
+to wait over here for you?"
+
+"No, we are going to stick around here until time for the funeral. You
+can go on back--oh, I almost forgot about paying you--here, take this,"
+as she shoved a bill in his hand.
+
+"If I were you, girls, I wouldn't waste any more time over here than I
+had to, and if you say the word, I'll stay and see you through,"
+answered the driver.
+
+"That's nice of you kid, but we will be O. K."
+
+"So long," as he went.
+
+"It's going to take more than one whiskey to get me through that
+funeral," said Pearl.
+
+"Let's buy a couple of quarts, and go on out to the cemetery and wait
+there," suggested Evelyn.
+
+"That's the best idea of all," said Pearl, "Let's go."
+
+They took the two quarts, and slowly walked up the street. Small groups
+of people, talking near doorways, gazed at them curiously as they went.
+Most of the bars and places of business were closed, and the windows
+boarded up, caused by the expected battle, and knowing full well that
+windows would be smashed if they were not somehow protected. As two
+o'clock drew near, the hearse with the remains of Irene, started for the
+cemetery, the driver looking like a cornered rat, and mad at having to
+go out into the open when the rebels might arrive at any time, drove
+slowly, but fearfully, through the streets, toward the cemetery.
+
+Pearl and Evelyn were sitting on a fallen headstone, drinking and
+discussing the injustice of life, to them in particular, and to all in
+general. They had just killed the first quart when the first bunch of
+girls, headed by Mickey, came into the cemetery--some were dressed as
+though they were going to a party, others in street suits, but none in
+mourning, as mourning could only be used once in a great while, so why
+buy mourning for the one funeral, and be stuck with something you
+couldn't wear to hustle in.
+
+"My goodness," said Mickey. "How long have you been waiting here?"
+
+"Oh, not very long--want a drink?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Yeah--we brought several pints along with us--there comes some more of
+the girls," as she pointed along the road to about fifteen girls, all in
+gay colors, coming along as if they were going to a picnic.
+
+"This is one of them things I sure don't like to go through with it,"
+said one of the girls.
+
+"Me either," answered another.
+
+"Well, it's near two o'clock--it won't be long now," remarked still
+another.
+
+"I think that's the hearse coming now," said Pearl, as she shaded her
+eyes with her hand, looking down the road.
+
+"We tried to get a taxi to bring us over, but not one of them would
+come," said one of the newly arrived girls.
+
+"Well, you know there has been some talk about a revolution going to
+take place over here," said one of the other girls.
+
+"So I'd heard," remarked the former, in a cutting voice.
+
+"Yeah--that is the hearse all right--there is someone with the
+driver--it must be the Padre," said Pearl, still watching.
+
+The hearse drew up at the entrance, slowed down, then proceeded to a far
+corner of the cemetery, where the freshly dug grave yawned as though
+waiting for its toll, while the two Mexican grave-diggers lay sleeping
+beside the fresh pile of earth.
+
+The girls moved slowly over to where the hearse had stopped, as the
+driver got out and kicked the grave-diggers awake, telling them in
+Spanish to help earn their money by helping to get the Gringo's body to
+the grave, which they did unwillingly. The driver, the Padre, and the
+two grave-diggers brought the box with the coffin inside it, to the side
+of the grave, sat it down, while the Padre began saying the service in
+Spanish and in Latin.
+
+Painted faces looked on, as tears began to streak their cheeks, each
+thinking that this might have been her; some probably wishing it was
+them, knowing that at least their earthly troubles would be over, no
+matter what would be in store for them; other's minds went back to their
+pasts, the others to their childhood. Soon there could be heard sounds
+of soft weeping--the service was over, the four men slowly let the
+coffin into the grave, jerking the straps from under the box.
+
+The two grave-diggers began to shovel dirt into the hole.
+
+"Can any of you sluts say a prayer?" asked Mickey.
+
+"I ain't never prayed in my life," said one of the girls, "But I'll try
+it," as they all bowed their heads, as hard lumps of dirt and rock fell
+with a hollow sound on the box.
+
+"Oh, Lord, I ain't never asked you a single favor in my life," began the
+girl slowly, "But Irene is a good scout, and if she ever comes into your
+place of business, don't turn her down--she always paid for her drinks,
+poor kid--Amen."
+
+"Come on, kids, let's get going from here," said Evelyn, as she wiped
+her eyes.
+
+They all walked slowly to the gates of the cemetery--those in front
+waited for the rest to catch up.
+
+"Let's all have a drink," suggested Evelyn, as she began to open the
+quart she still had.
+
+They all gathered around, passing the bottle, talking in low tones,
+starting to repair the damage done to their make-ups by the tears.
+
+"We had better be getting back to town," remarked Pearl, and they all
+started down the road, towards town, walking in little groups.
+
+"Just think--that might have been any one of us," said Mickey, "It
+wouldn't have mattered who was with Juan Moros when Negro Noche came
+in--she would have shot anyone she found with him."
+
+"Yeah--you're right, Mickey--it might have been any one of us. Juan was
+a nice fellow to everyone, but Noche is a bad bitch--don't let anybody
+fool you about that, but she won't get away with this--his people will
+see to that," answered Evelyn.
+
+Pearl, Evelyn and Mickey were the first to arrive on the Sixteenth of
+September Street--the rest of the girls had split into the usual groups
+that they usually ran in, and came straggling along behind.
+
+"Let's go on down to the Central, and have a few drinks and rest awhile,
+and let this wear off," suggested Evelyn.
+
+"O. K." said Mickey, as they were nearing the railroad tracks.
+
+"Jees--look coming," said Pearl, pointing down the tracks.
+
+In the distance a train was coming--Mexicans were hanging all over the
+engine, and on the roofs of the box-cars, the whistle was blowing, guns
+were firing. "It's the rebels."
+
+"Here, we better get off the street--quick, let's run in the Rio Bravo,"
+said Evelyn, as she grabbed Pearl's hand and started for the hotel.
+
+The few people that had been standing in the street, ran for shelter.
+Four of the Federal Cavalry who had no chance to be disloyal, decided to
+make a display of their bravery by wrecking the rebel train, by riding
+four abreast into the locomotive, therefore making history, for Mexico,
+as well as being heroes themselves, but never considering that they
+would not be present to hear of it, they spurred their poor, bony horses
+on to the tracks, one in command gave the order "Forward"--and down the
+tracks they rode, the engine meeting them at the crossing of the
+Sixteenth of September Street.
+
+Men, horses, legs, arms, heads, blood, manure, and guns were scattered
+and strewn for blocks, the engine whistling, bell ringing, men
+screaming, groaning, dying, the Federal troops running to meet the
+rebels, the engine derailed in the middle of the street, the hissing of
+escaping steam, rebels pouring out of box-cars, running into the fight,
+screaming "Vive, La Mexico."
+
+Both sides began to run behind buildings, firing from behind, at anyone
+they saw, whether it be friend or enemy.
+
+"We have to make that river somehow," said Evelyn.
+
+"My God--what do you think has happened to the other girls?" asked
+Pearl.
+
+"They are probably in as bad a fix as we are," answered Mickey, as a
+stray bullet shattered the windows of the lobby.
+
+The rebels began to drive the Federals towards the river, amidst much
+shouting and shooting and excess bravado.
+
+"I'll tell you what we will do," said Evelyn. "As the shooting moves
+toward the river, we will try to get out of here--I'll take my drawers
+off and put them on a pole like a flag of truce, and we will try and
+make it."
+
+"My God, what is that awful odor?" asked Pearl.
+
+"That's horse manure, mixed with blood, that splattered on the side of
+this building when the train hit those horses," explained Evelyn, as
+she was pulling off her underthings, putting them on the end of a yard
+stick she had found behind the deserted desk.
+
+"Will we run for it, or how shall we try it?" asked Mickey.
+
+"We'll ease out into the street, holding this flag up, then we will go
+up the middle of this street to the corner, and down that way to the
+bridge," said Evelyn.
+
+"Do you think they will shoot at us?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Possibly, but I'm willing to bet that the only ones that have been
+killed in the fighting are the ones there in the street, that were
+killed by the train."
+
+"You're right, there," said Mickey, as they moved toward the door.
+
+"Oh, God, what a horrible sight," said Pearl as she shivered and put
+her hand over her eyes.
+
+"Get hold of her, Mickey, she never saw anything like this before. I
+guess it is kind of a shock to her to see all these Cholos laying around
+here in pieces," exclaimed Evelyn, as she stepped over what had once
+been a man, but was now only mangled flesh.
+
+"If you don't want to look, you just keep your hand over your eyes,
+dear, and I'll keep hold of you until we get by this," said Mickey,
+softly, as she put her arm around Pearl, and helped her along.
+
+"Come on here," called Evelyn.
+
+They moved past the crossing, then into the center of the
+street--bullets whizzed overhead while toward the river there was a hot
+battle raging.
+
+On the American side the banks of the river were lined with people
+watching the fighting, as though it were a baseball game, oblivious of
+the bullets that fell all around them. As the fighting came nearer the
+river, two huge armored cars, with French 75's mounted, rolled near the
+International Bridge, muzzles lowering menacingly, toward Mexico.
+
+A scream came from down to the left of the bridge, as a mother grabbed
+up her little one in her arms, running toward the street. The child had
+been killed by a stray bullet.
+
+Phones began to buzz at Fort Bliss, saying that the bullets from the
+fighting were falling thick and fast on the American side, and that one
+had already found its mark.
+
+Five minutes passed--soon the screaming of a siren could be heard,
+coming toward the bridge was the large dark brown car with the American
+flag flying from the front, and it drew up at the foot of the bridge.
+
+General M---- stepped from the car, face red with fury.
+
+"Fire a warning from one of those 75's," commanded the General, as he
+walked toward the center of the bridge, as the voice of the 75 roared
+across the border.
+
+Firing on the Mexican side stopped immediately, as one of the Federals
+came running toward the gates on the bridge.
+
+"Open these gates," commanded the General, and the aides ran to do his
+bidding.
+
+"What is it, Senor?" said the Federal, as he came near the General.
+
+"I want the Commander of the Rebels and the Commander of the Federals at
+the foot of this bridge in five minutes--be on your way."
+
+The Federal ran back to the group of soldiers, they all began to talk
+excitedly, running in several directions.
+
+Truck loads of soldiers from Fort Bliss were unloading, all ready for
+action.
+
+General M---- stood, legs spread, looking at his watch, tapping his
+riding boot with his stick, as the Federal Commander came to where he
+was standing.
+
+"You have sent for me, Senor--I have come," as the sound of a horse
+galloping down the street was heard.
+
+"At your command, I have come, Senor," said the rebel General, as he
+swaggered up to the General, looking at the Federal as though he were
+the lowest thing on earth.
+
+"Yes, I sent for you both," said General M----, "I want to tell you that
+if you saddle-faced bastards let another bullet fall on the American
+side of the river, I'll wipe the whole goddamn lot of you, and this
+town, off the map," as he turned, giving an order to close the gates
+again, as the armored cars once more came into position.
+
+The General of the Rebels rode away, to his own troops, who in the lull
+of the fighting had moved up on the Federals.
+
+The fighting began again, with renewed vigor on the side of the rebels,
+who had drawn their bayonets, while the Federals ran for the river,
+wading in and making for the American side, wasting no time in doing it.
+
+Evelyn, Pearl and Mickey were coming down the middle of Lysol Lane,
+Evelyn still holding the drawers on the stick, showing she was a
+non-combatant, when she spied about fifty girls huddled on one side of a
+bar, some peeping around the corner. There were all the girls who had
+been to the funeral, and others, who had been to Juarez on their usual
+business, and all together, wondering how they were going to get to the
+American side.
+
+"Hey, Gang," called Evelyn, "What do you say if we all make a run for
+the river--once we are in the river, we will be safe."
+
+"How will we do it?" asked the girls.
+
+"Here's the way," explained Evelyn. "We all get in the street, and start
+to run--the rebels have their backs this way--they won't see us until we
+are almost in the river--because from what I can see they have already
+driven the Federals into the river and are already throwing rocks at
+them. Well, we run as quietly as possible and burst right through the
+rebels, and into the river--take the right side of the bridge, it's
+better--now, do you all understand?"
+
+The girls nodded that they did.
+
+"All right, then let's get going," as they all started down the street
+at a trot. They neared the river very quietly then amidst screams and
+yells they burst through the rebels, leaping into the river like rats
+from a sinking ship, grabbing at each other, helping each other through
+the quick-sand, and cold water, some holding on to their bottles of
+whiskey that they had brought along to give them courage. The few
+Federals who had not reached the American side, turned back to help the
+girls, amidst laughing, screaming, cursing, and splashing of water.
+
+The American soldiers were rounding the Federal troops up the way a
+Texas cowboy rounds up cattle, herding them into one bunch, while the
+girls pulled themselves out of the river without the aid of anyone
+except themselves. When they were out of the river, they went in a body
+to the street where the General and his aides were.
+
+"This is a hell of a note," said Evelyn. "A bunch of good American women
+should have to wade that damn river, and no one to even help them up the
+bank--you don't seem to realize that once in a while a lady needs a
+little help."
+
+"You had no business on that side," said the General, curtly. "You knew
+there was to be a battle--the papers carried the news, and all Americans
+were warned to stay away from there," he continued.
+
+"Well, just the same, it's a hell of a way to treat ladies," answered
+Evelyn, as she sat down on the curb of the sidewalk.
+
+"Senoritas--Senoritas," came the voice of the Rebel General, who had
+climbed up on the side of the bridge.
+
+"What's the matter with that guy?" said Mickey, as she moved toward the
+foot of the bridge to hear what he had to say.
+
+"Senoritas--can you hear me?" he called across the river.
+
+"Wait a minute--all right, spill it," called Evelyn.
+
+"Senoritas--we do not fight with women--you are perfectly safe."
+
+"Hell's fire--we know that now--ain't we over here?" answered Evelyn.
+
+"A thousand pardons, Senoritas--but we want you to come back and drink
+with the victorious--to be our guests for the evening."
+
+"Now, you see," explained Evelyn, "that's what I call a gentleman, a
+real fellow," as she walked over to the American General. "Say old top,
+would you mind having them gates opened and let us go back on the other
+side?"
+
+"No, those gates remain closed until this trouble is settled."
+
+"O. K. brother," as she went back to the girls, who were waving at the
+rebels. "Come on, gang, we'll go back the way we came," and they started
+off in the river, with much more enthusiasm than the first time.
+
+"Come back here," yelled one of the American officers. "You can't cross
+that river."
+
+"The Hell you say," called Evelyn, who was already in the water,
+leading the procession. "At least, these guys will buy us a drink."
+
+"Do you think it's safe to go over here now," Pearl asked Evelyn.
+
+"Sure, and profitable--these guys will open every safe in the town, and
+all the champagne you can drink. I been through these things before,"
+explained Evelyn, as the rebels were wading out to help them.
+
+"You see," said Mickey, "these guys will drink so much they will just
+pass out all over the place, and you can go through their pockets right
+and left, in perfect safety, and how I'll go through them is nobody's
+business."
+
+"It's all new to me, but I'm with you," answered Pearl.
+
+"Sure, honey, that's the way--get all you can--you can't never have too
+much."
+
+The rebels were throwing their hats in the air, shouting at their
+victory, with only one thought in their minds--to do all the looting
+possible, and drinking as well. They started with the nearest bar, the
+girls in their midst, singing, laughing, and looking forward to a
+hilarious time. They didn't wait to open the bottles of champagne--they
+broke the necks off and poured it over each other--they were wet from
+the river, so why not be wet with liquor.
+
+The Federals of Mexico were taken to Fort Bliss and quartered until they
+could be sent back to Mexico--they weren't prisoners--they were more
+refugees than anything else.
+
+The rest of the day and night was spent in drinking, dancing, singing
+and general hilarity. Juarez was never more gay or wild--looting was
+indulged in--in a big way; every safe was opened. The rebels needed
+gold, and American money, whether paper or silver, was gold to them--the
+girls getting their share of the loot.
+
+"I've stood about all of this I can," said Pearl, as she tried to get up
+from the table.
+
+"Do you want to go home, honey?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Home or anywhere, but I've got to come out of this--I've been drinking
+too much--I'll go nuts if I don't get out of it for a while."
+
+"O. K. dear, I'll take you home," said Evelyn, staggering to her feet.
+
+"Do you think you can manage it all right without me?" asked Mickey.
+
+"Sure--I can get Pearl home all right, but ain't you had enough yet?"
+
+"I've had plenty to drink, but I haven't got all the money I can use
+yet."
+
+"Well, how much have you got?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"I don't know, but I've sure been going through these lice. I've got as
+much as I dare put in my stockings, and I got wads in my waist, and
+some pinned in my step-ins."
+
+"Well, we'll be seeing you,--come on, Pearl--give me your arm--we'll
+make it some-how," as they staggered toward the door.
+
+"Do you think we will have to wade that damned river again?" asked
+Pearl.
+
+"I hope not--we'll go to the gates, and I'll try and argue those guys to
+let a couple of ladies through."
+
+Once again the two staggered toward the International Bridge. The
+streets were deserted, not a person was to be seen, only a small group
+around the foot of the bridge. Day was just beginning to break over the
+horizon.
+
+"Where are you Senoritas going?" asked one of the Mexicans.
+
+"Home," said Evelyn.
+
+"I'm veer sorry, Senorita, but the Americans will not let you through
+the gates."
+
+"Well, we will see about that," as they neared the huge wire gates.
+"Hey--you--how's to let a couple of ladies through--we want to get
+home."
+
+"Sorry, sister, we got orders to open these gates to no one," came the
+answer.
+
+"Well, you got a Hell of a nerve--we're American citizens, and I demand
+that you let us through."
+
+"Sorry, sister--but orders is orders."
+
+"Well, you louse, do you mean to tell us you are going to make us wade
+that river again today?"
+
+"If you want to get to the American side, you'll have to wade it."
+
+"That's our good Americans for you," said Evelyn in disgust. "I'm damned
+if I know which is the worst, these Goddamn Mexicans or that lousy
+American scum that tries to be so damn important."
+
+"Come on, Ev--we've waded it before--we might as well do it again--at
+that the cold water may wake us up."
+
+They walked back to the Mexican foot of the bridge, and over the levee,
+holding to each other once more as they started again through the chill
+waters of the Rio Grande.
+
+"Halt--who goes there?" came the challenge from the U. S. side, as they
+neared the bank.
+
+"Who the Hell do you think?" asked Evelyn, as they climbed out of the
+water.
+
+"Say, woman--ain't you got any more sense than to come across that river
+that way? We will have to hold you now for investigation."
+
+"Oh, yeah? Brother, that's just too bad--we asked you to open those
+gates, and let us through, and you wouldn't do it, now if you want to
+really start some trouble, just try and hold us for wading across."
+
+"Well, you will have to come up on the bridge, and do some tall
+explaining."
+
+"O. K. I'll do some explaining--you're damn tooting," as they all three
+started for the foot of the bridge, where the commanding officer was
+waiting.
+
+"These two women waded across the river, sir," explained the soldier, as
+they walked up.
+
+"Would you mind explaining," began the officer, "what you two are doing
+at this hour of the morning, wading across the International border?"
+
+"Oh--for Christ's sake--what's the big idea?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Just this--you women think you can get away with this stuff because you
+are women, and possibly because you think it's smart. Well, you
+can't--you will have to be detained, and taken in front of the
+Commanding General."
+
+"Well, you get a load of this--you low-born, half-witted, self-inflated
+with your own importance, shave-tail Bastard--you ain't detaining me or
+my girl friend for no investigation--see--you, or your men refused to
+open that gate to let two American citizens through, and we had to wade
+the river, and it's scum like you that has managed to get into office in
+this country, and run it with stuffed uniforms that wouldn't know the
+meaning of the word MAN if it was drawn in blue-print for them--you
+stand and tell me what you are going to do--why, Goddamn you, when I get
+through telling the General what I think, as well as the American
+Consul, you'll be a buck private again--you've got a gall--you impudent
+little runt."
+
+"Just the same, I'm sorry, but the General will have to give his O. K.
+on your crossing."
+
+"Then, by God--you'll call him on the phone right now," said Evelyn.
+
+"It isn't customary to disturb the General at this hour of the morning."
+
+"That's too bad for the General, that he has to be aroused out of his
+beauty sleep."
+
+"I will call him, even though it is not the ordinary routine."
+
+"And how you will call him," exclaimed Evelyn.
+
+"Well, I'm not quite used to the ways of the border yet, but it seems to
+me to be rather against one to be an American down here," said Pearl.
+
+"The fault ain't with America--it's with the ignorant bastards that's
+allowed to run it," answered Evelyn, as the Lieutenant was calling Fort
+Bliss.
+
+After much delay the General was finally reached. "What the Hell are
+you calling me for at this time of the morning?" he roared over the
+phone.
+
+"I'm sorry, sir, but it's about two women that have just waded the
+river, and we have detained them, and they have insisted that we call
+you, or they will take it up with the American Consul. I thought it best
+to call you."
+
+Evelyn leaned her ear close to the receiver.
+
+"Are they respectable women?" asked the General.
+
+"I'll answer that question," said Evelyn, as she snatched the receiver
+from the Lieutenant. "What the Hell difference does it make whether we
+are considered respectable or not--we are American citizens, that ought
+to be enough."
+
+"Why were you wading the river at this hour of the morning?" asked the
+General.
+
+"Because we want to get home, and one of your lackeys refused to unlock
+the gates--that's why we waded the river."
+
+"Would you please let me talk to the gentleman who called me, please,"
+said the General, as he boiled.
+
+"Sure," as she turned to the Lieutenant. "He wants to talk to you," as
+she handed him the receiver with mock dignity.
+
+"Get those women's addresses and names, and let them go, and don't you
+call me again, as he slammed the receiver up.
+
+"Well, what did he tell you?" asked Evelyn, with contempt.
+
+"He asked me to get your names and addresses, and let you go home."
+
+"Ask Hell--he told you to, you mean--well, my name is Evelyn and I
+haven't got a last name, as far as you are concerned, and I live at the
+San Antonio Apartments," said Evelyn.
+
+"My name is Pearl Jones, and I live at the Hussman."
+
+"Hussman," repeated the Lieutenant.
+
+"Yeah, Hussman--and no smart cracks--from you, either--and don't get the
+idea that you can use the addresses for your own convenience when you
+have a day off."
+
+"I'm sorry to have caused you ladies any trouble," smiled the
+Lieutenant.
+
+"Ah, nuts to you, brother," said Evelyn, as she gave him a loud, juicy
+raspberry.
+
+"Come on, Ev--let's call a taxi--I'm as near all in as I'll ever be, and
+live to tell it. Come on up to my joint and stay, will you? I don't like
+to be alone."
+
+"Jees, I might as well move to your place--I don't seem to ever stay at
+home any more," said Evelyn. "Here, we will call from the same phone
+that big lousy Lieutenant just used," as she turned back.
+
+Loud rapping on the door aroused Pearl out of the deep sleep she had
+been in since she had climbed into bed that morning. "Who's there?" she
+called, still half asleep.
+
+"Mickey," came the voice outside.
+
+"Just a minute, dear, I'll let you in," answered Pearl, as she crawled
+out of bed and staggered to the door.
+
+"For the love of Heaven, don't you expect to get up today?"
+
+"What time is it?" asked Pearl, yawning.
+
+"It's nearly five o'clock--have you been in bed all day?"
+
+"Uh-huh."
+
+"What's become of Evelyn? I've been over to her apartment several
+times, and she hasn't been there all day."
+
+"She is here with me."
+
+"Well, you two sure have been sleeping sound. I been up here three
+times, and had the clerk ring the room several times, but no answer."
+
+"We were nearly dead when we got here this morning. We had to wade that
+damn river again. How did you get across?"
+
+"They opened the gates when I went and asked them to let me through."
+
+"Well, the lousy tramps--and the way they treated us this morning--they
+sure was nasty."
+
+"I stayed as long as I thought it was safe for me to stay, I finally got
+to go through the rebel General's pockets, then I decided to come home
+and get a little sleep. I feel fine now, and did I make the dough last
+night? Seven hundred bucks, not so bad."
+
+"I should say not. Come on and let's wake Ev up. Have you got anything
+to drink with you? I haven't got a thing up here."
+
+"Yeah, I have a bottle with me. I sure know what it is getting up after
+having been on a good one, and not having a little drink to pick me
+up--it's awful," as they went into the bedroom, where Evelyn was still
+snoring.
+
+"Hey, sister, snap out of it," yelled Mickey, as she shook Evelyn real
+hard.
+
+Evelyn turned over and opened her eyes. "What's the big idea?" she
+asked.
+
+"Look," said Mickey, as she held a pint of whiskey where Evelyn could
+see it.
+
+"Oh, great Heavens, give me a drink quick, before I have time to start
+thinking," as she raised up in bed, taking the bottle from Mickey.
+
+"Save me a drink, Ev," said Pearl, as she started to the bathroom.
+
+"Well, you better hurry back, you know when Ev gets a bottle, she don't
+want to give it up until it's empty," called Mickey.
+
+"Did you make any money out of the revolution, Mickey?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Sure, did you?"
+
+"I don't know yet, I haven't been sober enough to count it, but what
+I've got is on the chair there," as she pointed to a chair, loaded with
+clothes.
+
+"I'll hand it to you and see just how much you have made," said Mickey,
+as she handed the clothes to Evelyn.
+
+"How long do you think the border will be closed, Ev?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Well, that's hard to tell. Sometimes those things last only a few days,
+then again they have been known to last months, but if we can't go over
+there, nobody else can, and I know all the apartments around here where
+there are likely to be parties, so the only thing to do is make the
+rounds of them, and chisel there, just like we did on the other side."
+
+"What about liquor?"
+
+"Don't worry about that--there is more on this side than there is on the
+other side," said Evelyn, as she began to lay out her money.
+
+"Did you make anything last night, Pearl?" asked Mickey.
+
+"I haven't looked yet."
+
+"I've got the enormous sum of thirty-five bucks," said Evelyn, as she
+looked disgustedly at the crumpled money on the bed cover.
+
+"Well, honey, you didn't stay over there as long as I did, and you see I
+stayed until I got to go through the General's pockets, and he is the
+bird with most of the money. I had my eye on him all night," said
+Mickey.
+
+"Now that another evening is here, what are we going to do with it?"
+asked Pearl.
+
+"I know--we'll call up some of the girls I know, and see if we can't
+find some place to go, or maybe we can engineer a party out at my place.
+If we can, we will gather the fellows that we know to get the whiskey,
+and make it a rip-roaring, bang-up party--what do you say?"
+
+"O. K. with me--how about you, Pearl?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Whatever you all say is right with me."
+
+"I've fallen for a new boy friend. I don't know what his name is, but
+they call him Dusty, and is he good looking, and can he fight? But--he's
+another one of those that haven't got a dime, but still, I sure can have
+a swell time with him. I'll call him right now, and see if he can get
+the rest of the boys," enthused Mickey.
+
+"I've never heard you rave over a guy before, unless he had something
+you wanted," said Evelyn.
+
+"Well--," said Mickey, slowly, "I guess he's got something I want."
+
+"Excuse me for living," said Evelyn, as she climbed out of bed,
+gathering up the money that she had been counting, "I don't know what he
+has got, but whatever it is, he has as good as lost it right now."
+
+Mickey went to the phone, calling several numbers before she finally got
+Dusty, who from the trend of the conservation over the phone, was glad
+to get the other fellows for the party, much to the joy of Mickey.
+
+Evening came, they usually do, even in El Paso, and this evening was
+very little different from any of the others. The party started at
+Mickey's wild, mad, hilarious, drinking, loving, laughing, fighting and
+all the more thrilling to all concerned, because of its being on the
+American side. All who were invited, came, and brought others that
+weren't invited, as well as their friends also, but no one cared--it was
+for a good time that the party was given and everybody proceeded to make
+the most of the chance.
+
+Twenty-four hours later the party was still going strong. The hilarity
+had grown in volume, instead of subsiding--the party was going too
+strong to stay in the bounds of the house--people were wanting to go
+places, and still keep the party going.
+
+"I got an idea," said Pearl.
+
+"What is it, honey?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Why don't we go to my place, and still keep the party going there, and
+after that we will go to some place else--ain't that a good idea?"
+
+"Sure, it's a good idea, but I can't tell how long it will last at that
+hotel--they may be particular about a party like this."
+
+"Well--," thought Pearl, as she continued, "we can go there and when we
+can't keep it up there any longer, then we will go elsewhere--how's
+that?"
+
+"Fine, let's call Mickey, and tell her, and see what she says."
+
+"She is in the Kitchen, we will go in there and tell her," as they
+shoved their way into the kitchen, where new bottles were being opened.
+
+"Sweetheart," said Harry, as Pearl came into the kitchen, "I was just
+getting you another drink--here it is," as he offered her the bottle.
+
+"Harry, my sweet, I've a surprise for you--we are all going to my
+hotel--that's what we came in here to tell Mickey--are you for it,
+Mickey?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Sure, darling, I'll go any place--let's gather up all the licker we
+have left here and get started," as she began to set all the bottles on
+the sink.
+
+The news spread, and soon everybody was singing in a loud voice, "we're
+going to the Hussman--we're going to the Hussman," amidst much skipping
+and dancing.
+
+"Shall I call Tony?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Sure," answered Pearl. "The sooner the better."
+
+"You better call several cars for this mob," said Pearl.
+
+"How many of them are there?" asked Evelyn, as she picked up the phone.
+
+"I don't know, but you better call about five or six cars, maybe
+seven--there's some people out in the yard, and it's too dark to see how
+many there are."
+
+"Hello, Tony--this is Ev--well, look--we want you to send some
+transportation out to Mickey's for the party that is moving to the
+Hussman--you knew that there was a party going on, didn't you? Well, I
+guess there wasn't anyone who didn't--come right on out--O.
+K.--good-bye," as she hung up. "They will be here right away."
+
+The cars soon began to arrive, the drivers were taken in and made to
+drink whether they wanted to or not, and there were none who didn't want
+to. Seven cars were little enough--people were hanging all over the
+outsides of the cars, screaming and singing, some fully dressed, others
+partially dressed, others with only a street coat and shoes on.
+
+They arrived at the Hussman--the bellboys were rushing around madly,
+expecting at least to earn some tips, which they did by bringing ice,
+and ginger ale to the room, the crowd unloaded in front of the hotel,
+each one trying not to look drunk and to be a lady or gentleman, until
+they got through the lobby to the elevator--some were helping others,
+others were staggering it alone. Pearl and Evelyn and Mickey in the
+lead, with Mickey loaded down with bottles, wrapped in a sheet like it
+might be soiled laundry, elevators started the mad procession of getting
+everyone off on the right floor, which became more noisy as the newness
+of the place began to wear off.
+
+Pearl threw everything wide open, told everybody to make themselves at
+home, which they were already doing--those who had gotten thirsty on the
+ride were already in the kitchenette, uncorking bottles. Evelyn sat at
+the phone, ordering more liquor; Pearl and Harry, locked in each other's
+arms, oblivious to all that was taking place. Mickey eyeing one of the
+taxi drivers that the crowd had brought with them, and wondering how
+much he might have in his pockets, and proceeding to make him drunk
+enough to find out.
+
+The party grew--other guests who were on the same floor, who were in the
+mood, joined in the crowd. People were going from one room to another,
+soon the phone in Pearl's apartment began to ring--the management asked
+them to be just a little more quiet, as they were annoying guests five
+floors away. The crowd was quiet at least three minutes, when it began
+all over again, in all its flamboyancy--drinking began to get heavier,
+some of the crowd began to pass out wherever they happened to be--that's
+where they lay.
+
+Noon the following day.
+
+Big Boy approached the desk of the Hussman. "Is Miss Jones in?"
+
+"That would be rather hard to say, sir," answered the clerk, "but I'll
+try and find out."
+
+"What do you mean by that?" asked Big Boy, puzzled.
+
+"Well, you see, sir--there has been a party going on on that floor, and
+in her apartment, since last night, and it's only been quiet for about
+two hours now. There were a few who left, I'll find out if Miss Jones is
+still up there," as he asked the operator to ring Pearl's apartment,
+which she did for several minutes, but got no answer.
+
+"I'll go up and see if she is there, and what the Hell's going on," as
+he started for the elevator.
+
+The apartment door was standing half open--two of the maids were peeking
+in, and commenting in low tones on what they saw, as Big Boy came up,
+they moved away.
+
+He pushed the door open, stood looking in at the sight that greeted
+him--of bodies laying on the floor, piled on the divan, on chairs, and
+on each other. He started for Pearl's bedroom.
+
+Pearl was laying in Harry's arms on the bed, where they had both passed
+out hours before. Evelyn was laying on the floor on one side, and Mickey
+on the other. Mickey had passed out with her hand in the taxi driver's
+pocket.
+
+Big Boy quivered with rage--he grabbed Harry and Pearl by the arms, and
+dragged them out of bed, nothing on his mind except that Pearl had lied
+to him again.
+
+Twenty minutes later the police began to arrive--screaming a partly clad
+woman, running through the lobby headed for the street, made the more
+respectable guests' eyes bulge in amazement.
+
+Pearl's apartment was a total loss. Big Boy had completely wrecked it
+with Harry, who had come out of his stupor long enough to put up a
+savage fight, all the participants of the party that could make a
+get-away had done so, except those that were too drunk to realize that
+this might mean a jail sentence. Evelyn had taken Pearl into the
+bathroom, with the help of Mickey, and they were trying to revive her.
+
+"I'm afraid he's killed her, Mickey," said Evelyn excitedly, as she
+patted cool water on Pearl's head, and wiped the blood off her face.
+
+"Oh, Jees, I hope not--let's keep working with her--maybe we can bring
+her around--if somebody don't stop him, he is sure to kill Harry."
+
+"I wonder what that is?" asked Evelyn, as the screams in the other room
+became louder, then died down.
+
+"Oh, God, he might have killed Harry. If he has, we are all sure in for
+it."
+
+"Open that door, in the name of the Law," came a voice from the outside.
+
+Evelyn rose to her feet, and unlocked the door, swinging it wide open,
+as one of the plain clothes men stepped in.
+
+"What's the matter in here?"
+
+"That louse has damn near killed this girl,--we can't bring her to,"
+said Evelyn.
+
+"All right, we'll get her to the emergency hospital quick," as he called
+two of the other men to take charge of Pearl. "You two girls better come
+with us."
+
+"Where?" asked Mickey.
+
+"Police station, sister--you've been there before."
+
+"Well, that's all right by us--we don't mind--we ain't done nothing."
+
+The lobby was in a panic, the ambulance had taken Harry and Pearl to the
+hospital, and the patrol wagon was backed up to the door, partly filled
+with screaming girls, and three officers had over-powered Big Boy, and
+had him in another car.
+
+"You girls get in the wagon with the rest of your sisters," said the
+officer who brought Mickey and Evelyn down.
+
+They arrived at the station, and were booked with disturbing the peace,
+and disorderly conduct.
+
+Big Boy was booked with disturbing the peace, assault and battery with
+intent to kill.
+
+"Can we get out on bail?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Sure," answered the desk sergeant. "Ten bucks."
+
+"I've got mine, have you enough Mickey for yourself?"
+
+"Yes, I have some dough," as she fished some money out of her stocking.
+
+They rushed over to the hospital, where they were told that Pearl was
+resting easy, and there was nothing serious but cuts and bruises, of
+which there were many.
+
+"Ah, gee, kid, I'm sorry," said Evelyn, as she came to the bed where
+Pearl lay bandaged, "How do you feel?"
+
+"Awful, honey--how is Harry? They haven't told me yet. Will you find out
+for me?"
+
+"Sure, I'll find out for you. Mickey you stay here until I come back."
+
+"That guy's a dirty louse to beat you up this way, but don't you worry,
+dear, you will be all right. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've
+been to the hospital for some guy finding out I went through his
+pockets."
+
+"Oh, this is an awful mess. Mickey, what did they do to you and Ev?"
+
+"Took us to the station, and we got out on bail--ten bucks apiece."
+
+"Oh, here comes Ev."
+
+"Well, honey, you needn't worry," said Evelyn, as she sat down on the
+side of the bed, "Harry is only beat up, but nothing serious, just cuts
+and bruises and a couple of black eyes."
+
+"Ev, dear, I want you to go over to the hotel, and pack all my things
+and take them to your place and keep them until I get out of here--will
+you do that for me?"
+
+"Sure, honey, and anything else you want me to do."
+
+"Miss Jones, pardon me," said the nurse, as she came over to the bed,
+"there is a gentleman to see you--he didn't give any name, just said say
+Big Boy."
+
+"Don't let him in here, oh, please--don't let him in here--I'm afraid of
+him," said Pearl, nearly crying.
+
+"I'll go and talk to him," said Evelyn, as she rose from the bed, "I'll
+tell that yellow bastard something."
+
+Evelyn followed the nurse out to where Big Boy was sitting.
+
+"Well, how did you get out so soon?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"I'm out on bail--twenty-five hundred--I want to see her--I'm crazy, but
+I've got to see her," said Big Boy nervously.
+
+"I'm sorry," said the nurse, "but you can't see her," as she walked
+away.
+
+"Why can't I see her, Evelyn?"
+
+"Ain't you funny? You don't think she would see you after the way you
+beat her up--you must be nuts."
+
+"Oh--Ev--I've got to see her."
+
+"Well, this is one thing you won't be able to explain away, or buy away.
+She is through with you and you ought to know it. Why make her suffer
+more by coming here to see her? You know she is scared to death of you?"
+
+"Ah, Ev--I can't live without her."
+
+"I'm afraid you will die young then--you think that because you have
+money, you can beat up who you please, and then give them a present and
+that it is all over. Grow up--don't be like that--you know she is only a
+kid, and new to this racket, and then you pull something like that."
+
+"Well, I'll tell you this much, and you can tell her for me. If I can't
+have her, no other son-of-a-bitch will get her. I'll kill her first--do
+you get me?" his mouth trembling in rage.
+
+"Listen, you ain't scaring me, Big Boy--I know your money will get you
+out of this scrape, but you wouldn't pull anything like that. Your money
+wouldn't get you out of that, and what's more, you better lay off
+her--I'm telling you that for myself."
+
+"Ah, Ev, can't you see I'm nearly crazy for having treated her like I
+did. Do you think you can talk her into seeing me? Won't you try?"
+
+"Well, I'll think about it--but don't come here any more, you only scare
+her, and you won't get to see her. I'll see you later," as she started
+to go back to where Pearl was.
+
+"What did he say, Ev?" asked Pearl, anxiously, as Evelyn sat down.
+
+"Oh, nothing, honey--he wanted to see you. He had calmed down and you
+won't have nothing more to worry about, so you just rest and get well."
+
+"I'm afraid you ladies will have to go now," said the nurse, as she
+came to the foot of the bed.
+
+"I'll be up later and see if I can do anything," said Evelyn, as she and
+Mickey rose to go.
+
+"Come back as soon as they will let you," said Pearl.
+
+"All right, honey, we'll go and move your things now, and then we will
+be back later. Now, don't you worry, honey, you just rest--good-bye," as
+they left the room.
+
+"What did he have to say, Ev?" as they reached the street.
+
+"Well, it ain't so much what he said, but it's the way he said it. I'm
+afraid he might kill her if he gets hold of her again. Of course, he is
+sorry and all that now, but the next time he gets mad at her, or catches
+her with somebody else, he will kill her as sure as there is a Heaven.
+He said if he couldn't have her, no one else could, and you know him,
+Mickey, he means business."
+
+"You're right there, Ev, that guy means business. Well, he can't get at
+her there in the hospital."
+
+"I'm not afraid of him doing anything to her there--he wants to make up
+with her now--it's when he gets mad at her again that I'm afraid of, but
+I'm pretty sure she is off him now for good."
+
+"Yeah--and it's a shame. If she could only have cared for that guy, even
+a little bit, she would have been sitting pretty, but love is blind, so
+they claim, so she falls for Harry, and he also gets the Hell beat out
+of him. Well, it sure was some fight."
+
+A week passed, rather uneventful--the Mexican trouble was settled and
+the border opened again. Evelyn spent as much time as possible with
+Pearl, accompanied by Mickey. Harry had already left the hospital, and
+Pearl would be out in a few days. The rest had done her good, and she
+gained weight in those few days.
+
+"Has Harry been to see you today?" asked Evelyn.
+
+"Sure, he was over to see me this morning. He looks as good as ever, and
+he is so sweet. The nurse told me I could leave here in the
+morning--ain't that good news?"
+
+"I'm sure glad, but what are you going to do about Big Boy? You don't
+know it, but he has damn near driven me crazy--he is wild to see you--he
+knows Harry has been up here whenever he wants to come, and he is wild
+with jealousy."
+
+"Well, it's up to me to stay out of his way. He knows where you live,
+and he can come up there any time he wants to, so I'll have to stay in a
+hotel so he can't come up. Won't you move in with me for a while, Ev?"
+
+"Sure, kid, I'll move in with you for a while. I know how you feel and
+I'm kinda tired of that apartment, anyhow. Let's move to the McCoy, what
+do you say? I think you'll like it."
+
+"All right, Ev, you go pick out the room, so I will have some place to
+go to in the morning."
+
+"I'll go now, and do that before I go over on the other side of the
+river. Good-bye, honey, I'll see you in the morning," as she rose to go.
+
+Pearl left the hospital, and went to the hotel, where she found Evelyn
+in bed.
+
+"I didn't expect you to be out so soon, or I would have been down to
+meet you," said Evelyn, as she raised up in the bed.
+
+"I didn't know myself, but it's grand to be out again and walk
+around--how is Juarez?"
+
+"Just the same--I had a pretty good night last night. Mickey picked a
+live guy for me, and I got a hundred and ten bucks off him--that is,
+Mickey put her hand in his pocket and took it out and give it to me. She
+said I had earned the money by being with him. You know Mickey, and I
+just couldn't refuse--money is money."
+
+"See anything of Big Boy?"
+
+"I was coming to that--I,--well, you will have to be awful careful,
+honey--that guy is on a drunk, and he is bad--he told me last night that
+the first time he sees you he is going to shoot you. I don't think he
+was kidding, either--he means business. Then again he might just be
+bragging, because he was so drunk--but just the same, don't you think it
+would be best to kinda keep out of sight for a few days?"
+
+"Ah, gee, Ev, I wanted to go over tonight--couldn't we go some place
+that he wouldn't think to go, and that way we wouldn't be likely to run
+into him. You must know of some place over there we can go and drink and
+have a good time?"
+
+"Sure, I know the very place, and I don't think you have ever been
+there. It's one of the places that Grace Valdez owns--you remember the
+old girl I introduced you to--the one who owns the Gold Palace. Well,
+this is her best money-making place, so she says. It is a regular
+cabaret and bar, with about thirty or forty girls working there, and
+they have rooms upstairs--but lots of people go there--sure, we will go
+over there tonight--what do you say?"
+
+"That's fine--I'm just raring to go on a good one tonight--how about
+you?"
+
+"I could start right now, as far as I'm concerned."
+
+"I'll tell you what let's do--you get up, and let's go shopping. I need
+some new things, anyhow--will you come?"
+
+"Sure," answered Evelyn, as she climbed out of bed.
+
+They spent the day shopping, and went to a show, then began to dress for
+the night over the border. As they were leaving the hotel they ran into
+Mickey.
+
+"Well, it sure is good to see you out and around again Pearl--we sure
+have missed you."
+
+"That's nice of you, Mickey."
+
+"Hey, look Mickey," said Evelyn. "We're going to the popular bar
+tonight--you know, the one up that side street, off the Sixteenth of
+September Street there--you know where it is, don't you?"
+
+"Sure, I know where that joint is--that's a good idea--keep out of sight
+of the Big Boy, especially till that louse gets over these fits of
+jealousy."
+
+This was too late--Big Boy was standing across the street watching the
+three as they were talking about him, eyes almost closed, watching Pearl
+as a snake watches a bird.
+
+As they moved down the street to catch the car for Juarez, Big Boy
+followed. He boarded the car with them, but stayed in the back, with
+his hat well over his face.
+
+The night was beginning as they unloaded in Juarez.
+
+"Oh, Jees----" said Evelyn, "don't look, but there is Big Boy just
+getting off the rear of the car--let's disappear pronto." They ran up
+the block and into the darkness.
+
+"Do you think he will suspect where we are going?" asked Pearl.
+
+"I don't think so. He will probably figure you will make right for
+Harry, and that's where he will go, and wait for you," reasoned Mickey
+as they made their way on up the dimly lighted street to the Popular
+Bar.
+
+As they neared the Popular sounds of a tinkling piano and drums, mixed
+with laughing and singing, came to them. The place was crowded with men
+who had not only come over for their satisfaction of liquor, but to
+satisfy their baser lusts as well--and this was the perfect place of
+satisfaction of this sort. The girls were in short dresses, heavily made
+up, with cheap rouge and powder--they mixed with the men, hugging and
+kissing whomever put their arms around them, thinking only of the two
+dollars that could be made upstairs.
+
+"Jees, what a joint," exclaimed Pearl.
+
+"You said it," answered Evelyn.
+
+"Yeah--but you got a chance of making some real money in this
+place--when these guys are hugging any broad in the place you can always
+get your hand in the pocket and he never knows just who to blame," said
+Mickey as she looked the place over for a prospect.
+
+"Well, we might as well get to the bar and start sipping some of that
+joy water, don't you think?" suggested Evelyn.
+
+"Let's get at it," as they shoved their way through the crowd.
+
+"This place does the best business in town--at least it looks that way,"
+said Pearl.
+
+"Well, they can get rougher and noisier, and just anything goes, and
+this is some tough mob in here right now."
+
+"Where did Mickey go?" asked Pearl.
+
+"Heaven only knows, but she must have smelled a pocketbook--anyway, she
+will show up in a minute--whiskey for me--what will you have, honey?"
+
+"Whiskey."
+
+The music started in the cabaret, the crowd shoved its way onto the
+dance floor, leaving the bar partly empty. Big Boy stepped through the
+swinging doors.
+
+"Oh, God," whispered Pearl, "Big Boy."
+
+There was no place to run, no time, nothing to do but wait as Big Boy
+drew a service automatic from his pocket, leveled it at Pearl, pulled
+the trigger six times. Evelyn had stepped in front of Pearl, taking the
+six bullets--she sank to the floor, everything was silent--Pearl dropped
+to her knees, lifting Evelyn's head.
+
+"Oh, Ev, why did you do it--why did you do it?" she cried in anguish.
+
+The crowd had fought and shoved its way back into the bar. Mickey knelt
+beside Pearl.
+
+Evelyn slowly opened her eyes. "Don't cry, kid, its best this way--you
+still have a chance--Mickey, promise you will--" slowly her words came,
+then a faint shudder, and her head fell forward. Evelyn was no more.
+There is nothing greater than to give one's life for that of a friend.
+Evelyn had made the Great Gesture.
+
+A shot was heard outside. People ran out to see what it was. Pearl and
+Mickey looked at each other.
+
+"It's the guy that done this," said a man. "One shot was all he needed
+to finish him, right through the heart."
+
+Six weeks since Evelyn had been buried. Pearl had not been in Juarez
+since that night. Harry had called up several times, but she had only
+seen him once, and tonight the desire to see him was so great she called
+up Mickey and made a date with her to meet on the Mexican side and see
+Harry. It wouldn't be the same without Evelyn, but she still had Harry
+and he could always be depended on--he loved her--she knew that.
+
+"Hello, darling," said Mickey as she put her arms around Pearl. "You
+look a little peaked; let's have a little drink and then we will go in
+and see the floor show."
+
+"All right," said Pearl, as she turned to the bar.
+
+They had their drinks and found a table where they could see Harry and
+the show. Pearl was happy for the first time in weeks. She loved Harry
+dearly; with him she could start all over and face life on a different
+plane. He saw her and waved, and soon he come over to them.
+
+"Well, it's been some time since I've seen you--how are you?" said Harry
+as he leaned over the table.
+
+"Fine, Harry, and you look wonderful."
+
+"Listen, darling, you will have to excuse me tonight--I won't be able to
+see you after the show. I've got an engagement, about some business,
+but I'll give you a ring in a day or so," as he left the table.
+
+Pearl looked at Mickey--Mickey looked at her glass as she laid her hand
+over Pearl's.
+
+"Forget it, kid, he's not worth it--have another drink and let's get out
+of here."
+
+Pearl couldn't speak. The thing she depended on had been suddenly swept
+away from her. She wanted to cry--she couldn't. She wanted to
+scream--she couldn't do that. She was too numb to even think much.
+Harry, who she had loved, and whom she thought loved her, had given her
+the cold freeze-out. She drank her whiskey--it did no good--water would
+have had the same effect now--nothing really mattered. She and Mickey
+wandered from bar to bar until closing time of the bridge.
+
+"Do you want to come out to my place tonight, Pearl, honey? You are
+always welcome," asked Mickey.
+
+"I guess so," answered Pearl, "but let's go to the State's Cafe before
+we go home--I want a sandwich."
+
+"Do you think it's best to go to the States, dear?"
+
+"Sure, I'll be all right."
+
+"Let's go."
+
+They arrived at the States at the height of the merriment. The last of
+the crowd had gathered there before going home with each other. Pearl
+and Mickey came in. As they sat down, across the aisle sat Harry and a
+little blonde who had just come to town. He looked over to their table,
+smiled and waved, and went on with his talk to his partner.
+
+Pearl began to laugh--not a hysterical laugh, but one filled with mirth.
+"Who in this Goddam joint has a drink," she called as she rose from the
+table. Several men rushed to her aid with open bottles; she took a drink
+from them all, and so did Mickey. She was gay, nothing mattered
+now--have as much fun as possible. Ribald songs were sung by her and the
+best of dirty stories came to her mind. The crowd was so entertained it
+wouldn't leave.
+
+"Do you want to invite them all out to the house?" whispered Mickey.
+
+"Sure," answered Pearl. "Listen, gang--get all your cars, and let's get
+going for a hell of a good time out to Mickey's," as she jumped off the
+table into the arms of the nearest man.
+
+"Pearl, can't I see you for a minute?" asked Harry as he pushed his way
+to her.
+
+"You have a business date to keep--now, brother, you keep it. I fell for
+that line once, but never again--Adios, Senor," as she went out the door
+in the arms of the man for the night.
+
+
+END
+
+
+[Transcriber's Note:
+
+List of changes to original text:
+
+  Page 1: changed "tthe word" to "the word"
+  Page 6: changed "Evevlyn" to "Evelyn"
+  Page 7: changed "youv'e" to "you've"
+  Page 8: changed "waived Ev" to "waved Ev"
+  Page 10: changed "yesterdady afternoon" to "yesterday afternoon"
+  Page 17: added closing quotation mark after "a good time."
+  Page 22: changed "acount" to "account"
+  Page 23: changed "raucus" to "raucous"
+  Page 30: changed "Cant'" to "Can't"
+  Page 30: changed "couldnt'" to "couldn't"
+  Page 32: changed "Adois" to "Adios"
+  Page 39: added closing quotation mark after "a little revolution."
+  Page 43: changed "waived" to "waved"
+  Page 45: changed "or tortillas" to "of tortillas"
+  Page 46: changed "croner" to "corner"
+  Page 51: changed "Rio Brava" to "Rio Bravo"
+  Page 60: removed extra quotation mark:
+           "Well," what's that got to do with us?"
+  Page 61: added "know" to "don't Negro Noche."
+  Page 80: added closing quotation mark after "won't get in jail."
+  Page 81: Added quotation mark:
+           "Well, suppose they start looking
+  Page 102: changed "Fod" to "For"
+  Page 102: added closing parantheses after "this pan of mine)"
+  Page 116: moved quotation mark from "his things." to "Next time"
+  Page 117: removed extra quotation mark after "as soon as she came in."
+  Page 119: changed "she went out the door" to "he went out the door"
+  Page 130: removed duplicate word in "he cannot cannot be responsible"
+  Page 145: removed extra quotation mark after "started into the lobby."
+  Page 147: changed "out of Pearl's head" to "out of Pearl's hand"
+  Page 149: added closing quotation mark after "it's just grand."
+  Page 149: changed "putting on the Ritz," to "putting on the Ritz."
+  Page 150: changed "Eve" to "Ev"
+  Page 154: Added quotation mark:
+            "Negro Noche wasn't even arrested--the
+  Page 156: changed "come n" to "come in"
+  Page 156: changed full stop to comma in:
+            across the border." said Evelyn.
+  Page 159: changed "marreid" to "married"
+  Page 159: changed "quitely" to "quietly"
+  Page 160: Corrected quotation marks:
+            "Hey, you two," as she shook them. "Come on--come
+  Page 161: changed "Cemetary" to "Cemetery"
+  Page 161: Added quotation mark:
+            sat down beside her. "I'll call
+  Page 162: Added comma and quotation mark:
+            this time," asked one of the officials.
+  Page 163: changed "They way they" to "The way they"
+  Page 165: removed duplicate word in "over the the phone"
+  Page 166: removed duplicate word in "fight for one one side"
+  Page 167: added comma to "Come on, here's where"
+  Page 169: changed "Lets'" to "Let's"
+  Page 169: changed "cemetary" to "cemetery" in two places
+  Page 170: changed "cemetary" to "cemetery"
+  Page 171: Added quotation mark:
+            "We tried to get a taxi
+  Page 174: Added quotation mark:
+            shot anyone she found with him."
+  Page 175: changed "Rio Brava" to "Rio Bravo"
+  Page 180: changed "found it's mark." to "found its mark."
+  Page 181: Added comma and quotation mark:
+            those 75's," commanded the General
+  Page 182: Added quotation mark:
+            "At your command, I have come, Senor," said
+  Page 183: removed duplicate word in "What do you say say if"
+  Page 187: changed "thats" to "that's"
+  Page 187: changed "waiving" to "waving"
+  Page 187: Added quotation mark:
+            officers. "You can't cross that river."
+  Page 190: changed "dont'" to "don't"
+  Page 190: removed duplicate word in "I don't know know, but"
+  Page 198: Added quotation mark:
+            don't you call me again," as he
+  Page 199: changed "Lietenant" to "Lieutenant"
+  Page 202: Added quotation mark:
+            Evelyn turned over and opened her eyes. "What's
+  Page 203: Removed extra quotation mark after:
+            revolution, Mickey?" asked Evelyn."
+  Page 203: changed apostrophe to quotation mark:
+            "Sure, did you?'
+  Page 205: added comma to "those that haven't got a dime, but"
+  Page 206: changed "it's being on the" to "its being on the"
+  Page 208: Removed extra quotation mark in:
+            "Sure, darling," I'll go any place
+  Page 209: Added quotation mark:
+            "Sure," answered Pearl.
+  Page 209: changed "good bye" to "good-bye"
+  Page 211: changed "all it's flamboyancy" to "all its flamboyancy"
+  Page 216: changed "distrubing" to "disturbing" in two places
+  Page 224: changed "cant'" to "can't"
+  Page 224: changed "Wont'" to "Won't"
+  Page 225: changed "give to to me" to "give it to me"
+  Page 226: added "be" to "it would be best"
+  Page 227: Moved quotation mark:
+            "Sure," answered Evelyn,
+  Page 232: Added quotation mark:
+            whispered Pearl, "Big Boy."
+  Page 233: Added comma:
+            that done this," said a man.
+  Page 212: Added full stop:
+            started for the elevator.]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Hookers, by Richard F. Mann and Rae Bourbon
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