Part 3 (1/2)
”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--d.a.m.n--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 s.a.d.i.s.t.”
”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 G.o.d, 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, h.e.l.los and greetings were very much in order, loud, noisy, raucous, but good natured was the dirty banter that pa.s.sed 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 Was.h.i.+ngton Park--it is beautiful at night.”
”Well, if I were you,” said Evelyn, ”I'd go to Was.h.i.+ngton Park. At least, there's gra.s.s on the ground around there.”
”Well, why isn't there gra.s.s 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 gra.s.s 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 h.e.l.l didn't you say something before--good Heavens, it's been a long time between drinks--bottoms up.”
Screaming, gla.s.ses cras.h.i.+ng, curses, tearing of clothes, yells, biting, pulling of hair, turning over of tables, running of people, came from the rear of the place.