"They usually end in the G.o.dd.a.m.nest 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.
"h.e.l.lo, 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 h.e.l.l."
"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," t.i.ttered 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 b.u.t.ting in, cause I ain"t, but think about it, will you?"
The Rio Bravo Hotel, on the Sixteenth of September Street, is the Cla.s.s 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."