stable buck the eye. I don't know what the hell she wants."
George asked casually, "Been any trouble since she got here?"
It was obvious that Whit was not interested in his cards. He laid his hand down and George scooped it in. George laid out his deliberate solitaire handseven cards, and six on top, and five on top of those.
Whit said, "I see what you mean. No, they ain't been nothing yet.
Curley's got yella-jackets in his drawers, but that's all so far. Ever'
time the guys is around she shows up. She's lookin' for Curley, or she thought she lef' sotnethin' layin' around and she's lookin' for it. Seems like she can't keep away from guys. An' Curley's pants is just crawlin' with ants, but they ain't nothing come of it yet."
George said, "She's gonna make a mess. They's gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her."
Whit said, "If you got idears, you ought to come in town with us guys tomorra night."
"Why? What's doin'?"
"Jus' the usual thing. We go in to old Susy's place. Hell of a nice place. Old Susy's a laugh always crackin' jokes. Like she says when we come up on the front porch las' Sat'day night. Susy opens the door and then she yells over her shoulder, 'Get yor coats on, girls, here comes the sheriff.' She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there."
"What's it set you back?" George asked.
"Two an' a half. You can get a shot for two hits. Susy got nice chairs to set in, too. If a guy don't want a flop, why he can just set in the chairs and have a couple or three shots and pass the time of day and Susy don't give a damn. She ain't rushin' guys through and kickin' 'em out if they don't want a flop."
"Might go in and look the joint over," said George.
"Sure. Come along. It's a hell of a lot of fun-her crackin' jokes all the time. Like she says one time, she says, 'I've knew people that if they got a rag rug on the floor an' a kewpie doll lamp on the phonograph they think they're running a parlor house.'
That's Clara's house she's talkin' about. An' Susy says, 'I know what you boys want; she says. 'My girls is clean,' she says, 'an'
there ain't no water in my whisky,' she says. 'If any you guys wanta look at a kewpie doll lamp an' take your own chance gettin'
burned, why you know where to go.' An' she says, 'There's guys around here walkin' bow-legged 'cause they like to look at a kewpie doll lamp."'
George asked, "Clara runs the other house, huh?"
"Yeah," said Whit. "We don't never go there. Clara gets three bucks a crack and thirty-five cents a shot, and she don't crack no jokes. But Susy's place is clean and she got nice chairs. Don't let no googoos in, neither."
"Me an' Lennie's rollin' up a stake," said George. "I might go in an' set and have a shot, but I ain't puffin' out no two and a half."
"Well, a guy got to have some fun sometime," said Whit.
The door opened and Lennie and Carlson came in together.
Lennie crept to his bunk and sat down, trying not to attract attention. Carlson reached under his bunk and brought out his bag. He didn't look at old Candy, who still faced the wall. Carlson found a little cleaning rod in the bag and a can of oil. He laid them on his bed and then brought out the pistol, took out the magazine and snapped the loaded shell from the chamber. Then he fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod. When the ejector snapped, Candy turned over and looked for a moment at the gun before he turned back to the wall again.
Carlson said casually, "Curley been in yet?"
"No," said Whit. "What's eatin' on Curley?"
Carlson squinted down the barrel of his gun. "Lookin' for his old lady. I seen him going round and round outside."
Whit said sarcastically, "He spends half his time lookin' for her, and the rest of the time she's lookin' for him."
Curley burst into the room excitedly. "Any you guys seen my
George asked casually, "Been any trouble since she got here?"
It was obvious that Whit was not interested in his cards. He laid his hand down and George scooped it in. George laid out his deliberate solitaire handseven cards, and six on top, and five on top of those.
Whit said, "I see what you mean. No, they ain't been nothing yet.
Curley's got yella-jackets in his drawers, but that's all so far. Ever'
time the guys is around she shows up. She's lookin' for Curley, or she thought she lef' sotnethin' layin' around and she's lookin' for it. Seems like she can't keep away from guys. An' Curley's pants is just crawlin' with ants, but they ain't nothing come of it yet."
George said, "She's gonna make a mess. They's gonna be a bad mess about her. She's a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her."
Whit said, "If you got idears, you ought to come in town with us guys tomorra night."
"Why? What's doin'?"
"Jus' the usual thing. We go in to old Susy's place. Hell of a nice place. Old Susy's a laugh always crackin' jokes. Like she says when we come up on the front porch las' Sat'day night. Susy opens the door and then she yells over her shoulder, 'Get yor coats on, girls, here comes the sheriff.' She never talks dirty, neither. Got five girls there."
"What's it set you back?" George asked.
"Two an' a half. You can get a shot for two hits. Susy got nice chairs to set in, too. If a guy don't want a flop, why he can just set in the chairs and have a couple or three shots and pass the time of day and Susy don't give a damn. She ain't rushin' guys through and kickin' 'em out if they don't want a flop."
"Might go in and look the joint over," said George.
"Sure. Come along. It's a hell of a lot of fun-her crackin' jokes all the time. Like she says one time, she says, 'I've knew people that if they got a rag rug on the floor an' a kewpie doll lamp on the phonograph they think they're running a parlor house.'
That's Clara's house she's talkin' about. An' Susy says, 'I know what you boys want; she says. 'My girls is clean,' she says, 'an'
there ain't no water in my whisky,' she says. 'If any you guys wanta look at a kewpie doll lamp an' take your own chance gettin'
burned, why you know where to go.' An' she says, 'There's guys around here walkin' bow-legged 'cause they like to look at a kewpie doll lamp."'
George asked, "Clara runs the other house, huh?"
"Yeah," said Whit. "We don't never go there. Clara gets three bucks a crack and thirty-five cents a shot, and she don't crack no jokes. But Susy's place is clean and she got nice chairs. Don't let no googoos in, neither."
"Me an' Lennie's rollin' up a stake," said George. "I might go in an' set and have a shot, but I ain't puffin' out no two and a half."
"Well, a guy got to have some fun sometime," said Whit.
The door opened and Lennie and Carlson came in together.
Lennie crept to his bunk and sat down, trying not to attract attention. Carlson reached under his bunk and brought out his bag. He didn't look at old Candy, who still faced the wall. Carlson found a little cleaning rod in the bag and a can of oil. He laid them on his bed and then brought out the pistol, took out the magazine and snapped the loaded shell from the chamber. Then he fell to cleaning the barrel with the little rod. When the ejector snapped, Candy turned over and looked for a moment at the gun before he turned back to the wall again.
Carlson said casually, "Curley been in yet?"
"No," said Whit. "What's eatin' on Curley?"
Carlson squinted down the barrel of his gun. "Lookin' for his old lady. I seen him going round and round outside."
Whit said sarcastically, "He spends half his time lookin' for her, and the rest of the time she's lookin' for him."
Curley burst into the room excitedly. "Any you guys seen my
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