From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [496]
Mrs Kipfer examined the eye and clucked her tongue.
“Hows your First Aid, Gert?” Warden said. His eyes sparkled at her devilishly. “You think you need a refresher course?”
“I wish you would stop calling me Gert,” Mrs Kipfer said irately. “Its vulgar. To me the name Gertrude always has the connotation of a whore.”
Warden laughed out loud.
“And you know it, Milt Warden. If I didnt know you were being playful, I’d really resent it.”
“I’m sorry, Gert,” Warden grinned at her. “You know quite well I never mean to be vulgar.”
“I know,” Mrs Kipfer said. “And thats the only reason I dont have you thrown out.”
“Noww, Gert,” Warden grinned at her.
“Well, come on,” she said irritably. “You two cant go out front looking like this. You’ll have to wash up, and I have some stray uniforms lying around you can both change into.”
She led them down the hall like a hostess conducting her guests, Warden keeping up a laughing patter all the way.
“I’ve always said you missed your calling, Gert. You should of been a fraternity mother.”
Stark followed them, looking around curiously. It was the first time he had ever been out in back, in the “living quarters.” The bathroom was scented with feminine powders and ointments and bathsalts, and a soap that smelted like gardenias. He was going to enjoy washing up, voluptuously,
“Hey!” he said suddenly. He had his hand in his pocket. “Hey, my money’s gone.”
Warden began to laugh. “Whats the matter. You didnt lose that precious hundred bucks?”
“I cant find it,” Stark said dully.
Warden leaned back against the wall and began to laugh uproariously. Stark was still trying pockets. He tried them all, numbly, even the watch pocket. The folded sheaf of bills was gone.
“Maybe,” Warden said between peals of laughter, “maybe Gert’s got a flashlight so you can hunt all up and down the alley. No, I forgot. Its still daylight, aint it?” He began to laugh again, his head leaned back weakly on the wall, his big hands hanging at his sides.
“Whats this about the alley?” Mrs Kipfer said. She was coming down the hall with an armload of CKCs.
“Oh,” Warden gasped, rolling his head back and forth on the wall and leaving a grease spot, “oh. Oh. This damn fool lost his roll in the fight. He is without doubt the biggest sucker I ever seen in my life. What’d you flash it for? Thats probly why they started the fight in the first place.”
“It was you started the fight,” Stark said dumbly, his hands still working at the pockets.
“Oh, thats right, I did, dint I? Oh,” Warden gasped. “Oh Christ. Oh.”
“I think its unkind of you to laugh, Milt,” Mrs Kipfer said.
“It is,” Warden said. He began to laugh uproariously again.
“How much did you have in your roll, Maylon?” Mrs Kipfer said.
“Hundred and thirteen bucks,” Stark said dully.
“Oh, that is too bad,” she said. “Is there anything I can do?”
“You can loan him a hundred and thirteen bucks,” Warden said, still laughing.
“Naw,” Stark “said. “I couldnt find it anyway.”
“Flashing a roll like that in that joint,” Warden gasped. He burst out laughing uproariously again. “No wonder somebody rolled you. I’ll bet it was Rose! What’ll you bet; I’ll bet it was Rose.”
“Naw,” Stark said. “She was never near me.”
“Oh, Brother!” Warden gasped. He shoved himself away from the wall weakly. “You better re-enlist, Texan.”
“Well, I guess that cooks me,” Stark said. “I’m done. I might as well go home.”
“You could sit out in the waiting room and wait for Milt, I suppose,” Mrs Kipfer said sympathetically. “Of course, its terribly crowded,” she added. “I doubt if you could find a seat.”
“Well, I guess I better get into this uniform,” Stark said dully.
“Wait a minute,” Warden said. “Dont go yet.
“I tell you what,” he said. “Its crowded as hell out front. They’re lined up outside all the way down to the corner. Its worse than Payday when the fleet’s in.”
“Well?” Mrs Kipfer said cautiously.
“I got two hundred and six bucks here,