down the stairs because she refused to take a United Cigar Store's coupon
for a dollar.
Slim was a curious fellow.
I remember him when he was a gay,
happy-go-Iucky-seaman.
He changed entirely ever since he returned from
a round-the-world cruise and found his wife pumped full.
How he hated
women! The cruelties to which he subjected the Hamburg prostitutes are
beyond description.
At times when I looked dose at Slim's colorless eyes set deep into
his protruding forehead; when I watched him rapping nervously on the
table with his lcng tobacco-stained finger,;, I thought he was mad.
Of course, not one :)f us approved of Slim's deeds.
We didn't say
anything because it would have resulted in a bloody fight.
Only Hans,
who entered the room unobserved, smacked his lips and shook his h~ad
disapprovingly:
"It's a mean trick to do, Slim," he said quietly, "it's a lousy trick."
Slim looked ferociously at him with his colorless eyes. We thought
there would be a massacre.
But not even the half-crazed Slim would
think of harming the little fLl/:ny German.
"All right, ShGrty," he said after an awkward moment of silcnce,
"all right. It's Ilone of your business and don't butt in
011
such things, or
I'll teli LizzIe on you.
Wie .qelzt's
otherwise?"
"Fery gut, Slim. And how's things vit you? H af you gct a job
already?"
J could see that Slim was amused.
"Go on, Shorty," he said, "don't kid me. What do I want a job
for? There is plenty of whores in Hamburg, right? Well, I've decided
to go in for pimpin'.
More money in that."
"It's a bad pizzness, Slim. And everybody has no more money these
days."
Slim was now cn his favorite topic:
"Is that so," he shouted, banging on the table with his tobacco-
stained fingers, "is that so! Just listen to the little Dutchman.
Just
listen to him. You think if the Huns are broke the whole world is broke.
How about the United States, Heiny? You think I am goin' to run a
whorehouse for lousy Dutchmen? No sir, it's goin' to be for American
tourists and sailors exclusively."
"Zo-o," replied Hans, his narrow brown eyes
"zo," he said, "you, think. it is gut in America ....
another bik bank in New York going zum teufel?
H ere, you vont to read
"
He took out from his hip pocket a Paris edition of the New York
twinkling ironically,
Haf you read about
Haf you read, eh?
22
PARTISAN REVIEW
