AN
INSIDE STORY
269
silks
and his suits were radiant, self-evident things like diamonds.
"They killed
this
place when I went away," he continued. It
was a slow and empty Monday evening. "I had a great personal
following here. The women used to come here in droves. And you
see the way it is now. But I will build it up again."
Two well-dressed women who looked like unhappy wives came
in
and sat at a table near the juke box and in the lurid light of the
juke box, they looked bored and disappointed forever.
"Now I am going to have two quick ones," said Gabriel to
Tobias, "and then I am going over there and impress those dames."
A tall plump girl came in and sat down on a bar stool. She
wore a tight red dress which declared her plumpness and her round–
ness. It was clear that she was drunk and
it
was soon clear that
she was angry. The customer at the table near the bar called out
and asked her if he could buy her a drink.
"I don't want anyone to buy me a drink," she said without
turning to look at the generous customer, speaking to Gabriel who
had just returned to the bar. "A fellow bought me a drink, he
bought me two drinks, and then he says let's go sit in the park. I
meet this ensign at the checkroom in the Ritz where I work and
he says, Let me buy you a drink and take you to dinner, so we go
to have dinner, and we have another drink, and then he says, Let's
go
sit in the park: imagine that! Two drinks and he wants to sit
in
the park. Not me, brother, I said to
him,
I don't like that. You
picked the wrong customer this time. We were just on the comer
near the cabstand, so I said to him, Sorry, wrong number, and I
stepped right into the taxi and drove off, leaving him there with
his
thoughts."
"All he wanted was to be friendly," said Tobias, unable to
think
of anything else to say.
"Friendly!" said the girl. "He wanted to be
too
friendly. I
could see the look in his face."
"What do you want these guys to
be,
nuns?" said Gabriel.
'''They're fighting for their country and they're lonesome. Be reason–
able, Emma, or at least be polite.
If
you don't want to play house,
then don't let the guy buy you dinner."
"Listen," said Emma, rocking slightly, "the cab driver said
I was a deadhead when I told him. But I was hurt once and I don't
