From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [479]
The woman opened the window. “Who is that?”
“Its Milt. Why dont you wash your windows? Come on, get out of the way.”
He stepped from the parapet down across to the window sill and squeezed through. Stark took one more look down at the empty blue bay and then followed him.
They were in a long empty hallway, ending in a big barred metal door. The woman was tall and narrow-faced, of about forty-five or fifty. She wore a beautiful evening gown with a corsage of gardenias at her throat.
“Mrs Kipfer!” Stark said disbelievingly. “Well, shoot me for a Jap.”
“Why, Maylon Stark!” Mrs Kipfer said. “I know this one,” she frowned at Warden. “But I never thought I’d see you coming in the back door.”
Warden laughed uproariously. “Why, Sgt Stark is the hero and savior of the evening, Gert. If it hadnt been for Sgt Stark here and his quick thinking, yours truly might have even got hurt. Who knows? maybe left for dead in one of these rotting Honolulu alleys through which we so elusively eluded the strong arm of the Law and claimed sanctuary in your Church of All Souls.”
“It appears to me you’re hurt anyway.” She stepped closer and inspected his mouth primly, with the efficient reproving air of a trained nurse.
“Oh, Milt! You’ve lost two of your teeth! What a shame. And for what. All for some silly brawl with no purpose but entertainment. When are you going to grow up?”
“I’ll have you know I was defending the cause of chivalry,” Warden grinned at her charmingly. “I was protecting that fairest of all the sexes, the female.” He bowed to her. Warm golden glints in his eyes shone down at her laughingly. “Besides, the Army’ll buy me new ones.”
Mrs Kipfer shook her head hopelessly to Stark. “What are you going to do with one like that?”
“He’s a character, aint he?” Stark said.
“Are you hurt, too, Maylon?”
“No, Maam,” Stark said. “Nothing but this.” He touched a sizeable lump on his cheekbone that was gradually spreading a purple sunset up into the hollow of his eye.
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 w