Suspected printing errors in the original text have been changed. Acomplete list is included at the end of this e-book.
Instances of inconsistent hyphenation have been left in place.
PRINTED & BOUND IN U. S. A.
TO
EVELYN
Copyright
1932
RAE BOURBON
All Rights and Translations Reserved
PUBLISHED
BY
HOUSE OF BOURBON
PHILADELPHIA
In writing this preface, it seems that I havefollowed the old Mexican custom of "Manana,"and waited until the book was finished, beforewriting it, then I discovered that it was anecessity.
The characters in this story are real, live, andliving people, and most of them are still in the faircity of Juarez, plying the oldest trade in theworld, and were known personally by theAuthor, who studied them for several months inpop-eyed amazement.
All of the incidents in this story actually happened,and are taken right from the bare facts oflife; in fact, the Author has had to tone downsome of the descriptions of the parties hereinmentioned.
The Author has not meant to be vicious in hisstatements of either country, but has merelystated conditions as they were found.
The Author.
[Pg 1]"You lousy bastard, don't you ever set foot inthis room again. You sure got nerve—accusingme of holding out on you—you know damn wellthat guy never paid me a cent."
"Well, Pearl, how was I to know? He camedown into the street, and said that he gave youtwo bucks."
"As long as you've been a Pimp, you shouldfall for that stuff—Screw—get out of my sight."
"O. K. Baby, but remember that if you everneed me, all you gotta do is just say the word.You know I'm all for you."
"Nuts—I've been in this burg a week, and allI done is turn Two Dollar tricks, and split withyou, and for what? You ain't never brought meone dime, but you sure ain't missed any meals.I don't need you or any other guy from now on.I got my permit today from the Chief of Policeof Juarez, to hustle all I want on the Mex side,and I'm doing it, starting tonight."
One week had passed since the person of PearlJones had stepped off the west-bound Texas &Pacific train in El Paso, with one thought in mind,and that to make as much money as possible in as[Pg 2]short a time as possible, and without bother fromthe police if—possible, which is not POSSIBLE,even in a border town like El Paso, as Pearl hadalready found out.
In order for Pearl to hustle on the Mexicanside of the border in the City of Juarez, it wasabsolutely necessary that she have a written permitfrom the Chief of Police, or any official whomshe happened to please in the usual way that agirl of her ilk had to please one, when there wasn'tenough money in the pocket to buy the permit.Consequently, Pearl found out later she couldhave had a permit from the most lowly Immigrationofficial to the Mayor himself, but in the midstof her efforts to please, the Chief of Police seemedto be the one who was affected quickest in herefforts to—please—. Hence the permit.
Juarez, Mexico, chief port of entry to Mexico,population of forty thousand souls, mostly lostones, separated from the United States by theRio Grande River, if it may have the luck to becalled a river, which at no time is deep e