King Cole by W.R. Burnett

you.”
    Kitten stamped her foot.
    “I thought you’d take me. I want to go with you.”
    Read was pleased.
    “Well,” he said, hesitating a little, “come on.” They went out into the hallway. Read held her coat for her. “It’s funny,” she said, laughing; “the Governor helping me on with my coat.”
    Gregg pulled away from Ina, who was drunk and amorous and entirely oblivious of Read now, and came out into the hallway.
    “Going, Read?”
    “It’s nearly three. Do you keep this up all the time?”
    “Well, I don’t know,” said Gregg, staring at them foggily. “To tell you the truth, all days and all nights are getting to be pretty much the same to me. Read, don’t take that girl with you. You’re tight. I can tell it.”
    “He’s going to take me home,” said Kitten, sharply.
    “Don’t worry, Kitten,” said Gregg. “Stick around. I’ll get you home. The Governor don’t want you tagging along. I’ll bet you live to hell and gone.”
    “I don’t live six blocks from the Governor’s Mansion; north of Long Street.”
    “Oh, over in the black belt. Is there a nigger in your woodpile, honey?”
    “You shut up. I didn’t want to come up here, but you made me. You thought it was a swell joke; I wasn’t good enough for that bunch of drunks in there. Just look at ’em.” She turned and smiled at Read. “But I’m glad I came.”
    “Oh,” said Gregg, “I get it. Read, for God’s sake, have some sense. Don’t let that little slicker tie on to you.”
    Read flushed slightly.
    “I know my own business. Anyway, you brought her up here. You didn’t show any too much sense. I think it’s up to me to see that she gets home.”
    “Put her in a taxi. When I waved a ten-dollar bill in her face she began to listen to reason. That will give you a rough idea.”
    “Go ahead,” said the girl, heatedly. “Insult me. But I’m a lot better than you are; you and your frowzy old women.”
    Read put his hand on her arm.
    “Not so loud. You don’t want them to hear you in there. They didn’t do anything to you. Do you want to hurt their feelings?”
    She turned and looked up at Read docilely.
    “No, I don’t. But he oughtn’t to talk that way to me. If I can use ten dollars, that’s none of his business, and it’s not my fault. We can’t all be rich.”
    “What a line!” said Gregg, snorting with disgust. Then he studied Read’s face. “And he’s just drunk enough to fall for it.”
    Read took the girl by the arm.
    “Goodnight, Gregg. Nice party.”
    “Don’t be an ass, Read. There’s an election in a few days. Suppose that wild Irishman that drives your car would climb a pole. Wouldn’t you like to see the headlines in the Independent?”
    Read laughed. He was feeling perverse now.
    “I might get the women’s vote.”
    “Well, I’d think you would,” said Kitten. “A good-looking guy like you.”
    Gregg groaned.
    “Goodnight!” he cried. Then he turned and walked back into the living-room.
    Read and Kitten went out and took the automatic elevator. The lobby was dark and deserted; they saw the night clerk dozing in a little room behind the office. When Read opened the big front door, Kitten gasped and drew back. The wind was blowing hard and it was very cold. The sky had been swept clean of all clouds; the stars glittered brilliantly and coldly in the soft black night.
    “Oh, I can hardly get my breath.”
    Barney was sleeping, huddled up against the steering wheel. Read woke him.
    “Excuse me, Governor. I…” Then he saw the girl. His mouth dropped open; he recovered, and got out to open the door.
    “Gee, what a nice car,” said Kitten.
    “What’s your address?” Read asked, not looking at Barney.
    “Four-o-five North Wilton.”
    They got in. Barney closed the door, looking at the girl out of the corner of his eye.
    When Barney drove off, the girl got up very close to Read and said:
    “Just like a dream. There I was, tired as I could be,