Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, Erica Altschul and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (at https://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Randy A. Riddle. [Transcriber's Note: Suspected printing errors in the original text have been changed. A complete list is included at the end of this e-book. Instances of inconsistent hyphenation have been left in place.] Hookers By _Richard F. Mann_ PRINTED & BOUND IN U. S. A. TO EVELYN COPYRIGHT 1932 RAE BOURBON ALL RIGHTS AND TRANSLATIONS RESERVED PUBLISHED BY HOUSE OF BOURBON PHILADELPHIA "FOREWORD" In writing this preface, it seems that I have followed the old Mexican custom of "Manana," and waited until the book was finished, before writing it, then I discovered that it was a necessity. The characters in this story are real, live, and living people, and most of them are still in the fair city of Juarez, plying the oldest trade in the world, and were known personally by the Author, who studied them for several months in pop-eyed amazement. All of the incidents in this story actually happened, and are taken right from the bare facts of life; in fact, the Author has had to tone down some of the descriptions of the parties herein mentioned. The Author has not meant to be vicious in his statements of either country, but has merely stated conditions as they were found. THE AUTHOR. "You lousy bastard, don't you ever set foot in this room again. You sure got nerve--accusing me of holding out on you--you know damn well that guy never paid me a cent." "Well, Pearl, how was I to know? He came down into the street, and said that he gave you two bucks." "As long as you've been a Pimp, you should fall for that stuff--Screw--get out of my sight." "O. K. Baby, but remember that if you ever need 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 all I done is turn Two Dollar tricks, and split with you, and for what? You ain't never brought me one 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 Police of 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 Pearl Jones 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 short a time as possible, and without bother from the police if--possible, which is not POSSIBLE, even in a border town like El Paso, as Pearl had already found out.