"Well, for one thing, there's headlines in the papers about the shooting last night, and Tony said the police were down there this morning, and questioned everybody on the place, and the boss lied and said that Tony hadn't left the place between twelve and six this morning. He says he don't know if they suspect him or not, and the police said there was only one woman in the car--so they must be all balled up--what do you think?" "What's all the trouble, and what time is it?" said Pearl, as she raised up in bed. "It was Tony called," answered Evelyn. "What time is it, Mickey, or is your time-piece working?" "It's one-thirty," called Mickey from the kitchen. "Oh, good Heavens, I must get to the room, I don't even remember what time I had the date with Big Boy." "It don't matter what time you had the date with him--he'll wait if you are late," from Evelyn, as she climbed slowly out of bed. "Oh, my, I'll never be the same. I'm so stiff I can hardly stand up." "You spent all of last night getting that way," said Mickey. "Getting how?" "Getting stiff." "I know, Mickey dear, but the stiff I mean is not the kind of stiff you mean." "You better be careful, Ev," said Pearl. "You might catch pneumonia from being in that river." "You are wrong there--the only thing you will catch from being in that river is hydrophobia, and I think I had that when I was a virgin," laughed Evelyn. "Good Heavens, Ev," said Mickey, "Was you ever a virgin?" "Well, there has always been a doubt in my mind about that--you see, if I ever was--it's been so long ago my memory fails to recognize the fact." "It must be grand to be a virgin," from Pearl. "Yeah--but think of the fun you miss," said Mickey. "I sure remember the time I stopped being a virgin, and do I remember the one who put a stop to it!" "What was he like?" asked Pearl. "And--what was you like?" "Well, I was a big, green, corn-fed country girl, in the corn and Bible belt in Kansas, wasn't hard to look at (of course, that's before I had all these scars on this pan of mine)--and the guy--was the son of the rural mail carrier, who had just come out of the Navy, and what he knew was plenty, and I had always read what devils sailors were with the women--I guess I was just as curious as he was ambitious. Come on in the kitchen and I'll put the coffee on the stove, and finish my confession." "For God's sake, make that coffee strong--I sure need it," said Evelyn, as she and Pearl followed Mickey in the kitchen, and sat down at the table. "Oh, I forgot--I'll get the cups and saucers," as she rose from the table and went to the cupboard. "Go ahead with that dirty story you started to tell us," said Pearl. "One of my pet weaknesses is the true story of How, Why, and Where Trollops like us three came from, and what caused it."