Just then a blonde came in, followed by a tall young man with heavy, horn−rimmed glasses. The blonde wore a red dress, very tight across her small breasts, and when she climbed up on the high stool at the bar she showed a lot of her legs.
Benny looked at her. He stared so hard that she giggled suddenly and adjusted her skirt. Benny sighed.
“There’re an awful lot of swell dames around tonight,” he said to Jay. “She’s nice, ain’t she?”
Jay wasn’t very interested. “Sure,” he said; “they’re all nice. Where’s your wife? How is she, anyway?”
Benny still looked at the blonde. “Sadie? Oh, she’s fine. She’s out there with my party. I sort of wanted a drink. Did I? No, that’s wrong. I came out for a doings. Seeing you put it out of my mind. I guess I’d better get on.” He shook hands again and went off.
Jay ordered another beer. While he was waiting for it, he saw Grantham come in. Grantham was very tall and thin, with silver−white hair. His face was hard. Two lines ran from his nose to his mouth, and he looked very grey. Jay only knew him by sight, he’d never spoken to him. When he saw him, he turned back to the bar and paid the bartender.
Grantham came up and stood at his elbow. “What do you want?” he said. His voice was very hostile.
Jay looked at him by turning his head. “Should I know you?” he asked. “Are you someone I ought to know?”
Grantham introduced himself. “We don’t have newspaper men in here, you know,” he said; “we don’t like them in here.”
Jay raised his eyebrows. “That’s interestin’,” he said. “That’s very interesting. No newspaper men, huh?