But Tenth Street had a faraway sound and at the word a general groan went up and a score of the procession dropped out.
Among these were Rose and Key, who slowed down to a saunter and let the more enthusiastic sweep on by.
"I'd rather get some liquor," said Key as they halted and made their way to the sidewalk amid cries of
"Shell hole!" and
"Quitters!"
"Does your brother work around here?" asked Rose, assuming the air of one passing from the superficial to the eternal.
"He oughta," replied Key.
"I ain't seen him for a coupla years.
I been out to Pennsylvania since.
Maybe he don't work at night anyhow.
It's right along here.
He can get us some o'right if he ain't gone."
They found the place after a few minutes' patrol of the street --a shoddy tablecloth restaurant between Fifth Avenue and Broadway.
Here Key went inside to inquire for his brother George, while Rose waited on the sidewalk.
"He ain't here no more," said Key emerging.
"He's a waiter up to Delmonico's."
Rose nodded wisely, as if he'd expected as much.
One should not be surprised at a capable man changing jobs occasionally.
He knew a waiter once --there ensued a long conversation as they walked as to whether waiters made more in actual wages than in tips --it was decided that it depended on the social tone of the joint wherein the waiter labored.
After having given each other vivid pictures of millionaires dining at Delmonico's and throwing away fifty-dollar bills after their first quart of champagne, both men thought privately of becoming waiters.
In fact, Key's narrow brow was secreting a resolution to ask his brother to get him a job.
"A waiter can drink up all the champagne those fellas leave in bottles," suggested Rose with some relish, and then added as an afterthought,
"Oh, boy!"
By the time they reached Delmonico's it was half past ten, and they were surprised to see a stream of taxis driving up to the door one after the other and emitting marvelous, hatless young ladies, each one attended by a stiff young gentleman in evening clothes.
"It's a party," said Rose with some awe.
"Maybe we better not go in.
He'll be busy."
"No, he won't.
He'll be o'right."
After some hesitation they entered what appeared to them to be the least elaborate door and, indecision falling upon them immediately, stationed themselves nervously in an inconspicuous corner of the small dining-room in which they found themselves.
They took off their caps and held them in their hands.
A cloud of gloom fell upon them and both started when a door at one end of the room crashed open, emitting a comet-like waiter who streaked across the floor and vanished through another door on the other side.
There had been three of these lightning passages before the seekers mustered the acumen to hail a waiter.
He turned, looked at them suspiciously, and then approached with soft, catlike steps, as if prepared at any moment to turn and flee.
"Say," began Key, "say, do you know my brother?
He's a waiter here."
"His name is Key," annotated Rose.
Yes, the waiter knew Key.
He was up-stairs, he thought.
There was a big dance going on in the main ballroom.
He'd tell him.
Ten minutes later George Key appeared and greeted his brother with the utmost suspicion; his first and most natural thought being that he was going to be asked for money.
George was tall and weak chinned, but there his resemblance to his brother ceased.
The waiter's eyes were not dull, they were alert and twinkling, and his manner was suave, in-door, and faintly superior.
They exchanged formalities.
George was married and had three children.
He seemed fairly interested, but not impressed by the news that Carrol had been abroad in the army. This disappointed Carrol.
"George," said the younger brother, these amenities having been disposed of, "we want to get some booze, and they won't sell us none.
Can you get us some?"
George considered.