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Show page 1 THE CANDY MACHINE The g i r l s who t r a v e l e d the southern c i r c u i t always came in p a i r s . They would s t a y in our to\-<m a week, and each morning they would go over to Nick's Cafe and s i t on high s t o o l s and have l a t e b r e a k f a s t . After awhile, when they had l e f t town, tx*70 more g i r l s would come, stay t h e i r week at the Travelers Hotel, and leave t o o . Trains stopped r e g u l a r l y at our town then and the Travelers Hotel coined money. Sometimes the g i r l s would be in Nick's when the Ruflin boys would get s t a r t e d -- c a l l i n g the colored patrons niggers and the g i r l s whores. Then the g i r l s would be afraid, would r e - a c t like chickens in a h a i l s t o rm and the Ruflins x-rould h i t a g l e e f u l n o t e , t e l l i n g the g i r l s to hurry back to the hotel and to s t r i p for business, if i t might be c a l l e d a b u s i n e s s. Mick always winced at things like t h i s . His hand x^ould t i g h t e n around h i s heavy coal poker and he would look off doxm t h e counter at his colored patrons hurrying out. On the sidewalk t h e Negroes would whisper to one another: "Mr. Nick Pan going to get mighty mad some day and sho-nuf r u c k l e a R u f l i n ." Nick would r e f i l l the Ruflins' coffee for f r e e . And he'd say, if he figured i t ' d help: "All the time the g i r l s come in ask for Fred, Luke R u f l i n . " He'd get the two hog farmers out |