of her."

Billie chuckled, wondering what he had begun to say.

Maud Ellen had made a single appearance, culture conscious. at BillieAdult Poetry, had commanded Billie's presence for a dinner at which she had introduced her quiet, slow, and seemingly bland banker husband. George said littlehad little chance-but in time Billie noticed the hesitant but very knowledgeable literary questions. A chance encounter downtown had resulted in their lunching alone (a fact neither, somehow, mentioned to Maud Ellen), and Billie regularly loaned him poetry, of which he seemed insatiable. She strongly suspected he wrote. A few times in his talking alone with her she had felt only the very faintest of a beginning of his blandness slipping away from around him. Those times were oddly embarrassing, somewhat like catching a nun undressing, and George had always recovered himself swiftly, tucking his blandness back around him as if it were a voluminous skirt.

"Who is the piece de resistance tonight?"

George seemed embarrassed and glanced toward the kitchen.

"Ah yes. Well, perhaps I shouldn't have-I TRIED to tell Maud Ellen

"Oh Billie honey" Maud Ellen piercingly cooed-screamed, and Billie winced. excused herself, and entered the kitchen.

"Oh honey, WHAT a day! Those horrible OTHER schoolboard people were MOST stupid and difficult but they FINALLY saw the logic of my arguments. and then to come home late and THEN find that silly maid was sick. and THEN

as if THAT hadn't been enough-then this perfectly LOVELY unmarried man I found in draperies last week-really I thought he had Exquisite taste but I shall CERtainly send them back now the MINute they arrive-imagine-the nerve-phoning ME at the last minute! I was ALmost in tears honey. let me tell you, and I phoned George, and for ONCE he faced his social responsibility. He had this investment client there. this Dr. Kurtman, so I agreed-really you can't go TOO far wrong with a doctor. even if you've never laid eyes on the man. So honey, I haven't the FAINTest idea how the evening will go. I told George the minute he came in. I said. honey not a word, not a WORD. don't say ANYTHING or I shall scream. absolutely SCREAM. Oh there's the doorbell. GEORGE! Here honey. would you take these in?"

Billie took a salad in each hand. She carefully carried them into the darkened dining-room. She set them down easily on the table. Through the doorway she saw George come into view. then the other person. Billie gasped.

It was a woman!

The woman was tall and was largely but statuesquely made. Through the severe gray suit the ample curves of the breasts and hips seemed too confined. She wore no jewelry. The strong and bare neck pillared an imperious head with straightline facial features. The striking thick salt-and-pepper hair was worn severely pulled back. She wore pince-nez that glittered intelligently.

Suddenly realizing she was gaping. Billie quickly stepped back. She leaned against the wall. Her heart was thumping. A huge warmth glowed from her stomach.

"Billie honey" she faintly heard Maud Ellen call.

She put her hand over her stomach. Why, it was the inside bonfire again! She had forgotten. Not since since yes, in college, the first time she had seen"Billie honey."

She swallowed with difficulty, then took a deep breath.

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