Karol, there had been no one who had attracted me. But now-Karol. Could she possibly...?

The night was a torture of dreams and wakefulness. The hours crept slowly by until morning. IT WAS TIME!

I boarded the bus with my heart in my mouth, searching for Karol. For a few minutes I couldn't see her. Then, I saw her, almost as if she had been waiting for me too.

"Hi Karol. I was afraid for a minute that I had missed you this morning." I said.

"I'm glad you made it. I was just thinking about you." She said, smiling that wonderful smile.

"Really? My, I hope they weren't bad thoughts."

"Silly, of course they weren't. I was just hoping that you wouldn't miss the bus." I felt the blood surging to my head. She had wanted to see me again. I felt like singing.

I looked around me at the other people on the bus. Funny, I thought, today everyone was smiling, happy and full of good spirits. Even the bus was riding smoother. Yesterday I was condemning buses, but today I had nothing but praise. for them. Yes, wonderful things, these buses.

We were silent. I glanced across the aisle at the two girls sitting there. One had short, dark hair, combed back boyishly. The other had short hair also, but combed in a more feminine way. I looked at their hands. They wore matching wedding bands.

I saw Karol studying them too. Scrutinizing as I was, probing into their secret. Was there scorn on her face. . . or pity? I watched her with worried eyes, afraid. But there was neither. More of a serenity, a contented half-smile... A restfulness. COULD IT BE?

She met my questioning glance and nodded, a smile on her face still. A private, secret smile. The kind that doesn't need words. It was all written there. "Coffee this morning?" I asked confidently.

"Certainly, I wouldn't miss it for the world." She looked at me with a new glint in her eyes.

"I was also wondering . . ." I hesitated a moment and finding new courage continued "... if you would like to come up to my apartment this evening? We could watch television and play a few records."

I didn't have to wait for her answer. I knew she would!

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