29.

people now. The agencies are simply no help at all. The flu is going around again--I suppose we have that to look forward to on Christmas eve. I've called every model in town and THINKING seems to be completely beyond them? And--"

"Nancy, you're starting to talk too fast. Calm down. We can certainly work something out".

"I'm sorry. I am jittery, I guess. We have to do some- thing, though. This is only one afternoon, but it's probably one of the most important of the year. Two of the board members are related to the late Erna Jenkins and I understand that the store contributes quite a bit to the upkeep of the home. There's an executive party on the twenty-fourth and--Jack, I'll be frank with you. There's a vice-presidency waiting for me at that party and I just can't take a chance on anything going wrong".

"How about a secretary"?

"They're impossible".

"Well, someone from another department. A man Santa". "That's out. I called Mrs. Pritchett, the caretaker, again this morning on the off chance and she told me that no ever set foot in the sacred---well, you know the type".

man has

"Oh, one of those!"

"It has to be a girl, Jack. And a good looking one, that's part of the tradition, too. And, someone familiar with lingerie, someone who can give out the gifts as though she was a lingerie Santa Claus all year long".

"I don't know what to suggest, Nancy". Even as he said the words, Jack Langley knew that they were meaningless, knew that the suggestion had already been made and had been made, moreover, by himselfin a thousand subtle ways. Despite himself, he reddened perceptibly when she asked him.

"Will you be the Santa for corsets and lingerie"? she said.

The room was suddenly very warm. He was abruptly conscious of her as a feminine presence; he was conscious of her clothes, the trim line of her suit, the sharp tailoring of her crepe blouse and of her meticulous makeup. He felt drab and naked by the