Thomas came in, sweater over her shoulders, one hand playing with her full skirt as she curled up on the sofa. They were having after supper coffee. Robert Judd crossed his legs as Lola would, and lit a pipe. The music filled the house with creative genius as the two people talked far into the night with Robert Judd ask- ing her questions about her life, her likes, her dislikes, her dreams her desire for her future, yet never about her marriage. At last she told him she had been mar- ried for 10 years, had no children and that her husband had not treated her well, in fact he drank too much, and was killed while driving drunk, going off the road at over 90 mph into an embank- ment. That was three years ago, she told him. She went to court to get her maiden name back, which was Thomas. Her parents were dead, and she had no sisters or brothers. Close to midnight she realized she had to get back to put her hair up and get ready for the concert the next day. Robert Judd escorted her with a flashlight to her car, and before she got in, she turned to him, put her arms around his neck, drew him close, and kissed him softly. Thank you, she told him, for the most delightful afternoon and evening of my life. Robert Judd stood tall and slender as she drove down the lane onto the empty highway back to town He returned to his house, entered Lola's room, and took a shower and put on scented powder be- fore getting into Lola's night- gown. Sunday morning Lola put on her robe and had breakfast, then a simple, but pretty day dress until later in the afternoon when Lola slipped away again so Robert could pick up Linda

Thomas to drive 20 miles to the concert. Linda did most of the talking as she snuggled up beside Robert as he drove. As a car's lights filled the front seat for a brief moment of twilight Linda Thomas saw a gold reflection from Robert's right ear lobe and she looked and saw the minute earring. She thought it was pretty, and told him so. He blushed, smiled, and said it was nothing. Yes, she told him, it is pretty with your hair.

During the concert, Robert Judd let Linda Thomas take his hand in hers and when they left she put her arm about him as they walked to the car. Once she touched him, he drew her to him but he would not be the aggress- or, she noticed. What kind of de- cent man is this, she pondered, who will not abuse or insult or otherwise treat a woman with disdain or be agressive toward her What a wonderful feeling of se- curity she had with him, as she knew he was above the antics of all the other men she had ever met who could not keep their hands to themselfves. This man, this unique person, was totally decent toward her, a real gentle- man. Things began to click in Linda Thomas's mind as they drove back, she close to him, her head on his shoulder. She reached up and felt his earring and told him how pretty it was. Her perfume enveloped Robert Judd and her closeness was pure joy to him. Something was try- ing to come out of Linda Thom- as' mind, as she knew about what it was, but was not yet sure. He walked her up to her floor and she unlocked the door and asked him in. He said it was late, and he did not want to impose upon her. She offered him coffee and

he accepted. They sat in her eat- in kitchen and he lit a pipe and she gazed into his face and won- dered and smiled at him and talk- ed softly to him. He took his leave, thanking her deeply for her delightful company, again told her how pretty her black dress was, and her black heels, and he liked her perfume, and she was so beautiful to him. She kissed him softly good night and he left, floating on thin clouds of emotion long dormant sprung to life again. He slipped off the clouds as he realized he must tell the truth, as soon as possi- ble, even if it meant selling his house and moving again. He could not let this lovely woman begin to like him without telling her the truth about Lola.

Linda Thomas slept deep, dreaming about Robert, and in her dreams Robert was a girl suddenly, and she woke up and laughed, then went back to sleep, dreaming again. As she awoke in the early morning she broke a dream of Robert with his long hair down in a pretty gown. She was unable to reason why, but it seemed most natural. As she entered the office prior to going out for the day to sell, she saw Robert Judd just leaving. She waved to him as she drove past and he waved back. That night she waited as she got home, but not for long. The phone rang and it was Robert Judd.

Now, dear skirt wearers, the time had come for Lola Judd to expose herself and be renounced again, she felt sure, as she had been six times before in her life, only none of the other women were as beautiful, lovely, and darling to him as Linda Thomas. It was Lola on the phone, using Robert's voice, in a dark blue

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