Carol, arrived at the office before Jackie and they were alone for approximately 30 minutes before the others began to arrive. At first, noither of them spoke; but after four or five mornings of silence, Jackie spoke almost involuntarily on entering the office. "Good morning, Miss Morgen." The girl stopped shuffling the papers before her and smiled directly into Jackie's eyes.

"Good morning, Miss Margulies." Before Carol had finished this return greeting Jackie had reached hor desk and neither of them spoke again that morning. Each morning after that they spoke their stilted greetings and matters appeared stalemated. Nearly two months wont by and then one noon Jackie returned to a restaurant near the office for lunch and saw the girl, Carol, alone in a booth. Jackie turned abruptly toward the counter but Carol had soon her and called out to her, "Miss Margulies, won't you join mo?"

Jackie hesitated and then, in a profusion of embarrassment, walked across the crowded room to Carol's booth and slipped onto the opposite seat with one coonomical movement. Carol began chattering as though being away from the offico had mado them bosom companions. Jackie listened almost gratefully, for she did not have to say much in all that stream of nervous chatter. Somohow Jackie got through the lunch and breathed deeply and freely as she hurried away to work. Later that evening, when she was sure the office was empty, sho returned, wont directly into Mr. Hendron's private subicle and looked up Carol Morgen's personnel file. Carol Morgen, age 32, unmarried, no dependents. Jackie's oyer flicked the formal record. It told her little, except that the girl apparently lived alone in a rather nice apartment building in a good section.

Then Jackie drove her car out of the lot her mind stayed with Carol, She knew the girl was attracted to her and, of course, she realized sho was more than a little interested in return. How to escape was her problem now, how to escape...first from the girl and then from herself. Unwillingly she drove by the apartment listed in Carol's dosier and wondered to herself what the girl was doing.

For the first time in years Jackie could not sleep that

11