he water he had brought as a chaser. She swallowed, and
blinked tears out of her eyes. "I don't usually drink."

He made no comment, but refilled the glass. The liquor had less effect
on him than he'd expected, though he'd always had a good head for it.
It took some of the edge off his worrying, though.

She giggled suddenly, and he frowned. She couldn't take much on an
empty stomach, it seemed. Then he shrugged. Let her drink--maybe if he
could get her drunk, he could find something out; at least he might
learn whether the slim young man had been there during the day.

"Like when you found your dad's cider," she said, and giggled again.
"You got awful--hp!--awful drunk, Willy, din't you? You
were--so--funny!"

She was trying to be careful with her words already. She slid around,
doing things that brought more honestly beautiful thigh into the light
than Will had seen in ten years. He reached to adjust her dress, and
she giggled again, sliding against him.

"You kissed me then, Willy. Remember? Bet you don' remember!"

* * * * *

He began it coldly, deliberately. If he could work on her emotions
enough, he'd crack the wall of evasion and lies, somehow. He reached
for her, calculating what would arouse her without causing any shock
to bring her back to her senses.

He hadn't counted on the quickness of her reponse, nor the complete
acceptance of his right with which she took it. The liquor had reduced
her to the stage of a little girl who competely trusted her companion.
She seemed as unconscious of her body as a child might be.

Instead of protesting, she reached down and began unfastening the
buttons on her dress. "'Syour turn now, Willy. Put you to bed last
night, you put me to bed t'-night. Then you gotta kiss me good-night.
Nighty-night, nighty-night."

He felt like a heel at first. And then he began to feel like a
man--any man around a beautiful girl half-undressed, and getting more
so.

She slipped under the sheets, tossing out the last of her clothing,
and crooning happily. "Gotta kiss me good-night, Willy. Nighty-night!"

He yanked the pull-cord savagely, cutting off the light, and fumbling
in the darkness. After what seemed hours of awkwardness, he slid in
beside her, feeling her arms go around him in complete acceptance. To
hell with _them_! They could chase him some other time!

He pulled her to him, while his blood beat in his neck, and he began
to lose any cons