She fled at a dangerous speed down the old staircase, stopping in the hallway below only long enough to compose herself sufficiently to step out onto the sidewalk. The sunlight was blinding, the air oppressively still and hot as she made her way back across the square, defeated.

John Blodgett! She still could not believe it… John Blodgett, one of the most important men in town… he and his wife right at the head of the Quiggville social circuit… respected, admired. Ha! And he had dared to kiss her, in the most repulsive way, a suggestive tongue kiss … touched her breast… asked her to meet him! It was the greatest shock of her young life. The old lecher, yes, twice her age… oh, he hadn't come right out and said it in so many words, what he wanted… hadn't put a name to it. God help her, what had she done? And all she'd wanted was to help her adored Ray!

Sally reached the security of her own door, unlocked it with fumbling fingers and ran upstairs. She threw herself on the bed, still shaking and quivering although no tears came. She wanted to cry but could not.

She was too frightened.

From his dusty window John Blodgett had observed her progress every step of the way. God damn, he chuckled, look at that little ass sway … she sure is fit to be tied! Look at those legs… gal's got legs like a racehorse… Jesus, I bet she can pump those legs in the sack, too.

Little hellcat! He saw with satisfaction that Sally did not enter the drugstore, but went directly to the house entrance. No, she wouldn't be in a hurry to tell Ray about it… it was a hundred-to-one shot that she would tell her husband at all. Because the first thing he'd say would be what were you doing in his office? And Sally was smart enough to figure that out. Let it lay for a few days, just as it was. If the snotty little bitch was so crazy about her farmer of a husband, she'd be around. Yes sir, all he had to do was let it lay.