"Here, honey, here's your drink. Maybe it's too weak now… the ice melted while you were dancing."

"No, it'll be fine," she seized the glass gratefully and swallowed the pungent bourbon and cola mix. Ordinarily she did not care for hard liquor, but Sally sensed she was going to need something to get her through this evening. After the second drink she began to warm and relax slightly. John Blodgett stayed with his friends, and the younger crowd around her and Ray's table was quite enjoyable to be with. She loved to see Ray having a good time… it was the first evening in ages that he'd gotten out like this… probably the last time they would be with these local people, too. She supposed that when the new owners took over the drugstore, or before, her husband would start looking for another job. God, what if it should be another place like Quiggville, maybe worse? The thing was, she was at last beginning to feel some slight sense of belonging here and getting acquainted. If they owned the store… if they could build the house in Hickory Acres … it wouldn't be at all bad! They could join this country club and Ray would be able to play golf… she would take part in garden clubs or something.

Someone else asked Sally to dance and when she returned to the table her third drink was waiting. She finished it, and later there was more … never had she had so much to drink in one night; she was probably in for a hangover in the morning, but at last she was really enjoying herself, having a good time! Much, much later they began drinking sentimental toasts to the Blodgetts-and Lauralee Blodgett stood up and made a drunken, tearful speech about leaving Quiggville for the first time in her life, even though she would always keep her home here, "mah fam'ly place," as she put it. She had to lean on her brother and her husband to keep from falling as she swayed gracefully back and forth and rambled on, liquor spilling from her glass to splash over her expensive dress.