is why I can never say a word about all this.
They were so _good_ to me! I'm going to give
Stacia something nice for Christmas -- wouldn't
you?"

"Yes, I would," gently said Betty.

"That night at supper, dinner, I mean, they
had wine, I'm sure. They did not say what it
was, but it was in a wine glass and I tasted it
and it was terribly bitter. I don't see how any-
body likes the stuff. Jim -- that's Stacia's
brother and such a handsome, dear sort of boy,
about eighteen, I imagine -- Jim drank a lot of
it, till his father said real low, 'That's enough,
Jim.'" "

"Then they took me to a moving picture, not
down town, but in the suburb, you know. And
we stayed up awfully late with the radio again
and this time some more wine, only I didn't
take any, only cake. Stacia urged me to try one
of her sister's cigarettes. I believe they don't
want Stacia to smoke yet, so she didn't do it
until we went upstairs. It made me cough just
to smell all the smoke, so I said 'no, thank you,
Stacia,' and got undressed. And then--" Doris
lowered her voice -- "about two o'clock, I think,
somebody came stumbling up the stairs, and
somebody was talking to him, and helping him,
I think. Stacia woke up and sat up in bed. We

[[126]]
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