She was well over six feet, taller than most men there. They straighteheirspines, sucked in their stomachs; there was a general test to match her swayi.Holly said, "What are you doing here?" and her lips were taut as drawn string."Why, n-n-nothing, sugar. Ive been upstairs w with Yunioshi. Christmasstuff for the Ba-ba-zaar. But you sound vexed, sugar?" She scattered a roundaboutsmile. "You b-b-boys not vexed at me for butting in on your p-p-party?"Rusty Trawler tittered. He squeezed her arm, as though to admire her muscle,and asked her if she could use a drink."I surely could," she said. "Make mine bourbon."Holly told her, "There isnt any." Whereupon the Air Force el suggested herun out for a bottle."Oh, I decre, dos have a f-f-fuss. Im happy with ammonia. Holly, honey,"she said, slightly shoving her, "dont you bother about me. I introduce myself."She stooped toward O.J. Berman, who, like many short men in the presence of tallwomen, had an aspiring mist in his eye. "Im Mag ood, from Wild-ood,Arkansas. Thats hill try."It seemed a dance, Berman perf some fancy footwork to prevent his rivalscutting in. He lost her to a tell me here is the j-j-john?"; then, pletingthe cycle, he offered an arm to guide her himself."That," said Holly, "wont be necessary. Shes been here before. She knows whereit is." She was emptying ashtrays, and after Mag Wildwood had left the room, sheemptied ahen said, sighed rather: "Its really very sad." She paused longenough to calcute the number of inquiring expressions; it was suffit. "And somysterious. Youd think it would show more. But heaven knows, she looks healthy.So, well, . Thats the extraordinary part. Wouldnt you," she asked with, but of no one in particur, "wouldnt you say she looked ?"Someone coughed, several swallowed. A Naval officer, who had been holding MagWildwoods drink, put it down."But then," said Holly, "I hear so many of these Southern girls have the sametrouble." She shuddered delicately, ao the kit for more ice.Mag Wildwood couldnt uand it, the abrupt absence of warmth ourn; the versations she began behaved like green logs, they fumed but wouldnot fire. More unfivably, people were leaving without takielephonehe Air Force el decamped while her back was turned, and this wasthe straw too much: hed asked her to dinner. Suddenly she was blind. And since ginto artifice bears the same retion as tears to mascara, her attras at oncedissembled. She took it out on everyone. She called her hostess a Hollywooddegee. She invited a man in his fifties to fight. She told Berman, Hitler wasright. She exhirated Rusty Trawler by stiff-arming him into a er. "You knowwhats going to happen to you?" she said, with no hint of a stutter. "Im going tomarch you over to the zoo and feed you to the yak." He looked altogether willing,but she disappointed him by sliding to the floor, where she sat humming."Youre a bet up from there," Holly said, stretg on a pair of gloves. Theremnants of the party were waiting at the door, and when the bore didnt budgeHolly cast me an apologetice. "Be an angel, would you, Fred? Put her in a taxi.She lives at the Winslow.""Dont. Live Barbizent 4-5700. Ask f Wildwood.""You are an angel, Fred."They were gohe prospect of steering an Amazon into a taxi obliteratedwhatever rese I felt. But she solved the problem herself. Rising on her ownsteam, she stared down at me with a lurg loftiness. She said, "Lets go Stork.Catch lucky balloon," and fell full-length like an axed oak. My first thought was to runfor a doctor. But examination proved her pulse fine and her breathing regur. Shewas simply asleep. After finding a pillow for her head, I left her to enjoy it.The following afternoon I collided with Holly oairs. "You" she said, hurryingpast with a package from the druggist. "There she is, on the verge of pneumonia. Ahang-over out to here. And the mean reds on top of it." I gathered from this thatMag Wildwood was still in the apartment, but she gave me no ce to explore hersurprising sympathy. Over the weekend, mystery deepened. First, there was theLatin who came to my door: mistakenly, for he was inquiring after Miss Wildwood. Ittook a while to correct his error, our ats seemed mutually i, but by thetime we had I was charmed. Hed been put together with care, his brown head andbullfighters figure had aness, a perfe, like an apple, an e,something nature has made just right. Added to this, as decoration, were an Englishsuit and a brisk cologne and, what is still more untin, a bashful mahesed event of the day involved him again. It was toward evening, and I saw himon my way out to dinner. He was arriving in a taxi; the driver helped him totter intothe house with a load of suitcases. That gave me something to chew on: by Sundaymy jaws were quite tired.Then the picture became both darker and clearer.