“There were four of them-all in high spirits-and one of them had a camera-they made pictures… not very nice ones, some of them. Louise was the only bashful one in the group-but she was afraid to be thought 'fussy' I think-so they managed to induce her to be snapshotted like the rest-and once with no clothes on at all. She is perfectly lovely-slim but shapely-with a skin like… like milk!”
“Ah-you shall show me these pictures presently,” he said. “And now — have you anything 'on' the mother? Aside from her debt, I mean?”
“N-no-that is… I-” murmured Rose. “There was a very odd episode one afternoon. Some folks might say it didn't mean much-it was about some stockings!”
“Well, explain the mystery!” he ordered.
“Mr. George Bliss, the banker, was with her. They had been lunching at the Plaza, I gathered. I think perhaps here had been a few drinks. He had a package under his arm and they were joking about it. I didn't think much about it at first-for Mr. Bliss is a pillar of her husband's church. Mrs. Tasker had an appointment to try on some dresses I was making for her. I think the drinks must have gone to her head, for I never saw her so frivolous before. They were in the small reception room-for all the fitting rooms were occupied at the moment.”
“Of course they were talking and laughing. He unwrapped the package-and showed her the loveliest silk stockings I have ever seen.. Chancing to notice this as I passed by the door, which was ajar, I was curious enough to keep an eye and ear open.”
“The talk became lower and the laughter ceased. Mrs. Tasker was looking covetously at the long, gauzy hosiery which he shook out and dangled before her-and I didn't blame her-for they must have cost him thirty dollars a pair at least.”
“It appeared that she had gone with him to the shop when he purchased them-but without guessing the use to which he hoped to put them. I was so intrigued by the affair that I hid behind a screen and looked and listened. He was saying:
“But surely we are old enough friends for a little joke to be permissible, Mrs. Tasker-Doris-mayn't I call you Doris-after nearly ten years acquaintance?”
She murmured that she saw nothing objectionable in that. She was quivering with delight as she looked at those stockings, such, undoubtedly, as she had never been able In purchase herself.”
“But of course you knew that I had you in mind all the time,” he said. “At least-three pairs for you and three for my wife. And you remember your promise-to pay the same price for them that I might exact from Mrs. Bliss…”
“I thought it was all a joke,” she said hesitatingly. “How perfectly adorable those stocking are! But really — Mr. Bliss… George… to want to try them on me-it's- going a little far!”
“Why-stockings-legs are mere commonplace today,” he argued. “Though such legs as yours might prove to be are never commonplace. Did you notice how all the men admired them when we entered and left the Palm Court at lunch?”
“They shared attention with your lovely face and red-gold hair. I was proud-for I knew all the men-and many of the women-were thinking 'that lucky man probably sees her wonderful legs whenever he likes'.”
“Ohh-but… George!” she protested, with a nervous little laugh. “Really, I'm afraid you forget you are talking to the demure wife of your pastor. My-my legs are grateful for your compliments-but they cannot forget that they are the support of a body vowed to decency and seemliness.”
“But not the support of a prude,” he insisted. “They support a charming woman with a keen sense of humor — a lover of fun-a lovely woman in her thirties who has no inclination to find evil where evil does not exist.”
“Come, my dear Doris-let your husband's old friend present you with these stockings as a momento of a lunch which was most enjoyable-and let him try on just one pair of them for you?”
Wistfully she eyed the lovely pair which he was now holding out to her-a pair adorned with seed pearls.
“It would take-a good while-they're so distractingly fragile,” she murmured weakly. “And I may be called at any time to the fitting room.”
“Just an instant-I'll find out,” he said abruptly.
“He left the room-and sensing that he was looking for me I made haste to leave my vantage post and show myself where he could not but see me. He thrust a bill into my hand.
“For your charities,” he muttered. “Please see that I am not interrupted for half an hour at least-I have some church affairs to discuss with Mrs. Tasker.”
“He vanished-leaving me gaping at a fifty dollar bill in my hand. I hesitated. It was the first time that any one had taken it for granted that my establishment could be used for such a dubious purpose. I think it was the money that affronted me. Yet I pocketed both the affront and the money-really intrigued now by this episode involving the beautiful wife of this eminent clergyman.
“I hurried to my observation post just in time to hear him say: 'Mrs. Bolton tells me she cannot give you a fitting for at least half an hour-and so-dear lady.”
“He fell on his knees before the chair in which she was sitting. Mrs. Tasker was flushed. She nibbled at her small fist for a moment Then, as he commenced to remove a very shapely shoe, she opened her lips as though to protest-she tugged at the foot which he had imprisoned. And then as he slipped both hands slowly and luxuriously up the thin silk stocking which covered one lovely leg, she gave a little gasping cry and succumbed.”
She laughed shakily at him: “You can be assured, Mr. Bliss, that you are the first man I have had who has shown any enthusiasm for his job. Indeed, you even seem disposed to pay-instead of being paid-for such attention you give me!”
“Not trusting to his voice-for by now his mounting hands were well up beneath her skirts-he mumbled- almost inaudibly.
Doris Tasker abandoned any attempt to make conversation. She sank back in the chair-and half closed her eyes. Her long lashes fluttered. She was breathing hard. “Ohh! O-o-o-h!” she sighed. “Please-p-please make haste… George! I'm very ticklish-and I'm beginning to think that this-is very wrong!”
He paid not the least attention to her cries. By this time it was evident that his searching hands were well 'bove the tops of her long stockings. Mrs. Tasker was twisting and sighing with nervous excitement.
“Please!” she murmured feebly once more. “Do be as — as decorous as possible about our… your-little joke. -I'm nervous… as well as ticklish and the stockings are fastened at the-outer sides… to long garters instead of where you seem to think!”
The man was as red as fire and twitching with delight. He detached the stocking slowly-and his unseen hands began to roll it gradually down to the knee-which was revealed by the raising of Doris Tasker's short skirt during the last operations.
“His trembling fingers slowly bared the white roundness of her lovely limb-and travelled-conveying the stocking with them in a little roll-over the swelling calf to the slender ankle.
“He ventured to raise the woman's foot to his groin as he knelt there. She tried nervously to snatch it away-and I think she must have felt a certain unseemly contact on her stockinged toes. But he held the foot firmly-and drew the stocking completely off. And the naked foot which he displayed was quite as lovely as the leg to which it belonged.”
“But he shared with me, obviously, the thought that his companion was in such a state of embarrassed confusion that she might well put an end to the 'joke' if he should venture to express his pleasure over the liberties she was allowing him.
“Still crouching, he held the foot in his knee for a brief moment-while he tried to adjust to the small, rosy toes the stocking he wished to try on. Mrs. Tasker's quickened breathing was audible in the silence. It was very clear to me that this was her first experience with even so mild an extra-marital impropriety.
“She closed her eyes completely. Her whole face was rosy red. She shivered a little. For now the excited man was daring to caress gently and soothingly the velvety skin of her rounded calf, his fingers ascending nearly to the dimpled knees.