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He laughed. She thought he had the merriest laugh, and couldn’t help thinking how wonderful it would be to get up mornings and hear that laugh.

“That reminds me,” he said. He took out his wallet and ex­tracted a five-dollar bill. “I haven’t paid you this month for your public relations work.”

She hesitated about taking the bill. “No, Greg, I’d repre­sent you for nothing. You know I would.”

“Please – it’s a job.”

She took the money. “Thanks. I can really use it. Be seeing you.”

She disappeared into the house where she found Patti wash­ing the dishes. Grabbing a towel, she started drying them. “I was talking with Greg.”

Patti stopped washing. “Yes?”

“Mrs. Macdougall told him you had a man in your room last night.”

Patti turned. “That old snoop! I’m going to strangle her one of these days. You didn’t tell him – ?”

“No, sis, you made me swear – “

“Inky – what did you tell him then?”

“That I couldn’t discuss my sister’s business, that you’d kill me if I did.”

Patti raised her voice. “Inky! You led him to believe – “

“You’ve got to make ‘em mad, sis. Mad and jealous. It’s the only way. You’ll never get married if you – •”

Patti cut in sharply, “So you’re an authority – at sixteen.”

“No, but I know Greg

.” She trailed off as Patti dried her hands, walked to the window, and stood with her back to her. Ingrid said, “Golly, I didn’t mean to do anything.”

When there was no answer, Ingrid continued, “Well, say something. Don’t give me the silent treatment. Yell at me.”

Patti turned and her voice was low. “I know you didn’t intend any harm. I guess I was hurt suddenly. I didn’t want him to think . ..”

“You love him?”

“You don’t have to be in love with a man to want him to like you, to respect you. As a matter of fact, I’m furious with him. He goes snooping around everywhere asking questions like he was a Senate committee.”

Tearfully, Ingrid put the five-dollar bill on the kitchen table. “I’ve been working for him. Doing public relations.”

Patti stared incredulously. “You’ve what?”

“You know, so you’d get the right image. He wanted you to understand him. He said if a business could hire a press agent

“

“You let him bribe you? You turned spy on me?”

“No, sis, no. I never told him anything about what you said, or anything. He just paid me to tell you what a wonderful guy he is, which he is. Please, sis, don’t look at me that way. I didn’t mean

“

“You took money from him – “

“He said if big business could do it – “

“Big business isn’t the same as a family, as two sisters who’ve been close together, who’ve – “

“Sis, please, you make it sound so awful. I thought it was all right. I didn’t mean . ..”

Suddenly Patti laughed and picked up the bill while Ingrid stood transfixed, near tears. “I’ll return this to him,” Patti said. “I’ll return it with much pleasure.”

“You won’t say anything that’ll hurt him?’

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle his sensibilities with great care, although I doubt if he has any. Now run along and get your homework done.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Forget it.”

“I’d absolutely die if you – “

“Absolutely, positively, definitely die?”

Ingrid smiled wanly, and Patti’s gaze followed her as she disappeared crestfallen into her room. That kid, how Patti loved her, the image of herself at sixteen, the same quick hurts, the same hopes and desperate wants, and even the same dialogue. And Mike, she loved him too, but in a different way – Mike who never did what he was supposed to do but didn’t do it in the most appealing way as he wandered in a boy world of his own dreaming.

She took a deep breath. She was proud of her family, proud that it was bound together by more than “Wagon Train” and a place to eat and sleep.

As she started for the back bedroom, Mike came bursting noisily through the front door. She tensed, held her breath, and tried shutting off her hearing in anticipation of the slam­ming of the door.

“Hey, Pat,” he yelled. “Greg’s going to pay me three dollars a week to mow his lawn. He says you’re underpaying me over here, and it’s against the minimum wage law, and you’re guilty of peonage, and he’ll take it to court for me.”

Patti bristled. “You tell Mr. Balter – “

Mike didn’t hear. “He’s a great guy. Do you know what he’s doing? He’s taking all the kids over at the boys’ home to the circus.”

“That’s fine,” Patti said. “Be sure to thank him for the paid advertisement. I just hope you collect for it.”

“What d’ya mean? Whatcha talking about?”

“Your timing’s bad, boy.”

He backed toward his. room, his eyes wide with astonish­ment and mild shock.

In her bedroom she found Zeke walking aimlessly about. D.C. had moved from the bed to the chest of drawers, where he had barely enough room to place the body between her cosmetics. He never yet had knocked a bottle over. He was washing his white-coated tail. If he had any one outstanding virtue, it was perseverance.

Zeke asked, “Doesn’t he ever do anything but take baths?”