How was it?" A total waste of time, money, and gasoline. All I learned was not to count on any help from Washington. I met some farmers who are really... up against it. Too many of them have got their farms mortgaged for more than they're really worth. No way for them to even keep up with the mortgage payments. I hear there are places down South where you can go and buy irrigation pipe for what the scrap cost would normally be. How have you been? Looks like you've taken off too much weight." The. I’d arrived home early after a failed date with Laurie Thomas. I’d slagged off the Princeton Tigers in the car on the way to the bar and it turned out her half-brother was the goalie. So the night was over before it had even started. The sun was still high in the sky and it seemed more like late afternoon than the end of the day. I decided to go for a swim to blow off some steam and get some relief from the heat.I’d only been the in the water a few minutes when I heard the door leading into. "And I'm Pat," the other woman answered. Noticing that the fingers holding the pen still shook very slightly Pat added, "And it is no trouble at all. Captain Saddler tells me that due to the other evidence available you will not need to stay here and testify. So I can't have you leaving this part of the South thinking that this is what its all like. Give me the chance to demonstrate a little courtesy." Thank you Pat, " Liz smiled. She handed back the statement and stood. "I certainly am ready. I askedhim if he could give me time to think about it. I went back home and myStepmother told me I should have said yes immediately and that I wasrunning the risk of offending him. However, I told her to give me a fewdays alone upstairs in my room to think it over.Up in my bedroom I tried to make sense of where my life had taken me inthe last few years, and my distant past seemed as remote as a dream.Suddenly I had the impulse to open up one of my dresser drawers andthere it was: the feminine.