Year of the Jackpot 6

"the three hundred and nineteenth case in Los Angeles
county since the first of the year. I don't have figures on the
rest of the country, but the suggestion to clamp down on the
stories came from the eastern news services when the papers
here put our first cases on the wire. That proves that it's a
problem elsewhere, too."
"You mean that women all over the country are peel-
ing off their clothes in public? Why, how shocking!"
He said nothing. She blushed again and insisted, "Well,
it is shocking, even if it was me, this time."
"No, Meade. One case is shocking; over three hundred
makes it scientifically interesting. That's why I want to know
how it felt. Tell me about it."
"But All right, I'll try. I told you I don't know why I
did it; I still don't. I-"
"You remember it?"
"Oh, yesi I remember getting up off the bench and pulling
up my sweater. I remember unzipping my skirt. I remember
thinking I would have to hurry as I could see my bus stopped
two blocks down the street. I remember how good it felt
when I finally, uh" She paused and looked puzzled. "But
I still don't know why."
"What were you thinking about just before you stood
up?"
"I don't remember."
"Visualize the street. What was passing by? Where were
your hands? Were your legs crossed or uncrossed? Was there
anybody near you? What were you thinking about?"
"Uh . . . nobody was on the bench with me. I had my
hands in my lap. Those characters in the mixed-up clothes
were standing near by, but I wasn't paying attention. I
wasn't thinking much except that my feet hurt and I wanted
to get homeand how unbearably hot and sultry it was.
Then" Her eyes became distant, "suddenly I knew what
I had to do and it was very urgent that I do it. So I stood up
and I . . . and I" Her voice became shrill.
"Take it easy!" he said. "Don't do it again."
"Hub? Why, Mr. Breeni I wouldn't do anything like that."
"Of course not. Then what?"
"Why, you put your raincoat around me and you know
the rest." She faced him. "Say, Potiphar, what were you
doing with a raincoat? It hasn't rained in weeksthis is the
driest, hottest rainy season in years."
"In sixty-eight years, to be exact."
"Hub?"
"I carry a raincoat anyhow. Uh, just a notion of mine, but