Cora was mad. Someone had stolen her yellowish underpants.

   “You know the ones,” she pranted, “the ones with the loose thread at the seam.”
    We looked for them, but we couldn’t find them.
   “Who do you suppose?”
    Just then a tall negress entered the room, naked and tattooed from shoulder to foot.
   For a moment we stood aghast. No one knew what to do.
   “Ask her ”
   Cora needed no reminding. “Excuse me, mam,” she said, “have you seen a pair of yellowish underpants, slightly loose at the seam?”

   The tall negress looked at Cora. We all looked at the tall negress, studying her tattoos, noticing the queer squiggles and curlycues and how they moved when she walked.