Helen shook her head. "Never saw anything like it until recently. I pulled 'em out of our garden, but they're all over." Helen carried the offending plant to the back door. When she came back, Robert peered at her intently, shut his eyes and shook his head quickly, and then stared at her again. "Think you'll know me next time you see me?" she asked, annoyed. "First good look I've had at you this evening. What kind of face powder is that you're using? Don't tell me that peculiar shade is the latest fashion?" Puzzled, Helen put her hand to her face as if she should be able to feel the color. "Mom's green!" chortled eight-year-old Bobby. "You ought to see yourself!" "Green?" Helen asked worriedly. "Green," Robert said. "You feel all right?" "Anemia," Dora declared positively. "You don't eat properly. Not enough vitamins. Now, while I'm here--" A quick look in the mirror, and Helen told herself that she wasn't really a _green_ green, just sort of greenish, if you looked at her in the right light. By morning, the odd color ought to be all gone. There was no sense in worrying. Anybody could look sort of off-color now and then. Maybe Dora was right--she was anemic. * * * * * But she was stunned by the first sight of herself in the mirror the next morning. There was no mistaking it this time. She was as green as grass, and Dora, too, was beginning to show signs of becoming that unbecoming color. Reluctantly, Dora conceded that it might not be the diet, after all. She hadn't been there long enough for it to have that much effect. Robert and Bobby were still shockingly normal. "What--whatever can it be?" Helen asked shakily, holding out her green hands. The only answer was hysterical screaming that sent them all racing to the front door. The Raymonds lived in a typical California court, with four small houses facing four other small houses across a central walk that ran at right angles to the street. On this walk most of the tenants were now gathered, and the Raymonds and Dora joined them. Helen didn't know whether to feel relieved or more dismayed when she saw that all the women and girls were as green as she, and just as terrified. Someone, of course, had called the police, and a prowl car hummed to a stop at the curb. A harrassed, white-faced policeman leaned out of the window. "We're doing all we can," he called. "It's like this all over town. Don't know yet what caused it, but we're investigating." The car sped away. It was soon apparent that only Mimosa Beach was affected. Why, no one could guess. Some said it was all a publicity stunt of some kind, advertising a movie or television show, or a chlorophyll product, perhaps, but they couldn't explain how it worked, or why only women and girls were affected. And how could it possibly help sell anything?