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so intently, for the past hour, that either the clothes, or my activity, must hold some real interest for you. Now tell me, Jan, just what is on your mind."

Jan did not immediately reply to his mother's inquiry, although it was clearly obvious from his hesitant manner, that he definitely had something on his mind, but did not appear to know exactly how to express himself. As he then began to get a little red in the face resulting from his continued delay in making reply, his mother suddenly realized, to her mystification, that he was probably too embarrassed to express what he actually wanted to say. Being completely in the dark as to what was now going on in her son's mind, and in particular anything that could possibly embarrass him, Susan, after a further and now rather painful period of irresolution, on his part, rather sharply, for she thought he was now being silly,

"Jan, what is the matter with you? Surely you can tell me what is on your mind. You are indeed acting rather silly for a fifteen year old boy, ready to start high school next year, when you could rightly be considered a young man. Now out with it at once. I promise that I shall not be angry, if it is only something you have done, that you know to be wrong, but about which you hesitate to tell me for fear of punishment. You well know that I am not unreasonable about such matters.

From his mother's response, it was quickly obvious to Jan that she had not in any way associated his silence with the task she had been engaged upon, and which now made his reply even more difficult. But now determined at all cost to tell his mother just what he had been thinking about for the past hour, Jan, after screwing all his courage. up, but in an unfortunately high and unsteady voice, making clear his state of nervousness, at last managed to blurt out,

"Mother, please do not laugh at me for what I am now going to ask you, but unless you have some particular person in mind to whom you plan to give all the clothes you now have before you, and which I understand you plan to discard anyway, could I possibly have them all instead?"

Following this most extraordinary and unexpected request, Jan's face turned at once an even brighter red from the acute embarrassment he undoubtedly felt. After speaking, he kept his face averted, so that he was now staring at the carpet at his mother's feet for he dreaded to see her face, and whatever unfavorable reaction this would mirror, over what he well knew she would certainly regard as a most peculiar reply to her inquiry. In truth, Susan was taken much aback, almost shocked over her son's answer, for it was the last possible request she would ever have expected to hear from him. Speechless for the moment, she remained silent for a minute or