can wrap it around somebody's feet gently or use it to quickly knock a gun out of someone's hand. Of course, there 'e not much need for that kind of stuff nowadays but at the local rodeos they do it all the time. My ex-husband was the best bullwhip man in the county and he taught me everything I "Well, you're sure good!" he said in awe. know." "It would take me awhile to get over being afraid of the thing before I could learn to use it properly," he added. "You're afraid of this?" she asked. "After wrapping myself up and seeing how you use it you're darn right I am, " he said emphatically. Susan said nothing but as she turned to go into the house she had that faraway look in her eye.

When he woke up the next morning his workclothes were gone and in their place was a pair of women's stretch pants and a pink blouse. "What the heck is this all about," he thought. He pulled the pants on so that he could face Susan with some degree of modesty. They fit snuggly in places where his pants did not. His legs looked sleeked and his rear end appeared to be much more rounded and contoured. Slightly embarrassed he entered the kitchen. "They fit," she exclaimed.

"I was hoping they would." He glanced down and saw that she was mending the holes in his clothing. Suddenly he felt ashamed of his attitude. "You do not have to do that," he said, pointing to her work. "I wanted to. The holes were getting worse everyday so I figured that I would mend them before they were hopeless. I put some of my daughter's things out for you to wear while I fixed these, and I'm glad to see that the pants fit. Have you tried the blouse on?" "No, I'll do it right now." As he walked back to his room he mum· bled, "What a nice lady! And here I thought that she was trying to embarrass me again." He buttoned up the blouse and tucked it into the pants. After putting on his boots he looked at himself in the mirror. "I guess I look okay," he thought. Susan was delighted with the fit of the garments. "Since they fit so well I'll have time to patch all of your things," she exclaimed.

His project that day was to clean out the -16-

tool shed. Susan had been piling junk in there

for years so it was packed with all kinds of things. The work was time consuming but not really hard. He was taking a breather when a car pulled into the driveway and a woman emerged. "Helhe call"Hi, I'm Terry, lo," she called to him. ed back. "I'm helping Mrs. Borden with some can see that," she chores around the place." "I commented as she looked at the pile of rubble before her. "By the way, I'm your neighbor, Cindy Felsh." "Nice to meet you, he said politely. "Susan is home, isn't she?" the neighbor asked. "She's inside," he answered. "Thanks. Perhaps we will talk again later. Bye." Terry watched her

as she knocked on the door and entered as Susan answered it.

"He's a doll, Susan!" she exclaimed as she sat down at the table. "I thought for a minute that your daughter had returned and you were fooling me on the phone." "I wasn't kidding! Don't you think her clothes fit him well?" Susan asked her guest. But I'll bet you he "They sure do. get can't wait for you to mend his so that he can "Not if I back into jeans," Mrs. Felsh replied. "Now wait a minute can help it!" Susan declared. Susan! Surely you don't intend to try and .... "I most certainly do, Cindy!" The neighbor looked flustered. "Talk sense woman! Everyone knows that you've been troubled since the divorce. know how you feel about that daughter of yours believe me. But she didn't want to wear the clothes

you bought her. She was a good kid she just preferred riding boots and denim to perfume and lace. "Cindy, all my You can't hold that against her. life I've wanted a daughter that I could dress up and buy pretty things for. The divorce took my only chance away from me. You know I'm incapable of getting pregnant again so there's no use in getting married because it won't get me another child! You have a lovely daughter so how would you know what I'm going through?" "Susan you know that a lot of the townsfolk don't think you're too stable as it is. If you start dressing that boy in skirts they'll really think you've flipped!" Cindy finished.

~17