48--MAID UP

training sessions every morning."

Some more time was spent in sitting down and standing up. Endlessly repeated. John never once forgot to straighten out his skirts under him before sitting down.

"That's not too bad" said Miss Clara. "But you need a lot of improvements. Now it's time for your cooking class. Get quickly into your white uniform," she said, slapping John on his fanny as a sort of good-bye. John left the room with a sigh of relief and walked clankingly to his room. The bells on his wrists really reminded him to walk "with his hips" as his skirt swayed against his legs.

After all this exercise he felt he needed a quick shower and thereafter put on clean undies and his fresh white cooking uniform. He tied on the large coverall white apron and left for the kitchen. Miss Mary was waiting for him there and pretty soon John was engaged in all kinds of fancy cookery. He realized that Mary was a really accomplished cook and he could learn a lot from her."

Apparently his mistresses were epicureans because the dishes he helped prepare were really fancy. And smelling all these nice odors made John feel hungry again. As he was about to taste some of the soup, Miss Mary scolded him severely. "You are on a strict diet. Miss Betty noticed that your uniforms are quite tight in your middle. You are not to taste even the smallest morsel and will eat only what I give you. Do you understand?"

John nodded, but he noticed that Miss Mary, for all her kindly looks and "cooky" figure, really meant business and could hand out punishment like Miss Clara. So he obeyed and put the soup spoon down again. Miss Mary lost no time in teaching John the tricks of the trade. "The Hepstein Ladies expect a six course meal every evening and we will have our hands full."

So John did his best and helped as much as he could, picking up valuable information all the while. He went about it so businesslike, that he forgot his feminine movements.

Miss Mary said, "You'd better watch how you walk. If Miss Clara sees you marching around like a Prussian, you'll 'catch' it."

So John took smaller steps again and made the bells on his wrist tinkle. Finally dinner was almost ready. Miss Mary reminded John in a friendly tone that it was high time to get into his serving uniform. "Don't forget to put on your best lace apron for serving dinner."

John quickly changed into one of his best uniforms. This one looked like silk and the fit was much tighter than his day uniforms. He had trouble zipping it up the back but finally succeeded. He then freshened up his makeup. The skirt was a little shorter than the other uniforms and because they showed so much leg, John wanted to wear black stockings which made his legs stand out even more, but there was no time to change. Quickly, he went into the dining room in order to set the table. There he found Miss Betty

TV FICTION CLASSICS -49 waiting for him. He almost forgot to curtsy but at the last moment he fortunately remembered. "You're 5 minutes late; don't let this happen again."

Setting the dinner table was quite a ritual John discovered. It was like dining in the Waldorf Astoria, the table being set with exquisite crystal, Wedgewood plates, finger-bowls, the works. And everything had its place down to the last inch. John had a lot to learn all right. Miss Georgian and Miss Clara came in together and sat at the table. They were dressed in beautiful evening dresses, somewhat old fashioned but made of unusual and costly materials.

John curtseyed to each of them and helped them onto their chairs. Then he left for the kitchen. He was conscious that the eyes of his Mistresses were following him approvingly. John was conscious of his attractively clad and shaped legs as he left the room. "I'm beginning to be glad I'm a girl," he thought, "and I haven't even had a cocktail. I'm glad my skirts are short.'

He soon reentered the room with a large tray carrying 3 steaming plates of hot soup, bringing a delicious odor into the room along with him. He served the soup without mishap. Miss Betty told him to stand in a corner of the room and watch closely in order to anticipate the needs of his Mistresses. He did so and his stomach really began to hurt with hunger, when he saw the three ladies eating so heartily. "This is real torture," he thought.

The next courses were also served to the satisfaction of his mistresses. As he moved about gracefully, removing plates and serving the various dishes, he could feel the approval of his Mistresses. And this made him do his best to do everything even better. As he left the room to get the coffee from the kitchen he overheard Miss Betty say, "I think we have a jewel finally, a great improvement over those young stupid females we have had in the past. Her age is becoming to her. She does not look a year over 20." John blushed when he heard this and went along to the kitchen humming a song.

It was past 7:30 when the ladies finally finished their desert and coffee. They left the room and John cleared the table as quickly as he could, taking all the dirty things to the kitchen. When the dining room was orderly he still could not sit down to eat until he had served Miss Mary and the 2 men. When he finally did get to eat, he found a very small portion being dished out by Miss Mary. "I could eat a can of dog food," John thought "and a bag of birdseed for dessert.'

But no dessert was forthcoming for John and Miss Mary ordered him to do the dishes immediately. "Here, in the future, use this when doing the dishes or other dirty work," she said, handing John a blue and white striped pinafore. "This will protect your best uniform." John put it on and went to work doing the dishes and clearing the table in the pantry. The 2 men had left after wishing him a friendly "Good Night." William looked at him with a real