32.

high school. Butch's world toppled around him, but be- fore he could rearrange it the dynamic Aunt Marian had packed up and whisked him off on an eastbound train.

The trip was an embarassing nightmare to both of them for the same reason, namely his apparent boyish- ness. As there was really nothing girlish about him but his clothes, many stares and laughs were directed at him. Whether he was guessed to be masquerading or thought to be a coarse tomboy didn't matter, it was enough to upset the two, and Aunt Marian suffered almost as much mortific ation as he did. They finally reached Aunt Marian's se- cluded house, however, much to the relief of both. She lived in a small town in upper Maine and in the seclusion which certain old maids of her type developed.

Aunt Marian changed her attitude toward her nephew almost at once, becoming severe and abandoning her former restraint.

"Understand, Marian", she said, "I brought you here for two purposes, the first to keep me company as you al- ready know, and the second to try and correct the horrib- ly mistaken way your mother was raising you. I do hope it isn't too late to make a young lady out of you. At the rate you were going you would grow into an uncouth roughneck--and bearing my name too. Why it is disgraceful the way your mother was bringing you up. You can't sew, you can't cook, and are interested only in rough boy's sports. I even doubt whether you wear dresses half the time judging the way you walk and I'll swear there were more slacks and boy's clothing in your closet at home than there were girl's clothes. Answer me this truthfully now, 'didn't you father encourage you to wear boy's clothes and to act like a boy'"?

Butch was quite confused. The events of the past 8 days had been enough to reduce almost any normal boy to a state of hysterics. The embarrassment he had suffered had been almost torture.

He just couldn't get used to