36.

bosom that gave her a start. Aunt Marian had really done him up for the occasion. Then with another start he re- alized that the other person on the porch wasn't Aunt Marian-unless she too was masquerading as one of the op- posite sex. No, the rotund little man with the fat jowls could hardly be the tall, gaunt Aunt Marian. Butch, if it was he, gave out with another shreik as Mrs. Brown ap- peared in the doorway to be likewise enveloped in a start- ling embrace. The natty little man advanced toward Mr. Brown beaming--he thrust out his hand and said,

"I'm glad to know you sir, I'm Conrad your new son-in-law.........!

Mr. and Mrs. Brown both felt quite giddy. Aunt Marian's joke had been carried beyond the realm of possib- ility. Neither as a team were able to guide the conversa- tion into explanatory channels. The passively stood by awaiting developments while their effeminate son chattered and gushed and built up the charm of his mysterious compan- ion. "You know, Daddy, Conrad is also in the hardware business. He has a chain of five store now." At that Mr. Brown's interested perked up and before long he and Conrad were deeply engrossed in the technical points of the hardware business.

Butch giggled and jumped up, "Mother, the conversa- tion will be rather dull from now on so come and help me unpack while I take a shower and change".

Mrs. Brown's gaze was divided between the expensive silks and things that she was discovering in Butch's trunk and the personal uncovering of her pseudo daughter who was now wriggling out of a girdle. "You know, Mother, I owe this nice figure all to Aunt Marian. She made me wear a tight corset day and night for over a year, but you can see it brought results".

Mrs. Brown gasped as if she had been struck. A lacy dainty dropped from her nervous fingers--Butch nad unhook- his brassier displaying the unbelievable fact that it was