15.

which fitted equally well, and when mother returned to the room held my legs out remarking, "Look, mother, your shoes fit me perfectly, I guess we are the same all over."

She laughed, saying, "Hardly all over, dear. You for get that I weigh a good deal more than you do, but the way you are growing I probably wont for long." She then went on talking, saying how glad she was to see me growing for she and father had been worried about my small size. I was small, and am yet, and like any normal parents it had been the subject of some concern. My sister, who had by then stopped growing, was 2 or 3 inches shorter than I, so compar itively I wasn't too badly off.

By then I was up and walking around the room wearing the pumps out of curiosity, for I had never had on high- heeled shoes before. Mother looking me over critically, observed, "Really, K--, you have very nice looking legs. I wonder how you would look in a dress?" The idea had never occurred to me, but I thought about it a moment, then replied, "Like the very devil, mother, I dont look like a girl." She said, "Oh, I'm not so sure of that. Really you have nice features and aren't too muscular, lets try it"

It never occurred to me to back away from her sugges- tion, for, as I said, we were the best of friends with no reservations. So mother took from her drawer a pair of panties and a slip and after I had them on helped me into the cotton house frock she had worn that day. At the time I felt a bit foolish, but there was no other reactin at all. But one thing was very apparent--the dress was too big.

Mother looked me over, exclaiming, "Oh, that will never do, K--. It looks like a flour sack on you. Dont try to tell me we are the same size all over. 11 Then she turned to her clost, remarking as she did so, "that dress is big for me so no wonder it's terrible on you, let me find something that's tight for me." In a moment she se- lected a plain little dark blue daytime frock, and after taking the house dress off I pulled it over my head.