17.

more or less a personal affront, and though joining in it at imes there was an element of reservation about her. Finally, after one particularly hilarious quip, she exclaim- ed in an aggrieved tone, "That's not fair of you at all. K-- doesn't look that bad, and you know it". Then, turning di- rectly at me, she continued, "Darling, let's just show these crude people". Not understanding her at all I was puzzled, and so was Sis, who asked, "Mother, what do you mean?"

"Mean? Why I mean that K-- could look really cute if we took the trouble to fix him up. And I think we should too, just so you and Dad will be quiet". At that there was another burst of humor and the dinner was over. I returned Mother's things to her room and within a day or so had large- ly forgotten the whole matter.

But Mother hadn't, and a few days later when I again came in early, she said to me, "Hurry K-, and get your bath. I have all the clothes ready to make you into a reg- ular beauty." This was totally unexpected for I hadn't tak- en her seriously at all. As before I felt utterly neutral about it, but I didn't think there was a chance that I would be anything but funny, and I told her so. But Mother firmly insisted that she could make me look so well I half- way began to believe her, and relishing the chance to make father and Sis swallow their words I hurried to bathe.

Fresh and clean from my bath I went to her room where the process of transformation took place. First there was a panty girdle and it was quickly followed by hose, slip and a bra which she padded with a very qritical eye. I was most surprised by the good fit and when I asked about it she explained that she had gone through everything she had to get things too small for her. The dress, which followed bore this out too. I could remember that mother had bought it a year or so before because she like it so well thinking it could be let out enough to fit her. But when it came to actually doing it there hadn't been enough material in the seams and it had been laid away every since. It was a simple little shiny blue silk print, shirtwaist style with full skirt.