17.

clothing or as he is now?" Dad groaned, "Oh my gosh, Helen, he can't go out with hair like that, it would ruin him. He can put a lot of dressing on it so it will lie down.

"He'll do nothing of the kind," Mother exclaimed, "All the dressing and brushing would be as suinous as getting it cut. His hair is going to stay the way it is, now you take your choice as to how you want him to dress! But first of all I suggest that you take a good look at him."

As the cause of all of this, Dad's hopeless sort of anger and Mother's sarcastically hot questions and state- ments, I did anything but relish her command that he look at me. But there was nothing to do but stand there while he looked me up and down. When he had finished Mother asked, "Well?"

"Well what?" He asked in return.

"What is it going to be?" she retorted.

"Why, damn it, there cant be any choice, and you know it, R he thundered. "The only possible thing is for him to wear his dresses. Anything else would ruin us, and you. know that too. But I want one thing clear--that is his promise that there will be no publicity. If there is, my God, I don't know what I will do!"

I dont know what he might have done either, but it would have been horrible I'm sure. As it was, and des- pite his anger, I was so delighted I could have jumped for joy right there in the face of the family crisis. But fortunately, I could keep myself under control and after a quick thought, and even knowing that it put Mother in a bit of a bad light, I told him, "There won't be any publicity you may be sure, Dad. And, after all Mother really did work hard on my hair so we just can't spoil it all can we? Really it isn't so bad that I can't stand it for a few days, and if I can put up with it you certain- ly can too."

Mother was standing behind Dad as I said that so, for- tunately he couldn't see her face. Her first thought, thinking that I had betrayed her, was one of anger clearly