19.

and it was agreed that it was beat to announce that I had gone away for a visit, and that a friend of Sis's, Gloria, was visiting for a time. Mother hammered it into the others that they must always call me Gloria and think of me as an entirely separate person. Sie thought the whole thing a huge joke.

How wonderful it was. The next morning I got up and dressed in the brown chambray as the most natural thing in the world. Not though, that I wasn't thrilled to pieces. My hair, though still a bit unruly, was in a do that I could handle to good effect. Make up too seemed to flow on and I arrived at the breakfast table before Dad had left, look- ing so well that he even remarked that I should have no trouble carrying off the deception.

Sis knew by then that it was by no means all Mother's idea, but she didn't tell Dad, and instead backed Mother in helping me all she could. The next few days were in the nature of an intensive schooling, for I was woefully ignor- ant of things and manners feminine, but even more anxious than they were that I make a good impression, so I learned for all I was worth. One cannot learn a lifetime of things in a few days, but I did so well that I soon found myself acting and feeling natural in my dresses.

One of these first days Mother took me downtown with her and I bought for myself, out of my own money, a splashy print cotton skirt and white blouse with a ruffled neck- line. They were very cute and very appropriate for my age, besides, they added a welcome change to my very limited wardrobe. Buying them for myself, too was a very thrill- ing experience and to make it better the saleslady didn't seem to think I was anything but what I appeared to be.

Other too, as I inevitably came in contact with them accepted me at face value. Even some of Sia's friends whom I knew well couldn't be avoided entirely. Meeting them was on the nerve wracking side, but none recognized mo. My own friends having learned that I was out of town on a visit were no problem for they didn't come around.