"If that's all that is deterring you it's alright for I've al- ready told Sue about last night. She thought it was a clever idea, and is dying to see you that way--in fact, she said she was going to ask you to dress for her before you took the clothes back." I realized that I was defeated for the time being, so to stall Mother off I told her that I would put them on after breakfast. But that didn't fool her--having won the first round she pressed the point, and before long I was grudgingly putting on the chemise. Mother then helped me put on the corset, arranged the breast padding, and laced it up. I then put on the rest of the clothes; and while I buttoned the shoes she arranged the hair, or rather the wig.

After the experience of the previous day, the clothes were not such a mystery, and I was dressed much sooner than I had expected. Like Aunt, Mother put some powder on my face--and also a touch of rouge, for she thought that I had appearad too sallow the evening before. As we started down stairs I was surprised to realize that now that I was dressed as a woman I was glad that Mother had per- suaded me to do so--but I passed it off with the thought that the novelty had not yet worn off.

Sue was so surprised when she saw me that she almost dropped the coffee pot. I was forced to undergo a thorough scrutiny at the completion of which, Sue, like the others, agreed that my appearance was amazingly feminine. She also added that she liked me so much that way that she hoped I'd dress as a girl often. The reaction of Mother, Aunt, and the two maids, amazed me--at first they all thought it a huge joke, then their amusement changed to surprise, and most strangely of all--approbation. I couldn't un- derstand it, but this approval was most marked and it increased as time went on.

We sat down to breakfast, and as the meal progressed I found that I was not so tense as I had been the previous evening; and that as I relaxed the clothing, despite its strangeness, could be tolerated. Sue continued to show her approval by being unusually attentive to my wants. Breakfast over, Mother decided that there was not yet enough light for pictures, and that she would write a few letters in the meantime. I, having nothing to do, put on the blue jacket and wandered out into the garden--planted so that a heavy screen of bushes kept any neighbor from seeing me. There I spent more than an hour enjoying the fresh morning air and doing a little light, and rather ineffective cultivating among the flowers,

53.