The next day the suit was done--it was lovely--the excellence of material and workmanship, and its superb color and fit, combining to make a very smart garment. At lunch Mother and Aunt decided that as it was Saturday they would make an occasion out of our dinner that evening. About five they sent me upstairs to bathe and when I came back to my room, in my blue wrapper, Aunt was laying clothes out on my bed. First she gave me a chemise, most unusual for it had no shoulder straps, which I put on to find it had an elastic about the top of the bodice to hold it up. Then came the corset, it was very dainty, and much more wasp-waisted than the ones I had been wearing so that Aunt really had a struggle to get it laced tight enough; but what a wonderful figure it did give me. The cor- set was followed by hose and bloomers, and a petticoat that, like the chemise, had no shoulder straps--instead it fastened tightly about the waist and over the breasts. Then Aunt helped me into the dress, or rather evening gown. It was of a heavy cream-colored satin trimmed with bands of black lace about the skirt and bodice. It had no shoulder straps, so the mystery of the chemise and petti- coat were solved. However the band of lace that formed the top of the bodice went around the arm as well to form an, "Off the should- er", sleeve--rather like the gowns popular before the civil war, thus my shoulders, back, and bosom down to my breasts were left bare. Aunt then produced a pair of black silk pumps--most strange after the high buttoned shoes. I then sat patiently while she arr- anged my hair, placing the knot lower on my neck than usual, and putting an artificial white flower on each side just above my ear. Finally she powdered my face neck, arms and back--put a string of pearls around my neck, and gave me two rings and a bracelet to

wear.

"There now!" she said, "You're ready for the party. look at yourself."

Now run

I started downstairs to look at myself in the hall mirror when she called me back, and made me put on an extremely long pair of white kid gloves. They came above my elbows and opened at the wrist in such a way that I could get my hand out and roll the glove back on my wrist without taking it off my arm. At her direction I put the bracelet over the glove and lastly took a black lace fan she handed me, then I went down while she went in to dress.

Standing before the mirror, I was amazed at my appearance--the full skirt and my narrow waist and bare shoulders combined to make

50.