She raced down the field about 30 yards. I wanted to tell her to come in closer. I held the ball out and lifted my foot toward it. The ball slithered off to the left. As I hurriedly rushed over and picked it up, Debbie registered her disgust by resting her face over her upraised hand and arm, supported by the other hand and arm.

The second try was better but this time my leg went so high and my timing was so bad that the ball went straight up in the air. Again I raced for the ball but Debbie came toward me and said, "Oh forget it, that last kick convinced me you belong in a girl line-not on a football field! " Debbie was giving up on me. I had failed again in an effort to convince her of my "manly superiority" over her.

chorus

I stood there tragically as Debbie came over and sat down on the grass in front of me. She said to sit down too, I did. We sat there long moments before anyone spoke. I was conscious of Debbie looking me over as though to say, What do you do with a person like this" or "How could I have been so mistaken about him. I could not look at her, keeping my eyes either to the ground or off to the side.

Finally she spoke. "You know Merrill, it's really a shame you aren't a girl. You have the figure and features of a girl. Rounded, soft, dainty and femin- inc! And your physical ability is definitely girlish. Why, I'm better at athletics than you and yet I have never known a boy other than you that could not best me in all sports. My eyes were turned further away as I did the only thing I knew to avoid the embarrass- ment of the truth of what she said.

She reached up and gently pulled my face around so that my eyes had to look toward hers. She smiled, "Honestly, darling, you must admit that you did enjoy the feel of my clothes when you rehung them for me. Didn't you? I could do nothing but murmer an uncon- vincing N -n-no." She smiled a knowing look.

We sat there a few moments longer and I could tell that her mind was now hard at work. At last she enthusiastically said, "Merrill, I've an idea. Why