4:30 o'clock and started cleaning up the mess. A t 5:00 o'clock I began to worry. The cake wasn't rising. Aunt Catherine was due home any minute and I wanted to have that cake ready for her. But the darn thing was flat as a flapjack. Then to compound the situation, hop- ing against hope, I left it in too long and it burned around the edges. I was just pulling my burnt offering out of the oven when in walked Aunt Catherine. The first thing she said was Some thing's burning." Well I just couldn't help myself I burst into tears. Aunt Catherine sized up the situation in a trice, and restored order quickly with her remark, "My, My! Just like a new bride." She gave me a hug and I just had to smile through the tears.

"

-P

That night we went out to dinner. At dinner Aunt Catherine said that when she had first discovered me in her things she had decided to really make me fish or cut bait and that she was now pleased with the re- sults though they were different than she had at first anticipated. She stated that with a certain amount of additional training I could live quite satisfactorily as a girl as long as I cared to, but she thought it would have an adverse effect on my personality to keep it forever a secret from my parents. She aggreed however, that it was my decision to carry out as my conscience dictated and she promised not to interfere or intercede. I told her of my desire to learn to sew and she put me right to work at it as soon as we arrived back home. I fell asleep sitting up learning to darn.

The remainder of the ten days were spent quietly at the apartment. Aunt Catherine never again put me to the test but rather accelerated my learning of the gentle arts all she could by personal instruction and patient persuasion. She even taught me to bake a choc- olate fudge cake.

On Sunday, after mass, when it came time to make preparations to leave, I gathered together everything that needed to be rinsed out and headed for the bath- room. When I returned Aunt Catherine was waiting for me. She had placed a large suitcase open on top of the bed. Then she told me that I should pack my "breast pocket" wardrobe and accountrements in the suitcase.

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