Transvestia

Mr. Chamberlain (his boss) ever raise old Ned!" He

groaned, ardently wishing that such scenes could be post- poned forever. Might as well face it, I'll be in hot water] when I don't show up at the bank at nine. "It will be hard enough to explain to them where I've been"... 'But Ellen will never forgive me-- never! "Whatever shall I do?" The inner Henry, which had luxuriated in the evening before, suggested the answer. He had been su- premely happy here, but could look forward to nothing but dire consequences. Ergo! Postpone the inevitable- stay a bit longer. As we have said before, Henry Detweiler was not a particularly courageous man, but he was power- fully attracted to the exchantment of Gracie and wanted to know her better. The hunger for her warmth tilted the balance. He would stay another day--or two. "Besides" he consoled himself "things could hardly get much worse!"

Afternoon found the troubled Mr. Detweiler in the park, seated on a shady bench near one of the main path- ways. The principal visitors to the park were oldish men, with a uniformly dejected air; and nursemaids and young matrons giving the children a breath of fresh air. It mattered not if the latter were tall or short, young or old, fat or thin--each woman who passed by conjured up the image of Gracie. Their parade past him became an im- agined sequence of meetings with the girl of his dreams. At last, the tempo of the sounds of a city surging to life at the close of the business day brought him back to earth. He found it a strange and awkward place, realizing that these were not familiar surroundings,. but those of a strang city. He was not really sure why he was there, but every corpuscle of his being insisted that he stay.

Examination of his wallet disclosed a tidy $635 and several cards. These, plus his checkbook, would serve him for at least a week in the city. Reassured of his solvency, the feasibility of extending his visit in his new life cheered him. After a quick freshening up in a nearby barber shop, Henry had supper at the Automat-- another 'first' for Henry. To condition himself for the evening ahead, a stop was made at Charlie's Silver Dollar Bar", a rather gaudy, but satisfying dim haven in which tolerable bourbon could be procured at the stated price. A raucous juke-box at the rear belched forth it's brassy fury giving the place the air of a carnival midway.