Transvestia

apparel-- from coats and shoes to those intimate flimsies that always brought a flush of embarrassment to his face. Maybe the men's department was at the rear. So he made his way through the aisles thence. By chance. he happened past the ladies' suit department--and there on display was an identical copy of the suit that Gracie wore. He was drawn to the rack as if by a magnet; feeling at last really near enough to Gracie to touch her. His hand went out and stroked the exquisitely soft collar and the rougher woolen texture of the cloth, getting the same electric thrill as if she certainly were wearing this suit. A ma- tronly clerk came over and asked "Would you like to see this number on a model?" "Oh my no!" He blurted.... "I was just thinking of how this might look on my wife." Matter-of-factly, the clerk sensed a sale and inquired What is her size, please?" Now Henry was really fluster- ed! The very thought of so beautifully tailored a garment on size 42 Ellen was completely ludicrous! In defense of the 'image' of she who should wear the suit, he improvised "A size 18".

11

•

•

ries?"

་་

Before Henry could regain his composure, the sales- lady was back again with an identical suit held before her. "Here we are, a size 18". "Of course, we have the same style in a number of pastels, pink, powder blue.. She continued. "Why, er, this one will do very nicely", came his stumbling reply. Under the assumption that the suit was for Mrs. Detweiler (heaven forbid), the sales- lady suggested "How about some matching accessor "Purse? "Gloves?", "Shoes?". To which Henry's head nodded affirmatively while he remained mute. The sales- lady was not to be diverted in her quest for a sale and used her feminine wiles on Henry to full effect. Henry was aware that he was getting in deeper, but was help- less to extricate himself. This was so embarrassing! "How can I explain to her what I really meant?" He groped for a solution and could come up only with the idea that he was having all these pretty things for Gracie. The sales- lady goaded Henry into confessing that he wanted the entire costume to be exactly like that in the window on beloved Gracie. In due time, he purchased a pair of brown alligator pumps, giving his own size when at a loss for 'her' size. The pile of accessories and whatnot grew on the counter, and with it, some of Henry's self-confidence. As the saleslady began tallying these treasures, she

29