"Oh now, you're being unnecessarily harsh; you're a very handsome person." I meant it sincerely, but she smiled again, wistfully, it seemed. "You've put your finger on it "handsome" but not pretty. A mascu- line adjective, although I do thank you for being so gallant. But, I think you can see it, can't you? I'll tell you what our friend in distress needs - a doppelganger."

“A double? I don't understand.”

She explained. I don't know what held me there, in that room as I listened to her crackpot idea. Perhaps just fascination of such a wildly conceived scheme, partly the respect I held her in; but I stayed, right to the end, right to that statement when she offered me a job - as herself.

"You see," she finished, "I can and have and wish to continue to appear as a male. You may think that strange, but it is not only a ques- tion of the career or vocational interests. You see, I like living as a man. There's so much more freedom, so many more opportunities. In fact, I'm beginning to think like a man. It shows in my writing, I'm con- vinced. And now we come to you let me tell you a few things about yourself, by your leave. Why haven't you done better for yourself? Why is it you are selling shoes for a few dollars a week when you have so much education? Oh, I know— bad luck, not too many openings, and so on. But is that really the reason? Be honest now what was the usual reaction when you went to see a personnel manager or a college official about a job?"

In spite of the unconcealed personal attack, I thought for a minute. There had always been a sense of alienness whenever I went for an interview but what was it? I concentrated; well, there had been in one case an open, very rude laugh — another showed, well, almost a loathing, still another showed resignation. But there was something in common - I groped for it — and then it hit me: the initial, preconceived hostility when they had first seen me come in the office. Even the store manager where I worked now had said something to the effect that perhaps I might work out in the ladies' shoe department; I had thought he was referring to my degrees, but was he?

-

Miss Scott went on relentlessly. "I arrived here yesterday. I spent several hours then and most of today checking up on you. I had a suspicion when I saw your photograph, but I had to know for sure. Please forgive me but I wouldn't care to have the things said about me

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