"It would be best if you could buy the stuff around here there's only small towns for a hundred miles out there, and there might be questions and so on. You can, er change when you get there of course, so there will be time enough for you to get used to it all. Any- way, here's the money for something like a basic start; we can get more later on and don't worry about it I'm making quite a good deal right now, and by doing this you're helping me go on making it.” I was surprised at the thickness of the envelope and I couldn't resist opening it: the sight of all those bills was staggering.

―

"You're awfully trusting," I said. She just looked at me. "I think I know where we stand. Well, if there's nothing else I'll see you, say - one week from now. All right?" I nodded my head. "Oh—just one more thing if you don't mind - -" She got a pair of scissors from the dresser drawer and came over to me, then snipped a lock of hair from my head. "What???" She laughed and holding the hair up said, “I want to order you a wig-"I don't know why- but that seemed really funny and we were both giggling when we parted.

I didn't sleep very well that night nor the next. I called in sick the next day and the day after. In truth, I was. Somehow, the resolution of that night seemed less clear, less profound by the daylight. In the end, I suppose it was the sight of all the money and perhaps that I realized the truth lying behind the situation that finally made up my mind for me. I could easily have mailed the money back to her, but I didn't. And so, after two days of wrestling with myself, I decided to go through with it.

My first move was to buy several copies of the current fashion maga- zines; as a novice, I wanted to be sure of what was what. When I bought them at the drugstore, the clerk smirked at me and asked if there was anything else. I blushed then and threw the money down on the counter and ran out, while he stood there laughing. Later, I was quite mad, but there was nothing I could do.

A half-day of reading left me thinking there was a lot of foolishness going on in the world of fashion, but also a fairly clear idea of what was what and an approximate idea of costs. Not that that was going to be a great problem; Miss Scott had left me an even two thousand dollars - and promised more. I couldn't see how one could possibly spend that much even over several years. Four days later, I knew.

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