—

more the same way, paid for them and was about to go, having made my point I felt, when she too asked if I would like to see something in lingerie. "Why, no thank you as a matter of fact I do!" She smiled again and led me into another section where twenty-four hours before I would have died of mortification. To the amusement and consterna- tion of several customers and a few clerks, we spent a mad half-hour there. I must have been out of my mind completely by that time, for I was talking in a very loud stage whisper and acting the complete dolt, snatching up everything and holding it up to myself. I was surprised by the size load it made, and I decided to have it all delivered.

After a quick visit to the shoe department where I scandalized my former co-workers by trying on all manner of high heels, I left. I swear when I walked out the front door, the whole building was laughing, but somehow I didn't care any more.

Late that afternoon everything was delivered. It made quite an im- pressive sight all those boxes. Since I had managed to spend several hundred dollars that afternoon, I thought I had better see if anything fit right or not one of the cocktail dresses I had bought was ninety-five dollars alone!

As I inventoried the mound of shining things I had bought, I was a little dismayed by the lack of coherence in my purchases. Despite a reasonably thorough grounding in "total" fashion, I had apparently made an error of indulgence. Were I to spend most of my waking hours in the future at cocktail parties and small intimate gatherings a deux, I was well supplied. And if I were to spend my sleeping hours in a seraglio, then I was most fit. Unfortunately, if I were going to just sit down or even worse, actually to labor I would have to readjust my purchasing program rather drastically. I considered this at length, ad- miring the silliness of floral printed slips, the airy fragility of certain high-heeled sandals, the breathless smoothness of silken skirts. “Come off it," I said to myself. "You aren't sorry you bought this stuff — why are you now afraid?”

It seemed up to that moment I hadn't really committed myself; I must confess that I both heard and felt the bounding of my heart as I slipped out of my slacks, shirt, tie, etc., and picked up the first piece of lingerie. In spite of a rare keening of all my physical senses, a part of my mind seemed remotely detached as I carefully considered the use and fit of each garment. In point of fact, I was so detached, that when there came a knock on the door, I called out "Yes?" Somehow, I didn't

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