Patrick pretended not to hear the summons. The twins called for him to come again. He looked up and said something to his mother. I was all cars but I could not hear what he said.

“He wants to stay here with me for awhile," Mrs. Malley informed the twins.

“But Mother, he'll miss the games. Tell him to come.”

Mrs. Malley looked at Patrick but Patrick was adamant. The twins came into the kitchen to offer some persuasion.

"Come on Patrick. We'll be with you. We won't let anyone tease you. You can come back to mother after the games are over. Please Patrick, your costume looks so nice."

In the middle of this harangue the twins noticed my mother who had stopped her work and turned around to watch.

"Hello Mrs. Barton."

"Hello girls," my mother replied looking puzzled. "Is that Patrick?" she asked nodding in the direction of the pink dress.

One of the twins came over to explain.

"Yes

Mama let us dress him up in my formal. Don't you think he looks yummy as a girl?"

"He looks very nice," mother conceded raising her brows. "Frankly I thought he was a girl the way you were all calling him Patricia when you came in earlier.”

Everyone within hearing tittered at Patrick's expense.

"Oh we were just teasing him," the twin explained. Mrs. Malley gave my mother a "talk to you later" look and smiled.

At length the girls prevailed and Patrick was escorted out of the kitch- en flanked by black cats on either side. As they disappeared out the kitchen door I heard one of them say: "Oh silly leave your purse with mother. You won't need it.” And back he came to deposit the purse. I stepped aside as he swished and clickety-clacked past. There was a sweet odor of perfume in the air around him.

53