RANSVESTIA

or just walking in high heels and skirts that perhaps only transvestites knew and understood. The series of delicate balancing movements precipitated by the precarious heels, the subtle tug of the girdle, and the swirl and ripple of the skirt against the nylon clad legs were part of it. You carried your arms high and close to the body with your purse resting on your right forearm. The mannerisms and clothing combined to give Harriet a strong sense of her own feminine reality. She stepped smartly along in her heels, placing each foot precisely forward. It was neither a mince nor a shuffle but a well practiced ladylike gait. The aisles of the darkened store were lighted only by exit lights and a few permanently burning lights that made it possible to see almost every- thing dimly and well enough to get about without stumbling over things. As she walked along Harriet frequently viewed herself in the mirrors by by elevators or in the fitting areas. Or she watched the feminine out- lines of her shadow grow large before her feet as she walked along under some overhead light. Preoccupation with her own appearance was exag- gerated by her loneliness and lack of friendly company. The constant visual affirmation of her separate feminine existence was a neccessary manifestation common to many transvestites that hid their activities from the world as Harriet did.

The fur stole was adding a lot to the proceedings this evening. It was the first time Harriet had tried a stole and it was so interesting to arrange it in different ways around one's shoulders. Harry very seldom bothered with the fur coats. Furs did not always go with your costume to begin with, but, aside from that, it meant extra work and time for Harry. One did not just walk into the fur department. There were two sets of doors to unlock, an electrically charged telescoping gate, and a separate alarm system to turn off before you could safely go in. Once the fur department was locked up Harry generally preferred to leave it alone. But this evening he had deviated from his usual rule to add a touch of luxury to Harriet's costume. The trouble was the stole was making her a little warm and uncomfortable since the air conditioning in the building was off on the weekends. Harriet had been walking around the store in the stole for over an hour as if she were outside on a cool autumn day. Finally she decided to put the stole and fur fedora away and lock up the fur depart- ment for the weekend. She left the second floor where she had been trying on shoes and walked up the escalators to four where the fur department was located. Just as she had the mink back in its proper place the low menacing rumble of thunder carried through the walls of the building. Apparently the storm outside was getting violent. Perhaps there were tornadoes in the area. The sound of jet engines and sonic booms never carried through those walls. The clap of thunder that

17