TRANSVESTIA Gathering up the purse and pistol Harry decided it would be best to return to the fourth floor to observe their activities from a safe distance. After one last look at the still unconscious youth in the office Harry proceeded down the escalator to the fifth floor. Just as he started to make his way to the fourth floor, however, the burglar wearing the cowboy boots appeared at the bottom of the escalator shaft. Harry jumped out of sight. Apparently the man paused briefly before ascending, possibly because his companion, the big man, was yelling something to him. Harry heard him yell something back in response. Then cowboy boots started up the escalator.

There was no time to lose. Harry took the pistol from the purse and held it ready. He would follow the man and take him from behind in the same fashion as the first burglar. Harry scurried quickly behind a lingerie counter to the side of the escalator and crouched there. From the sound of the footsteps cowboy boots had arrived on five and would be starting up to six. Thinking that the burglar had already started his ascent to the sixth floor Harry straightened up behind the counter. He had miscalculated, however, and the man was less than ten feet away and was looking in Harry's direction. Harry ducked as quickly as he could but in the process he upset his purse and the flashlight and keys tumbled from it making a distinct metallic noise on the tile floor. Tightening his grip on the pistol Harry prayed that cowboy boots had not heard the noise. A faint scraping sound came from the direction of the escalator. The fact that the man was still there indicated that he had been alerted by the noise. Harry dared not raise his head to look. He heard the man's voice. There was a tentative inflection to it.

"Paul?"

The word sent chills up Harry's back. Cowboy boots must be right on top of him. Then footsteps shuffled toward him and then stopped. Cowboy boots was even closer — perhaps just on the other side of the counter. If he waited any longer he might lose the advantage of surprise. Now was the time to take the initiative.

Harry rose up quickly with the pistol drawn. The man was less than four feet away with his back to Harry peering into the darkness in the opposite direction. Sensing Harry's presence the burglar began to turn but Harry's voice stopped him.

"Hold it and get your hands up. This is a loaded .38 here." Harry's throat was dry and his man's voice cracked in the middle of the com-

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