RANSVESTIA

"Beautiful," I said, "let's get started." A few hours later, I emerged with lovely red hair. The operator had also given me some tips on make- up, so I also had cosmetics and nail polish to accent the new me.

I relaxed and watched TV for awhile and went to bed early. In the stillness of the night, I realized this was the first night in over a year that I had been away from Helen. The sudden loneliness and my longing for her descended on me like an avalanche! It took all my will power to keep from calling the Colonel and trying to talk to my Helen for awhile. I finally fell asleep and the alarm awakened me the next morning. The place was lonesome without her, but I knew she would soon be there. The sight of my tousled red hair gave me a start when I looked in the mirror, but after showering and dressing, I couldn't help lingering a while longer than usual as I combed and arranged it. The copper-tones glittered through it like specks of burnished copper and diamonds. I thought it was lovely.

I was still dawdling over a second cup of coffee when Helen arrived. Her big, blue eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw me. I pulled her inside, closed the door and gave her a long, but fast kiss. before she could even speak.

"Greta!" she cried, "your hair - it's beautiful! But — but

why?"

"Major's orders,” I said, “blonde Greta can't be seen yet."

"Oh, Honey," she said gleefully, "let me look at you!" She led me over by the picture window and stood me in a beam of sunlight. "Turn around, now, slowly," she said. And I did several times. "Darling," she exclaimed, "I've never seen hair so strikingly beautiful in my life!"

—

"Flattery will get you somewhere,” I laughed. “How about a cup be- fore we get started?" "Fine, 'Red,'" she quipped, "does the Major know what color you are now?" "No," I answered, "he just said to change color." The doorbell rang again and Helen answered it as I poured.

"Come in, Major Jones," I heard her say. "Pour one more, Greta," she called to me.

“Good Morning, Greta," the Major said as he and Helen came into the dinette. "Wow!" he gasped. "Your hair - I like it - I like it!"