a man

RANSVESTIA

except when I thought of Helen; then it would take some strong persuasion on my part to keep from calling her. One morning as I was combing my hair, I took a good, long look at myself. I stroked my smooth face with fingers adorned with long, shapely and painted nails. It was a feminine face in every way. I asked myself if that face could ever be reverted into a man's face again. Never again would I need a shave and there was nothing that could be done about my permanently shaped eyebrows. I pulled at my hair and couldn't help admiring it's color, texture and length. This was a moment of decision in my life. I didn't want to go back to a man's life, and yet, I couldn't ask Helen to marry me like this. Suddenly I felt so dreadfully alone I broke down and had myself a good, girlish cry. When I finally stopped the tears, I repaired my makeup and put off my final decision to another day. Dammit, I liked being Greta. I donned a peasant blouse and full skirt, put a sweater over my shoulders and went to meet Andy for lunch.

As we ate, Andy informed me that they wanted pictures of Baum- bach's files. So some of my training was to be put to use after all.

"That's quite an order," I replied.

"I know," he answered, "but if not 'if' when you get them, you will shorten your mission by at least a year."

With that inspiration, I quickly agreed and asked him precisely what did they want. "Just a picture of the data sheet in the front of each file," he told me, "that will contain the name and information we want.”

For a week I went by the Insurance offices on my way home from the Club to study the timing of police patrols. Andy informed me that there was no burglar alarm so entry would be easy. I would only have abou hour at a time to work, so my task would take several nights. He gave me a key to the front door and one to Herr B's office. I didn't ask him where or how he got them.

As I put the key in the lock the first time, I just knew the pounding of my heart could be heard for two blocks. As the door quietly opened, I took a deep breath and went in. My cloak and dagger adventure was about to begin. I slipped into his office and went over it very carefully, but found only one James Bond type trap - a hair stuck on one of the file cabinets in such a manner that it would fall off if the drawer was opened. I laid the hair on his desk and went to work. I completed two drawers and put the hair back in place. My heart had returned to normal