RANSVESTIA

the stairway and made my way to the bottom. I wedged the door open and stepped out into the alley.

It was bright and noisy. Shocked by these unexpected conditions, I paused before starting down the alley. Much of last night's confidence had vanished. Nevertheless, I walked down the alley and out onto the street. Fortunately, I had taken great care in dressing and making up. I was badly frightened, but I knew that everything was in order. What I hadn't counted on was the brightness of the light. How far could it penetrate? I began to wish that my dress weren't so sheer and that I'd worn an extra petticoat. As much as I could, I stuck to the shadows.

Third Avenue was worse. There it was the crowd, hurrying and bumping along, and the shadowless glare of the sun. Fearing I was about to be knocked over, I finally made it to the lingerie shop. The window was changed. I reached the door, but I couldn't go in. I don't know if their having changed the window was the cause, but I just couldn't do it. I stopped at the window and counted, vowing to go in on the count of ten, and then twenty. Still, I couldn't do it. Terribly disap- pointed, I started back.

I had left Third Avenue before I realized that I was being followed. I increased my pace, but the vague sounds of some one following me kept up. I turned and looked. Not far behind were four boys. My look. ing at them seemed to make them strike, and they began to overtake me. I broke into a run, and so did they. I ran as fast as I could, and so did they. I turned into the alley, and they followed. I reached the door, and tried to get it open. Since it had no outside handle, I had to open it with the tips of my fingers, and it slipped away.

By then the boys were all around me, like a pack of dogs. One of them reached for my skirt and tried to lift it. I shoved him away and grabbed the edge of the door again. With only a quarter of an inch to hold on to, it got away. I pushed the boys away and tried again. It took both hands, and two of the boys grabbed my skirt and raised it high. They had a thorough look before I slipped inside.

Up the stairs, I bolted, taking them two and three at a time. The boys followed at my heels. Up flight after flight I ran, fueled by some miraculous source of energy that let me climb the nine flights without stopping. I reached my floor well ahead of the pack, and ran down the hall and into the apartment just as the boys emerged, shouting, from the stairwell.

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