RANSVESTIA

Besides, if I went far enough, there was a little clothing store that stayed open late, where I could buy myself some clothes and escape from this prison in which she kept me.

I dressed in my wool skirt and beige blouse. Underneath it I wore my pink panty girdle both to keep my stockings up and to give me that feeling of femininity I needed.

Quite warily I made my way downstairs and out to the street. It was about ten o'clock. I joined the moderate number of people who were on the street at that hour, and headed for the clothing store. Nothing happened, and as I got closer and closer to my goal I grew more and more confident. My confidence faded, though, when I actually reach- ed the store. It was brightly lighted, and there were several people in- side. I walked on by.

I began to regret my cowardice, and started back. As I did so, however, a gang of boys appeared. In a panic, I ducked into a bar I was passing.

It was dimly lighted. A couple of men in some sort of uniform were sitting near the door talking to the bartender. Farther down were a man and woman talking to each other. At the back was a cigaret machine. I made for it, hoping to use up enough time to elude the boys. I put the money in, but nothing came out. I pulled a knob or two, not because I wanted the cigarets, but because I had the feeling that someone was watching me, and I didn't want to arouse their suspicions. The woman who had been sitting at the bar came over and made the machine work. I took the cigarets and stuck them in my purse actually Sally's and headed for the door.

purse

As I passed the two men, one of them grabbed me by the arm, almost lifting me from the floor.

"What's this?" he asked rhetorically.

Still gripping me, he marched me back toward the rear of the bar and into a well lighted room off to the side. His partner and the couple from the bar came with him.

"What do you guess this is?" he asked, directing the question to his partner. He had the expression of a boy who had come upon a bee- tle on its back.