as her mother as shown her.

'Lynda, congratulations on a fine season. A hundred and fourteen baskets for the year, I believe.'

'Yes sir,' Lynda said softly.

'And you are a visiting player?'

"Yes sir. I'm from out of town, I just wanted to play with........

And suddenly it was all to much and quite delicately and grace- fully Lynda fainted.

>

When she came too a few min- utes later there were a sea of faces leaning over her. She recognized Dianne and her mother and two or three of the other girls.

'Where am I,' she asked.

Dianne squeezed her hand. 'At the school auditorium.

In the

ladies room. You all right?'

Dianne looked concerned.

'Yes I'm fine, just a little woosy, that's all.' And then with some alarm Lynda wondered if she had done anything wrong. 'Is everything all right, Dianne?'

'Sure,' she smiled. 'Just a second.'

She turned to the others in the room and asked them if they might leave. Lynda needed air. She'd be OK in a few minutes. When the room was clear she turned back to Lynda.

'You're safe. Don't worry. Nobody knows anything other than that you are a very pretty young girl who is just slightly overcome by it all.'

Lynda smiled, relieved. She eased herself into a sitting position.

'Do you want me to take you home Lynda,' Mrs. Smith asked?

'No, no, I'll be alright in a min- ute. Where's my award?'

Dianne took the small gold disc from her handbag and hand- ed it to Lynda, who examined it closely.

'CRANEBROOK

JUNIOR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: GIRL'S DIVISION A BASKET- BALL: LYNDA WILSON'

'Did you bring my handbag Dianne,' Lynda asked?

'Yes it's here.'

'May I have it please?'

Dianne passed her the handbag and Lynda opened it and drop- ped the medal in and stood and walked to the basin and mirrors and examined her face. She took out the blushed and touched up her cheeks and then the lipstick and re-applied the crimson cream to her full lips. She put the make-up items back into her handbag and patted a few strands of hair back into place. Then she stood back from the mirror and put her hands on her hips and ex- amined herself. Finally she turned to Dianne and Mrs. Smith.

She smiled a wide warm smile. 'Thanks for your help,' she said. 'I'm ready to go back to the fray now.'

They rejoined the party. The chairs had been cleared away and the band was now playing and the floor was packed with dancing couples. Dianne watch- ed fascinated as Lynda emerg- ed from the washroom and joined their friends. For the next hour she kept an interested eye on Lynda. She watched her talk animatedly, laugh con- fidently, smile devastatingly and

- 13 -

flirt outrageously. She danced with every boy who asked her, did the rounds of parents and teachers endearing herself like- wise to all of them.

At one stage she flitted past Dianne and whispered in her ear.

'The Principal says I can come to Cranebrook next year if I like.'

When the party was over and Lynda and Dianne climbed swearily into the back of the car for the journey home Dianne asked what she had meant.

'Oh nothing, you'll see,' Lynda said with a wicked wink.

'Did you enjoy yourself dar- ling,' Mrs. Watson said as Lynda came through the front door, obviously on cloud nine.

'Oh mother it was wonderful. I loved it. And I have to tell you it was so much more fun being Lynda than being Lyndon.'

She showed her mother her med- al and talked about fainting on the stage and dancing with the boys and Mrs. Watson smiled and laughed and won- dered.

Later, upstairs Lynda came to her mother's room dressed only in her slip and remaining under-

wear.

'Mother may I borrow one of your negligees while I take off my make-up?'

Mrs. Watson smiled, amused. 'Of course you can sweetheart.'

She handed Lynda a slinky white satin negligee and she put it on and wrapped the tie belt around her waist and with a little wave, left the room.

The next morning Mrs. Watson was awake and sitting up in