'Darling its true that mostly you are a boy, but tonight you are most certainly a girl. And since you have just admitted that your clothes feel nice and that you are, indeed, pretty, why not enjoy being what you are for the night. Now dry your eyes with this and soon we'll have a lovely meal together.'

I took the lacey handkerchief she offered me and patted my eyes dry and went to hand the hanky back to Aunt Jane.

'Tuck it in your sleeve Stephanie. That's where girls wear them when they are not carrying a handbag. And now let's have a little glass of sherry. I'm quite sure it will make you feel better. Sit down, dear.'

I sat again and Aunt Jane rang for Mrs. Kinross who appeared almost immediately.

'Could Stephanie and I have a small glass of sherry please Mrs. Kinross,' Aunt Jane asked, and in just a moment the housekeeper was back with two small glasses on a tray. I took it although I had never drank sherry before and sipping at it I noticed how it warmed my insides and did indeed begin to make me feel better.

·

•

You know you really are quite remarkably pretty,' Aunt Jane said, half way through her glass.

• Thank you,' I said, lowering my eyes demurely, and in doing so it occured to me that she had My reaction to her compliment was, indeed, a very feminine one.

won.

She sat down beside me and took my hand, smiling. 'Feeling better?'

I nodded and tried a smile back.

We really must take a little walk in the night air after dinner. That'll perk you up.'

'Oh dear, must we,' I said, again momentarilly dismayed.

'Of course, we must. It'll be good for you. Be- sides we can't hide such a pretty face indoors forever.'

Mrs. Kinross called us to our meal. I did not manage to talk very much during dinner. I was

- 37 -

too engrossed with my own thoughts. I kept having visions of my own reflection in the mirrors. I was indeed very pretty as a girl. Too pretty for a boy. Perhaps I should have been one, I thought. I actually did like the picture of myself I had from the mirror and I certainly was enjoying what I was wearing.

'Penny for your thoughts, Stephanie dear,' Aunt Jane said as the meal neared its com- pleation.

'Oh, oh, nothing really,' I answered, shaken from my reverie. 'I was just thinking that, ...well...yes, I'd love to take a walk after dinner.'

When we had finished our repast Aunt Jane and I got up from the table and she examined my appearance, made a few adjustments to my make-up and gave me a small clutch bag to carry.

'Girls never go on the street without a handbag,' she said.

We left the house by the front door which led directly onto the street. It was a warm night and there were a number of people out strolling and taking advantage of the night air. I suddenly felt very nervous about venturing out of doors clad entirely in female clothes. But Aunt Jane re-assured me as we walked across the street to the park perimetre and I took a deep breath and decided to enjoy it. We did not meet anyone we knew during our walk but Aunt Jane nodded to a few distant acquiantances who I smiled and nodded back and who smiled at me too although they could not possibly have known who I was. As best I could I smiled back, specially as soon as it had become ap- parent that my disquise was effective and that no one thought me to be anything other than what I appeared to be.

Back at the house Aunt Jane asked me if I had enjoyed myself and I had to admit that I had. She came with me to my room where she helped me out of the pretty women's clothes I had been wearing and in my own night attire I climbed into bed and drifted off amid pleasant dreams of silks and satins. For the next few days the affair was not mentioned and I reverted back to being plain old Steven. But more than once Stephanie drifted into my mind and I wondered if I would ever see her again. Sure enough on a