could be. Hey Joe, gimme another straight shot!"

The room rocked and righted itself under the fogged cigarette haze. Dark eyes brightened and heavy feet stomped to the rhythm of the roaring Jukebox. Elfin form and burly form jigged to the intoxicating rhythm. In the jungle of giants some leprechauns flitted by, flying on toes fantastic.

You know," said Gus, "one thing I can't stand is a couple of swishes. I like men to be men!" She growled and flexed her huge biceps.

"Gee, kid, maybe you don't know it, but you're a woman.

"A woman? Who says so? I may be a woman, but not that kind of a woman. Those guys are worse than straight women, and reight women are bad enough. Bah! Women! They're the liest things alive, with all their talk of husbands and iapers and men. If only they'd say something interesting.' "But, Gus, you talk about dames, don'tcha?"

"Sure I do, but that's diff'rent! You know, the trouble with the world is that everyone's so darn blind .. their worlds are so cramped and narrow, and everyone's got so darn many prejudices."

"Yeh, you sure do, girl."

-

"Uh huh it's a blind ol' world," and Gus downed another irink.

The old frame building sighed and whined with the wind. Isolated, she thrust'd her foremast and spars into the torm, riding the sea-mist under a drunken moon. Ghostlike, the tall gaunt houses jutted around, as alien spurs of land. Alien and far away the homes of the other men, the safe and grounded world.

·

Rick and Sue came jouncing in, traipsing on rhythmic feet. nd Pete followed after.

"Golly," Gus said, "I don't get it! Two butches goin' together. It ain't natural. You should be butch-and-fem, Rick."

15