“Yes, he’ll make a darling little girl now once you’ve dressed him up nice and pretty,” said Francine. “I wish I could go shopping for him with you.”
“I’m sorry,” said Betsy. “But we do have to go shopping now so I’ll have enough time before the store closes. ” She paid Francine and included the largest tip she’d ever given her.
As they walked along the sidewalk back to the car, Beth was very aware that he was still wearing boy’s clothes. But passersby took little notice of him. Betsy began driving to a store called SUGAR & SPICE. All they sold were clothes for girls. It was an expensive store, but Betsy wanted to get him some really pretty dresses and things to make him look as much like a pretty girl as possible.
When they arrived at the store, she parked her car and when they got out, she took his hand as they walked towards the entrance.
Beth was terrified again. Inside there were mannequins of girls wearing pretty dresses, rows of big racks with petticoats and bouffant slips hanging on them, and table top bins with loose different colored panties in them. On top of another counter were packages of other more expensive panties. Pretty anklet socks were also displayed in counter top racks. Recessed in the walls 
were more long racks of dresses.
“Yes,” said Betsy. “My little boy is going to be my little girl this summer. We just had his hair done at a beauty shop, and now I want to get him his new wardrobe.”
“No,” replied Betsy. “But I know he’ll love wearing them after a while. He’ll need a complete wardrobe. I hope you won’t mind if we take up a lot of your time. But there’s so much I have to get for him.”
“Step this way,” said Mrs. Burness. “We have some really pretty panties on sale right now. But don’t let the sale price fool you. They’re the prettiest panties we have; white and all the pastel colors, and darling lace around the legs openings and with lace ruffles across the back of them. They’re scrumptious panties!”
Some of them looked with envious eyes at Beth and his mother
She held up some pink ones that were decorated with white lace. “See sweetheart,” she said. “Aren’t these a lot nicer than boys’ underpants? You’ll be wearing a lot of them from now on.”
Beth felt so embarrassed! Other salesladies had over-heard Betsy’s opening conversation, and soon he became the center of attention in the store as they came closer to see him. They whispered to each other with big smiles. Beth could see some real girls with their mommies shopping in nearby aisles.
“Mommy, that little girl is dressed like a boy. Is she really a boy?” asked a little girl loud enough for Beth to hear. Beth felt like it was the end of the world.
“Now as far as petticoats are concerned,” said Mrs. Burness, “did you want just the waist high petticoats, or the bouffant slips for him?”
“This one is very pretty, especially with the white lace at the end of each tier and at the hem. The bodice has pretty lace, too, and the straps are adjustable. There are three layers to it to make it really poufy. And the big pink bow is so precious!”
The women had caught on to the fact that he was really a boy
“Oh, yes!” said Betsy. “I bet it will be his favorite after a while. Let me have another in pink. And I want to get him one each in, blue, yellow and two white ones also.” Mrs. Burness continued picking bouffant slips from the rack and placed them on top of a counter as they moved down along the racks.
