On the ninth Saturday of his ordeal Leslie was allowed to beg the pardon of the women he had wronged. He also kissed hems, licked shoes, carried packages and tended doors. This week was different in two regards, however. First, he was finally allowed to beg Marjorie's pardon. It was to no avail, of course4. The second difference was that his hair ribbons were not the greatly enlarged embroidered versions whose ends lay on his shoulders or fluttered down his back. He was allowed to thank the girls for this new indignity.
"Shake your head silly. Make your ribbons flutter. I want to see them aloft each time I see you. I declare I think you shall be in ribbons and bows forever. Now let's see what we can find in Aunt Alexis trunk for you this week." What they found was Leslie's worst nightmare yet. It was a blue felt "poodle skirt", so called because it had appliqued to its front the figure of a pink poodle, wearing a beaded collar.From Fifi's collar there was appended a felt leash with a ring at the end. This crossed the skirt and was attached to Leslie's wrist. The skirt was nearly ankle length and lay upon a cascade of lacy petticoats which had a large black sait bow attached on the right side. It was arranged so that when Leslie lifted his left arm too high the leash lifted the skirt, revealing the bow on the petticoat. The skirt had a wide self-belt, and over his pointed breasts Leslie wore a fluffy pink sweater of angora with a high collar. His yellow locks were allowed to fall loosely upon his shoulders now, the better to display the hair ribbons.
Another new garment had also appeared with this ensemble: a new brassiere, called a Whirlpool. Its cups were conical, stacks of concentric circles of satin which came to a sharp point. When Leslie objected weakly hie as informed they were all the fashion. The guys called them "torpedo tits", he was advised. Somehow, vaguely, that offended him. The appearance of his two hugely protruding and sharply pointed breasts appalled him but sent is managers into peals of giggles and titters.