Page:The Female-Impersonators 1922 book scan.djvu/209

Rh the first five years, I engineered things so that there appeared after my name: "Whereabouts unknown."

Otherwise Jack might have ferreted me out. The Pharisees doubtless concluded my "depravity" had wrecked my life. But the fact was that I rose rapidly in my business career.

Primarily in order to give Jack the slip, I spent the year after graduation in Europe—for the most part in Paris. I despatched Jack several cards in order to put him on a false scent.

On resuming residence in New York, I had to make the best of its Overworld. I ascertained that they are incredibly bigoted as compared with the liberalism of continental Europe. Only a person who has resided there has acquired the acuteness of vision to discern the legend on the hatbands of upper-class New Yorkers: "I am holier than thou!"

I had heard that the Rialto is New York's stamping-ground for amateur female-impersonators. Accordingly I commenced devoting one or two evenings a week to its resorts. As. soon as I learned that "the Hall" is the home of cultured female-impersonation, I made it my own headquarters.