The Mankato free press., 1912-05-03

number. She knows what's what.
Once ! thought she was out Of style
in her ideas. But when ! get back
to the farm I'm going to sit on the
old carpet stool at her feet, you bet,
and listen to Iecture-onc of the
good oId.fashioncd kind"
Minneapolis, April 25.-Mary Peter
son, sixteen years old, who lived on
Il farm near Nakomis, Saskatchewan.
wanted to be a boy and see the
world. She came to Minneapolis. cut
her hair short and donned boys
clothing. Then she packed all her
girls clothes in a trunk and sent
them on to Chicago. She later en-
gagged room at the National hotel.
But Mary's disguise was imperfect.
About midnight she was arrested by
Detective Martinson. She was trying
to pull up her trousers to keep
them from sliding off, and she was
smoking a cigaret. She was taken
to the woman's ward at the jail
where she spent the night. In the
morning she woke up and cried to
get her long hair back and her
girls clothes. But her trunk had
gone to Chicago and she had to
climb into the boys outfit again.
She was ashamed of the clothes. The
bushes crept up into her shorn
hair and down behind the glarins
red necktie at her throat.
Rouge Was in Suitcase.
Matron Schaeifer unpacked the
girls suitcase when she asked tor
her face power and tooth brush. The
suit case told a pitiful story. 1t con-
tanned an extra suit of boys clothing
which the girl said she had bought
in Little Falls, Mimi, suit OF
mems underclothing, a mans SHIRT,
a razor and shaving brush. But way
down in the bottom was a box OF
face powder and one OF rouge. Ihere
were also carefully folded pair OF
long hose and powder rag.
MY straw hat is to blame for my
being discovered" said the girl.
None of the fellows in the city are
wearing their straws yet, / notice,
but I thought it was time for them.
That hat called attention to the poor
job | did on my hair.
Il guess, though. it wasn't somuch
nv hat as il was the hard time L llad
keeping my trousers up. a man 5
clothes are lots harder to Keep to-
sether than girls A girl Just
hnl
and she doesn't have TO worry; but
YOU have to keep yanking at trous-
crs to keep them up. The trousers
were so big that couldn't keep
them from falling and when l pulled
the belt tighter my small waist, gave
me away.
Ashamed of Boys Clothes.
Now all l want is my petticoats
and IA real womans clothes. I'm
ashamed of these clothes. l don't
know what to do with my feet and
| feel so funny. All my life I've
wanted to be a boy, but l guess the
girl has the best of it, after all. I'm
going back to the farm as soon as
| get out of this scrape ana I'm
going to wear frills and skirts for
the rest of my life"
Mary Peterson is very feminine,
with blue eyes. And she has not for
gotten how to blush. She bold Matron
Schaeffer that she had always been
into mischief since she was little
girl-not badness, but just MISCHIEF.
She blames Stella Bycocky,- now at
the Redwing training school, and
Smith girl, who was arrested III
Minneapolis not long ago and who
went to Canada, for putting it into
her head to come to Minneapolis.
81 Just wanted to do something
different" said Mary. Il intended to
90 on to Chicago from here. | have
NV ticket for Chicago and my trunk
with all my clothes has gone on.
was let out of the Sauk Center school
about eight months ago. | was there
for playing truant, mostly. l am not
bad; just like to see things ana
have a little excitement. My mother
knew | was coming to Minneapolis.
She gave me So and ! had $40 that
I'd earned myself. ! bought the
mems colthes with that
Girls Thought Her Boy.
Mary said her first exciting expert
cnce came just after she reached
Minneapolis. when two girls, thinking
she was boy, accosted her and ask
ed her to take them to the show.
81 sure had it on them, then, she
said, land | had to laugh when they
told me | wasn't game. This is no
safe place for young man.
thought I'd have to smoke. too. to be
a man. ] was smoking cigaret
when Mr.. Martison found me. 1t
made me awfully sick.
81 guess | don't want to be boy,
nor be tough, after all. If | ever
get my skirts back ! guess I'd be
some happy And when my hair
grows out-well, / guess I'm i'll for
being a girl, and a good one. And
nv mother isn't going to have to