Constance now confided in the young actress if the dress shop owner had ulterior motives.

"You need to believe me, Miss Straub, our dear old Mister Pettigrew is a complete and utter... aesthete. He's like the two fellers I work with at the theatre, Mr Darling and Mr Astin, they appreciate the female form on a whole higher plane than other men. We are angels, visions never to be sullied by base desires for our quivering white flesh."

'Quivering white flesh?' Constance figured Miss Mudd must have gotten that line from some play she had acted in. But she got the other girl's point. She wasn't stupid. This trio of men were ones who liked men not women, with all that implied. She had learned of such and even seen a few in parties in Cincinnati.

Arabella drove home the point,"No, for practical purposes, to Mister Pettigrew, our nubile young bodies are just so many clothes-horses to hang his beautiful creations 'pon."

Just to check the penny had dropped, she added "You get my drift?"

Constance nodded in the positive, "Yes I do. Thank you."  She was weakening, she did want a nice dress for the theatre opener and the man had even said if it was too expensive for her tastes, he would let her wear it for free. Hard to pass up an offer like that.'

"Very well then, I shall do this but....." she touched Ara softly on her hand, "Might I ask a favor? Would you ask if you can do the measurements involved. Honestly, I am not a prude but I would be more comfortable with a woman doing it."

Even as she asked she began the process of removing her layered clothing. And Miss Mud could assist her in loosening her corset too.

Just to check the penny had dropped, she added "You get my drift?"

Constance nodded in the positive, "Yes I do. Thank you."

"So there we are, nothing to worry about." Arabella confirmed. "Right, dress off first..."

"Very well then, I shall do this but....." she touched Ara softly on her hand, "Might I ask a favor? Would you ask if you can do the measurements involved. Honestly, I am not a prude but I would be more comfortable with a woman doing it."

"You just leave it to Arabella, I'll fix it." she leant in confidentially and took her hand in hers "I understand... I used to be shy once myself"

Wayfarer

"Very well then, I shall do this but....." Constance touched Ara softly on her hand, "Might I ask a favor? Would you ask if you can do the measurements involved. Honestly, I am not a prude but I would be more comfortable with a woman doing it."

"You just leave it to Arabella, I'll fix it." she leant in confidentially and took her hand in hers "I understand... I used to be shy once myself"

"Oh, thank you, my dear," Constance nodded, "I don't know if I'm all that shy but certainly I am unused to appearing naked in front of a man I just met."

They got as far as the corset then, she turned her back so Arabella could undo the tightly pulled garment.

"So you say you were once shy? So how did you do it? Get used to .........well, not being shy? Mrs. Lutz said you used to live with her when you first came to Kalispell. Then you lived and worked in the saloon. Did you learn to shed your shyness in that place? I was told they have a stage. I have met Miss Mundee and know she sings and dances on that stage. So were you two an act?""

"So you say you were once shy? So how did you do it? Get used to .........well, not being shy? Mrs. Lutz said you used to live with her when you first came to Kalispell. Then you lived and worked in the saloon. Did you learn to shed your shyness in that place? I was told they have a stage. I have met Miss Mundee and know she sings and dances on that stage. So were you two an act?"

"Oh, I just played piano when Miss Mundee was singing; I did my best to drown her out, but that girl's got one heck of a loud voice!" Arabella joked as she moved behind Constance and started to battle with her corset.

"But I suppose I first lost my shyness when I used to play make believe with my best friend, a girl in our section called Melissa Cartlidge. Oh they were innocent girlish games, of course. But one day Melis' had to bring along a couple of her brothers with her, I guess as a punishment to them, for they were a pair of rascals and always getting into trouble. They were twins and about a year younger than us, I suppose, and just about that age when boys are starting to get interested in girls."

Constance was probably aware of Arabella struggling behind her with the laces on her corsets, for the girl broke off her story to mutter "Who the heck tied these? They're in granny knots!"

"Anyhow, we were playing our favourite game, where I was the beautiful confederate spy, Belle Endicott, and Melis' was the handsome Union Officer who'd captured me, and we pressed the boys in to being a couple of Yankee sojers, which they hated, of course, as true sons of unoccupied Virginia. Well, we got the point of me being interrogated, and one of the boys pipes up 'Say, Colonel Cartlidge, I reckon this rebel bitch might be hiding secret messages to General Wheeler under her petticoats, we should make her strip so we can check."

Arabella said the B- word soto voce, for she never usually swore, and even when quoting another, it made her wince. Finally the stays gave way.

"Well, imagine my feelings! I had brought up to hide my body away from the gaze of men, and yet I felt a strange thrill at the idea, butterflies flew around my stomach. Soon I was pretending to be reluctantly peeling away fine crinolines, a multitude of petticoats, shoes, fancy hose and frilly silk drawers until I was left in my chemise, in other words the poor grubby smock which was, in fact, my only garment in those days."

She moved her hands under Contance's real chemise and swiftly unlaced the sides of her drawers so they could no longer stay up of their own accord. 

"When I finally pulled my smock over my head, showing myself shamelessly to Melissa and those horrible leering boys, I confess, I felt the biggest thrill of my life so far." she uttered huskily.

She moved round to Constance's front and admired swell of the waitresses full firm breasts beneath the simple white cotton chemise , which reached down to her knees, and stooped to pick up her fallen pantalettes from the floor of the changing room.

"You will not be surprised to hear that Robert and Jefferson became regular participants in our games from then on in. They were back the very next day, wanting to play the game again, except they had been planning. This time they brought rope with them, and once I was naked, suggested to 'Colonel' that I be bound and soundly whipped until I gave up my secrets about the disposition of General Wheeler's forces. Oh, Miss Straub, can you imagine what it was like for me to manhandled and trussed up like a Christmas turkey and have my poor backside beaten with switches by those two brutish boys at the feet of my pretty little Melis'?"

Judging by the excited light in Miss Mudd's blue twinkling eyes, that was a rhetorical question. She asked Constance a real one.

"Do... I mean did you ever play make-believe games, Miss Straub?" she asked innocently.

Wayfarer

Constance chuckled at Ara's crack about her piano playing and the saloon girl's loud voice. Well, she hoped it was a joke anyhow.

Then in answer to the waitress' question about how did Arabella learn to overcome what was to the vast majority of people, a natural shyness when it came to shedding clothing, like all clothing. The tale was rather disturbing really though the actress seemed happy to tell it and certainly viewing it as a positive thing. In fact she gloried in a sort of thrill to letting the boys see that way. Actually though that was believable enough to Constance. She too recalled her own (sinful of course) unvoiced thrill at swimming with some boys at the lake in her early teen years.

The second part of Ara's story was far worse though, she had been beaten, whipped? Now that was just plain wrong!

"That's terrible, you poor little thing!" she frowned.

"Do... I mean did you ever play make-believe games, Miss Straub?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing like that, I can assure you. And being beaten is NOT make-believe," Constance begged to differ.

Well, only one thing left to go, she removed the chemise and stood there breasts to face with the actress.

"I will confess, I did swim naked with a few boys in my younger days...there were girls our age there too. The boys were very pleased," a guilty smile accompanied the words.

"That's terrible, you poor little thing!" she frowned.

Arabella laughed "Oh, it was just a few little whacks, quite invigorating really! This Norwegian woman who used to live here told me they do that sort of thing all the time for health reasons in those chilly countries in the sau... sau..." the foreign word sauna that the Scandinavian woman had used escaped her now "... well, sore something, that's for sure! 

The, perhaps slightly unhinged, young actress had slightly miss-told the tales of her use, downplaying the fact that, in reality, she had more or less cajoled the Cartlidge twins into joining in her slightly unsavoury and violent games. 

"Do... I mean did you ever play make-believe games, Miss Straub?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing like that, I can assure you. And being beaten is NOT make-believe," Constance begged to differ.

"Aw, that's a pity, you missed out. Still, never too late to start a new hobby!" Arabella assured her, before indicating the busty waitress's last line of defence "Come on then, time to face the music... chemise!"

Well, only one thing left to go, she removed the chemise and stood there breasts to face with the actress.

Arabella was clearly impressed and, after an open mouthed second or two, gasped "Well fan my brow, you really are beautiful! What a waste that nobody ever gets to see the beautiful body that the good Lord gave you" 

"I will confess, I did swim naked with a few boys in my younger days...there were girls our age there too. The boys were very pleased," a guilty smile accompanied the words.

"You bet they were!" grinned Arabella.

There was a little knock at the changing room door.

"Ladies?"

"Wait there..." whispered Arabella and tripped to the door, cracking it open an inch.

"Say, Wus, she's kinda shy! Would it be all right if I took her measurements and shout 'em out to you?"

There was some dissatisfied muttering but then a reluctant "Oh very well! I shall direct you, Miss Mudd." a pudgy hand came through the door and passed Arabella a tape measure.

"Chest!" came the dressmaker's first command. 

Arabella looked at the tape, then at Constance's proud firm and rather large breasts. "Hold your hands over your head" the girl suggested. She reached the tape round and accidentally, maybe, brushed her hands against Miss Straub's pink nubs.

"Well?!" came Mr Pettigrew's voice.

Arabella frowned and yelled back "Do you want the number before her doodads went all big, or after?!"

Wayfarer 

"Well fan my brow, you really are beautiful! What a waste that nobody ever gets to see the beautiful body that the good Lord gave you" 

"Ummm, thank you, even as a girl I matured early," Constance had never gotten a compliment quite like that, especially from a woman.

There was a light knock on the door. It was the owner. Constance stood there feeling much more comfortable standing full out naked.

"Ladies?"

"Wait there..." whispered Arabella and tripped to the door, cracking it open an inch.

"Say, Wus, she's kinda shy! Would it be all right if I took her measurements and shout 'em out to you?"

There was some dissatisfied muttering but then a reluctant "Oh very well! I shall direct you, Miss Mudd." a pudgy hand came through the door and passed Arabella a tape measure.

"Thank you, sir!" Constance called out in appreciation. She really felt comfortable with Arabella. Perhaps they would even become friends?

Pettigrew said to start with the chest which Arabella happily proceeded to do.

Arabella looked at the tape, then at Constance's proud firm and rather large breasts. "Hold your hands over your head" the girl suggested. She reached the tape round and accidentally, maybe, brushed her hands against Miss Straub's pink nubs.

"Sure," Constance dutifully raised both arms high into the air then allowed Ara free reign. The actress managed to make contact with not just one but of her nipples. More than once too. Hmm, between that and the coolness of the room, they were a bit sensitive she noted.

Well?!" came Mr Pettigrew's voice.

Arabella frowned and yelled back "Do you want the number before her doodads went all big, or after?!"

"Oh dear, I guess they are a bit sensitive?" Constance was a bit embarrassed.

Arabella frowned and yelled back "Do you want the number before her doodads went all big, or after?!"

"Oh dear, I guess they are a bit sensitive?" Constance was a bit embarrassed.

"Oh pshaw! Mine go like pebbles at the drop of a hat." Arabella consoled her. 

"Hmm, well, give me both measurements, if you will, Miss Mudd!" Wus called through the crack. When he heard them, he could be heard muttering "That much difference?!" 

Arabella glanced down at the offending articles, and then looked up to give Constance an encouraging smile. 

Wus called out the rest of the measurements, and Arabella obediently took the statistics of the waitresses waist, hips, height arm length, and finally inside leg. 

"Hey, Mr Pettigrew..." she shouted at the door as she knelt in front of Miss Straub, absently straightening the utilitarian garters garters that were holding up her everyday black woollen stockings, "... I can't reach to the top of Miss Straub's 'inside leg' without touching her where I oughtn't!" she complained mischievously. 

Pettigrew rolled his eyes.

"You'll just have to be brave, Miss Mudd. Do it for Virginia!" he played along with her faux objections.

Arabella looked up to her new friend.

"For Virginia, Miss Straub!" she nodded and gently dragging the tape measure up to the top of Constance's inner thigh giggled "Oooh, he he, oh dear, it's tickling the back of my hand!"

She shouted out the measurement to Wus as she stood, then lay a gentle hand on Constance's arm and smiled.

"I do hope that the presence of my hand in that very private place did not cause you too much inconvenience or embarrassment, Miss Straub." Then she added "Or perhaps, now that we have been so inadvertently intime, we should, perhaps, be Arabella and Constance to each other?" 

Wayfarer

Gosh, such a fuss over a pair of nipples. It could not make that big a difference in fitting for a dress? And actually hers normally did not react like this. But the measurements went on as Constance continued to just stand there.

Pettigrew called out the rest of the measurements, and Arabella obediently took the statistics of the waitresses waist, hips, height arm length, and finally inside leg. 

"Hey, Mr Pettigrew..." she shouted at the door as she knelt in front of Miss Straub, absently straightening the utilitarian garters garters that were holding up her everyday black woollen stockings, "... I can't reach to the top of Miss Straub's 'inside leg' without touching her where I oughtn't!" she complained mischievously. 

"Really?" Constance widened her stance if that might help.

"You'll just have to be brave, Miss Mudd. Do it for Virginia!" he played along with her faux objections.

Arabella looked up to her new friend.

"Oh for lands sake, get on with it. I'll be fine," there was a bit too much drama going on here for Constance's tastes.But at least it was a lady doing this instead of Mr. Pettigrew.

"For Virginia, Miss Straub!" she nodded and gently dragging the tape measure up to the top of Constance's inner thigh giggled "Oooh, he he, oh dear, it's tickling the back of my hand!"

"Get it done, I'm good," Constance urged her.

Which Miss Mudd proceeded to do and finally, the measurements seemed to be done.

"I do hope that the presence of my hand in that very private place did not cause you too much inconvenience or embarrassment, Miss Straub." Then she added "Or perhaps, now that we have been so inadvertently intime, we should, perhaps, be Arabella and Constance to each other?" 

"It was fine, Miss Mudd, you were most gentle. And...yes, please call me Constance.....Arabella," the waitress smiled.

"Can I get dressed now then?" she then inquired. That whole experience had been most unexpected and strange but...it hadn't been bad, no, not bad at all.