Pamela skipped down the schoolyard steps with only one thing in mind - taking her shortcut to Crandall St. and making sure the gabardine gaucho in the Bellip Shoppe's window was still there. She waited until the cars passed, jogged across the street, ran along the back alley and through the rusty gate until Crandall St. was under her feet. She turned and walked past the bakery and the hobby shop until she was face-to-mannequin with the most gorgeous, the most beautiful clothing she'd ever seen, the gabardine gaucho. She smiled at the sight of it because that meant there was still a chance she could find a way to purchase it. She had already asked Mom and hinted to Dad, too, both of whom said she was too young to be wearing such a thing as a gaucho and besides, her birthday was almost 6 months away. Pamela stopped asking after that but she never gave up on her dream of wearing it when the weather got chilly and she could see her breath. But for now, she must hurry home and finish her homework so she could watch her favorite show after dinner, The Panatellas. The next day, Pamela repeated her daily visit to Bellips but this time, no gabardine gaucho. She was grief stricken. What have they done with my beautiful outfit? All of the sudden, Mickey Rooney turned the corner and walked up to her saying "Hey, we're putting on a musical at the Bijoux, wanna be in it?" Pamela said, "why are you so young looking, you've gotta be in your 80s?" Mickey said, "Just go along with me on this, You'll go to the show and the gabardine gaucho will be there." Pamela said, "but the Beve will get all whiney and make Ward get in his Plymouth to come and get me". Mickey started to tell her she was mixing up her shows but before he could say it, the manager of Bellip Shoppe walked out the door and handed the gabardine gaucho to Pamela saying, with a smile "this is the ending that's called for here so why waste time and words, take it, it's all yours". Pamela was stupefied as she tried it on, saying "it looked better on the mannequin." "Exactly", said the manager, "could I interest you in a peignoir?" The whirling glitter started to come down from above causing Pamela to answer "You know what? I'll take a raincheck on that - thanks". Mickey and Pamela shuffled down Crandall St. as the credits rolled on screen. What? It's better than the iPod story . . .