A WORTHY CAUSE (PERIOD) (M/F)

"I don't know why you waste your time on such a worthless cause,
Melody", the dapper man said as he thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"Since the War started it's been impossible to get people to focus on
slavery" the young woman explained.  "My abolitionist group is starved
for funds".

"The war is about saving the Union" he replied.

"That's the attitude we're fighting" she replied.  "It's all about this
silly war".  "No one is paying any attention to ME!"

Although his 19 year old ward's vanity amused him, Robert still had
grave doubts.  "You and your friends will be punished as if you were
slaves and people will pay to watch?"

"The tickets are sold out" she said brightly.  "We had to move it to a
bigger venue!"

"Who is going to 'whup' you?" he asked.

"A slave who escaped through the Underground railroad volunteered to
help".  "He has quite a bit of experience as an overseer, and he was so
eager to help".

"I'm sure he is", he wryly.  "You realize you and your girlfriends are
white, don't you my dear?"

"That's just the point", she said.  "In the South a girl with 1/32 slave
blood can still be treated as slave".  "Girls like me are whipped every
day".  "In fact, the punishment will be a re-enactment of the punishment
given to an octoroon slave girl who tried to pass for white - 30 strokes
of the razor strap, bare bottom".

Her guardian stopped stroking his beard.  "Did you say bare?"

Melody smiled and handed her guardian an engraved print of a naked young
woman strung up by her wrists, looking nervously over her shoulder while
a cruel looking master raised a wicked looking strap high in the air.

"You'll be NAKED?" Robert said.  "No, no, no".  "I can't permit that."

"We HAVE to be realistic" Melody exclaimed.  "All three of us will be
naked as the day we were born, with our toes just barely touching the
ground".  "It will be Melissa, Jennifer, and myself".

"Melissa and Jennifer?" the old man gasped.  "Totally naked?"  "They'll
be absolutely naked?  "With their hands tied up over their heads?"

"Yes, Uncle" Melody said.

The young woman dropped her voice in a whisper.  "You know, it's wicked
of me to say this." "But I suspect some men (and even a few of the
women) may attend for reasons wholly unrelated to their moral
betterment".

"Melissa and Jennifer will be totally naked?"  her guardian repeated, as
it still trying to grasp the idea.  "Birthday bare?"

"And you'll have a front row seat" Melody said sweetly as she placed the
ticket in his hand.

Melody's guardian considered the matter.  When her father had joined the
militia Melody had been left in his care.  The decision was his alone.

Her guardian looked at the picture and stroked his beard.  "Well it is a
worth cause" he said thoughtfully.