Blessings in Disguise

Brenda Perry writes to her Connecticut pen pal, Thor Douglas, presenting herself as a straight-A student active in chess, debate, and a school squad. She encloses a heavily made-up glamour photograph and perfumes the letter. Glenn Adams overhears her and recognizes that the claims are exaggerated or invented. Brenda dismisses his concern because she never expects to meet someone who lives so far away.

At the post office, Brenda shows Connie a handsome picture of Thor and describes him as a gifted tennis player. A package from him contains a teddy bear and startling news: he will soon compete in a junior tennis tournament in Connellsville and can finally visit Odyssey. Brenda tries to retrieve her letter, but it has already left in the afternoon collection. She confesses to Connie that both the description and photograph give Thor a false picture of her.

Instead of immediately correcting the lies, Brenda spends the next week and a half trying to become the person she has described. She takes lessons in tennis and chess, studies poetry, reads about skydiving, and pays for an elaborate haircut, manicure, and makeover so she will resemble the glamour photograph. Connie repeatedly tells her that being herself should not disappoint anyone.

Thor Douglas arrives at Whit’s End and seems delighted with Brenda. He looks exactly like his photograph, tells her she looks exactly like hers, and spends nearly every free moment with her between tennis matches. Although he has lost three matches, he says his desire to impress Brenda makes him work harder. Glenn’s blunt questions about his poor record irritate Connie, who sends Glenn away.

Outside, Glenn nearly collides with a boy who looks identical to Brenda’s visitor. The newcomer explains that he is Thor and that the boy with Brenda is his twin brother, Douglas. Douglas is the one who wrote the thoughtful letters, but he used Thor’s tennis skill and photograph to create a more impressive identity. Thor has secretly played the tournament matches while Douglas receives Brenda’s attention. Tired of hiding, Thor says his brother has promised to tell her the truth.

Brenda has promised Connie the same thing, yet every opportunity brings another boast. She describes water-skiing experience and prepares to confess after their final ice cream together. Glenn begins forcing both sides toward honesty. He questions Douglas about details from Thor’s tennis match and praises Brenda for a chess championship she has never entered. Connie spills water on Brenda to create a private moment and warns her to stop adding lies to the ones she already told.

Connie then learns about the twins and understands why Glenn has been provoking Douglas. Thor, Glenn, and Connie all insist the deception must end before the brothers leave. Douglas continues hesitating, so Thor walks into the dining room in different clothes and pretends he changed after a massive ice-cream accident. Brenda notices that every part of his outfit has changed, and the explanation quickly falls apart.

At last both brothers stand before her. Douglas introduces Thor and admits that they combined their qualities because he wanted to impress her. Brenda is shocked, then relieved: their confession makes her own easier. She admits that she is not a skydiver, gymnast, rafter, debate-team member, or chess player. Most of what she wrote was invented for exactly the same reason.

The twins are disappointed to discover that the extraordinary girl in the letters does not exist. Brenda asks them to stay for ice cream and get to know her honestly, mentioning that she is good at crochet. They decline because they must prepare for a morning flight, though Douglas says they can continue writing. Their meeting ends awkwardly, with all three learning that a friendship built on false identities has little chance to become real.

Connie reminds Brenda that the brothers treated her much as she treated them. People who cannot accept the real Brenda are not worth impressing, but they cannot accept her if she never lets them see her. Brenda prepares to return the parachute she rented as a final piece of evidence for her supposed adventures. Glenn pulls its release cord inside Whit’s End, leaving the inflated parachute - and the consequences of all that pretending - impossible to hide.