The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-17
Evening Story
Patsy's Perfume.
By HARMONY WELLER.

By HARMONY WELLER
1.-The only talent have" sighed
Patsy Van Buren,, lis my nosei" Nose?
"a talent?" Joe Robinson exclaimed.
I'D never call mine by that name,
Pat? he laughed. examining his own
too prominent nose in an opposite>mir-
ror.
''We1l-'by any other name It
smells as sweetly.'' Patsy retorted.
But 1 don't mean my nose. itself
mean my sense of smell. It is surely
developed to degree that might be
classed among the talents"
Much good it'll do you, methinks,"
Joe consoled her. Now If it were
your sense of taste, you might be a
tea-taster or judge of good liquor
il the latter weren't among the extinct
professions"
81 can see plainly that I am going
to get no satisfaction from struggling
for an outlet for my creative ability
which 1 know have in spite of all
you home folks pessimism on the sub
jecti Something tells me to use this
extraordinary sense of smell of mine
but howl"
Joe seemed perplexed. That's all
very well. but how can one make a
from it,"
| st suppose" said Patsy. "you are
not far enough advanced to conceive
I
fragrances that might appeal to the
| individual personality. Men and
women have very distinct colors in
| their auras, and if colors have tones.
one for each, as has been proven, you
know, why should not colors have
perfumes? And then-to follow it up,
why should not I, with my finely at
tuned sense of smell, be able TO detect
| the fragrance of an individuals aura
colors and try to duplicate them in
extracts or powders or toilet Access
ories?"
| Joe scratched his head. impolitely,
but his eyes looked thoughtful. Yes
IL suppose it could be developed, but
| every one would think you were crazy
and only the 'nutty' ones would come
to you, wouldn't they?" he asked, half
in jest, half in earnest. He was fond
Of Patsy, his chum from childhood,
and he did not want to seem too hard
on her.
| Perhaps it would be difficult at
first. Joe. But I don't have to make
an immediate living, you know, with
| father and mother to take care of me-
| And it has been my experience in
| watching the development of any of
! the arts or any phase of them, as soon
as you begin to educate people in the
| direction that they reach, you find
many who have already been interest
| but for lack of some one of under
standing have kept it to themselves"
| That's true, too. Human beings
are afraid of being ridiculed, and they
| frequently smother their best selves
and sit about making trivial small
talk instead of opening up what might
prove to be an en1ightening subject"
| why Joe, even you are beginning
to think Patsy remarked, patting
him affectionately
Even II Joe admitted nodding
But you just go to it, Patsy, and, if I
can help you, I'll do it,
Thanks-Tn probably need you,
| making study of the fragrance of
colors. For instance, red rose smells
quite different from a white one. I
| have a lot of tests I want to make. to-
| day, $3.50 long, joe
| Patsy almost danced off to her little
! third floor studio room, where, all
alone, she had been working out her
| theory of colors, perfumes and human
auras. Until now she had said almost
nothing about her intentions, a1tho it
| was known that she had wonderfully
esthetic development in her sense of
smell.
In time. her plans took effect in the
form of diIninutive shop and studio
where she handled exclusive perfumes,
potpourri, fragrant powders. and
where she made up bows of dried pet
ais from gardens of individuals, pre-
served wedding bouquets, etc In this
way she believed she would come in
contact with persons who cared for
fragrances. and in finding a COM
mon meeting ground she could learn
much of individual tastes and prefer
ences.
lone thing that amuses me in my
superficial observation of men is that