Evening star., 1926-06-13
PERMANENT ACCESSIONS
BY SOPHIE KERR
According a She Had dTa,
Dark,H ndsome andV

His eyes became rounder still with
| intense admiration.
1t gave Eileen confidence. She be-
gan TO tell him about the budget. why
she had started it, and when, and
partly-what she had set down i'll 1t.
! He listened eagerly, flatteringly. lie
asked respectful questions. II never
knew there were any girls like you,
he told her ingenuously. 81 always
get awfuily fusSed talking to girls.
You're the first girl l ever knew who
had sense-and ideas-and yet-and
yet his blush flared up again,
but he kept on bravely-"and yet
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to look at.
"My friend Lily McAuliffc, and /
that's Lilly dancing with that fat
man--never could see why women of
brains should be personally unattrac-
| tive ] don't say we'd set the world
on fire, either way, and you mustn't
think I'm handing roses to myself,
but we have tried to keep ourselves
| looking neat and-er-not repulsive-
! and yet not to be nitWitS, If you
understand what I mean"
'Oh, | can't give your friend so
much, but as for you, Miss Powers.
| I'll tell the world you succeeded, and
then some. Say, here | sit dumbbell
as usual. Don't you want to dancer
Eileen did want to dance. So she
and Horace deserted the sandwiches
and joined the agile throng. Horace
could dance-and so could Eileen.
The fox trot became a tripping of
kindred souls in perfect rhythm.
They went ON talking about the
! budget Horace said he was going
| to start one of his own. Perhaps, he
suggested falteringly. perhaps Miss
! Powers would permit him to come
| around some evening and show him
! how to start it. Yes. Miss Powers
would do this. only, l don't
promise actually to show you mine,
she said. Except the outside I'm
afraid some of the things in It are
sort of silly"
| Horace called a few nights later.
He was forced to argue with her on
| the matter. an argument that lasted
| through many other dances, and the
various weird games that We're an
| inevitable part of Min Markets.
! parties.
He was not, Eileen observed. in the
least like the Ideal--but that didn't
! matter. lie was Il nice boy and she
would play round with him while
| the Ideal was on his way. That
would harm no one. Every woman
of the world has her man friends
| sion.
HORACE called a few nights later.
- He produced a blank book and
| begged to be budgeted.
She explained how she had started
hers. and watched with more interest
than the coming Ideal would have
liked as he wrote:
Horace TonkinS "a yaarS. height
feet inches: weight, 1870; Republi-
can; Baptist; orphan; employed in
| hardware store: salary, $50.
I'm part owner of it," he explained.
II had a little money left me when
| father died and I bought in. / could
| get more salary il | wanted it, but
I'd rather put the money back into
the store. We're going to have
whale of a place some day"
| Eileen was impressed. This was
no mere minion of a soulless corpora
ton. or tiny cog in the wheel of big
| business. No, he was part owner of
an establishment of his own; an es-
| tablishment capable of expansion.
| Horace lost something of his look
| of bashful youth when he talked
| about it, and became manly and at
! ease.
We'll. now" he asked her what
| headings would you say I'd need?"
Fixed ChargeS'-that'd mean your
hoard bill, and Necessities for your
car fares and lunches. just like mine"
offered Eileen promptly.
Il like it being just like yours" said
| Horace, writing Necessities at the
top of the page following his de
scription, in his neat square script,
which looked just like himself.
| And after that
Eileen felt rather fiat. She couldn't
suggest health and beauty to him
he'd think she was crazy. why
not 'Healthful Diversions'?" she said
at last. Then. you could put in your
dues at the athletic club"
"Oh, fine-and how should I put
my books down? l try to buy a
book every week, a really good i'm
proving book"
You might call it For Mental I'm
provement.' she began doubtfully.
But I put down things like that
| under the head Of Permanent Access
sions'-they don't wear out, you know,
and you'll keep them probably al
ways
Say, that's a bird" declared Hor.
ace, and forthwith adopted it. Per
ma a.nent Accessions.' Got any more
as good as that?" He glanced over
at her book. whats on that next
page?"
Now that was the page devoted to
| the Ideal and it was unthinkable that
| Horace should see it, or even blfndly
| be made aware Of it. A woman or
| the world, in an awkward situation,
is deft and tactful Therefore, Eileen
| smiled agreeably and used Miss
BARRYMORE famous phrase: That's
all there is. There isn't any more.
Horace raised his youthful eyebrow
| ''But it seems to me there should be
something more-something sort OF
looking toward the future, you know,
| developing character or-or--saVlng
| for q. home, or something.
Eileen was still deft and tactful. Il
believe you're right. Why don't you
think up something? I'm sure you
| could
His answer proved that Horace
could use deftness and tact himself.
It's difficult to get just the right
thing offhand," he murmured. But
| If l do think up something good may
| come round again and get your
| opinion on it?"
| Eileen said this might be possible,
whereupon Horace, glancinG at his
| watch, asked how she would like to
dash out for the second show at that
nice movie house he'd noticed around
| the corner. And on the way thlther
| he bought a box OF chocolates with
a wide pink ribbon. And on the way
home they had spumoni and cakes!
It occurred to Eileen afterward. with
an odd pang. that the Ideal probably
would not approve of eating choco-
lates at the movies, and that ne
would not care at all for spumonl.
Yet she admitted with honesty that
the two sensations had not been un-
pleasant, and when her mother said.
after her return, This young man
seems a very straightforward. nice
| bn1- - la Caid ooh he's all right.