Perfect Control

A Story by Vern Nivon

Through careful personal disciplino Jacquelino Margulies controlled her emotions. In a slow and well thought out manner she had marshalled her defenses in her late 20's and at 38 had achieved a safe and sane life. Hor σo-workers respected and even feared her slightly. Amiable and untouchable, she moved through the Certified Public Accountants office where she was top accountant: smiling, in her cool quiet way, but never joining in, never belonging, only conforming.

At night she carried her heavy brown briefcase down to her car in the building's lot and drove 15 miles through town to the home she shared with her parents. While outting personal life out of her schome of things and conforming in most visible ways, she never conformed in her dress. She wore low brown loafers, hose, straight dark skirts and simple blouses, long-sleeved in winter and short-sleeved in Summor. She was neat and clean to a fault, Jackie (as she was known to all) was quito tall, 5' 9", and her shoulders stooped a bit. Hor legs were too straight and she did not shave them. The dark hair showed through her sheer hose. Her eyes were lovely--doop rich brown and set wide apart beneath her broad high forehead, Her lips were thin and straight but her nose was perfect--undoubtedly inherited from a Greek god. Her hair was thick and the crinkly waves wore touched with gray. She was far too masculine in looks and manner to deceive anyone at all perceptivo.

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For years the male workers in her office mado occasional Enide romarks about her "undoubted" personal life that isuntil they worked with hor for a while. After a few brushes with her logical detachment, her quick olean mind, they respected and even sincerely liked her. She was the only female C.P.A. in her office but there were many women secretaries, file clerks, and two receptionists. Jackie steadfastly ignored them all outside of necessary courtesy even on the one or two occasions through the years when a

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