Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-08-27
WOMAN ON WOMEN.
CHARMING QUALITIES ADMITTED
BUT CAUSES TROUBLE.
She Il Fussy In Buslness-ls Afraid
mans Hand That Guides the
Lancet She IL Privileged TO Cut
and Slash.
N, Y, TeIegram,

N. I. Telegram.
1t was between 2 and 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, and the sun streaming
in the front windows of the office had
driven the clerks and the presiding
genius to the shady corners of the
back room. "Real estate broker and
appraiser" blazed in gilt on the win
dow pane and entrance door, and real
estate ranked at that hour in the
mind of the manager and threatened
to curdle the milk of human kindness
in her breast.
Been out?" she repeated, adjusting
her eyeglasses irritably. II should
think l had been out. Down to the
Forty-second street station at o'clock
on such day as this, only to tell q
man that I had nothing to tell him.
Women," she went on. "Don't
talk to me about dealing with women!
They are the-well, I can't say what
they are; you can fill in the blank to
suit yourself, only you can't make it
too provoking. For eight months l
have had two women on a string, an
old one and young one, and now,
just when 1 thought the whole deal
was settled beyond all manner of doubt,
1 get note saying that they can't
sign the papers to-day; haven't time
to sign them. I've no doubt they
have gone after a hat or something
equally important. I saw them only
last night and they were all in for tax
ing the house. spent the entire day
yesterday and the day before looking
into references and having the papers
prepared for a final settlement with
Mr.. B. to-day. All for nothingl"
"But don't they appoint another
time to attend to the matter" asks
the listener who is acting on this oc-
casion as safety valve.
Appoint another time? No, in.
deed. I know the game too we'll.
This note simply means that they
have changed their minds about leas-
ing the place. They want to lease q
town house for five years so they say.
My client on the other side wants to
lease his house to responsible parties.
These women are irresponsibly respon-
sible parties. My commission will be
$175, but I will have earned q thous-
and if I ever get them pinned down.
Three times they have given me the
slip this way and then in a month or
six weeks after have written to say
that they could not find any other
house that suited them as we'll and
wouldn't I reopen negotiations? Then
reopen negotiations and get matters
all ready for the final clinch and with
in an hour of settlement 1 get note
putting me off with some silly excuse.
To-day they write that if Mr.. B., my
client, will sign the lease and send it
to them they will sign it at their leis-
ure. As if any man in his senses
would send signed lease ON wild
goose chase like that!
"But ought to be used to it," she
continued in calmer tone. EVERY
body who does business with women
will tell you the same thing; that wo-
men don't appreciate the value of
time either for themselves or other
people; that they have no understand
ing of punctuality and never think for
a moment that they must stick to any
agreement they have made whether it
is for good or ill. We real estate peo-
pie, perhaps, see more of it than 9TH
ers, because even if our deals are with
men, the matter of buying or leasing
or renting house, the ultimate deci-
sion rests with the wife. A man can't
20 and install his wife in house or a
neighborhood that she takes dislike
to and will be unhappy in, and it is
astonishing for what mere trifles the
wives will cOndem houses that their
husbands have taken great trouble to
secure"