The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-10-18
WHEN A WOMAN WILL
By NAB Erwin


When a pretty, clever woman makes
up her mind to marry a man there are
but two aTenncs OF escape for him; To
leave the country with no trace be
hind. or commit suicide.
Miss Iielen Leonard had made np
her mind TO marry, and bad picked ont
the man. She was just q little bit
OF a dainty. fluffy thing. In white
shirt waists and short walking skirts,
who took an hour every morning to
comb her hair to look as II she never
gave 1t q thought. 1t fell around her
low forehead in careless waves OF
gold and brown, aud she had a habit
Of brushing it back from her face
at Just the right moment 10 show OF
u delicate wrist and hand.
She hated the typewriter, the let.
tiers. the briefs, and the endless
amount of work OF the law firm, but
she loved tho senior member OF the
firm, and he did not have sense enough
TO see ID.
He stood six feet two. was wealthy,
dlgnifod, hut loved the wrong WON,
an in his salad days, and vas afraid
Of the 0ntirc sex feminine. He would
never have consented 10 a woman
stenographer in tho office, only he had
a prejudice about seeing n mar at
a typewriter.
Poor little Helen had racked her
brains for months trying to make him
gee she was something more than n
mere piece OF office machinery. She
had smiled her sweetest, pouted her
daintieSt, and spent more than she
could afford on her shirt waists. Her
only progress was that he grew To DC.
caslOnally discuss the law eases where
women were concerned with her, and
smiled good naturedly at her glrlish
remarks, Helen knew he was fond
of her, just as d dog feels human sym.
petty. She had got him very close
to tho edge twice, but each time Mr..
Billings, the Junior member Of the
firm, had interrupted them. SO pretty |
Helen had about come to tho conciu.
SION that a brick wall would have to /
fall on Mt. Clayton to wake him up,
when something happened.
1t was not much, only that Mr.. Ril-
lIngs decided to take a two weeks so.
journ at a hunting lodge out Of
town.
Mr.. Billings WAS gay aud handsome
and debunnaire, with a stunning won.
for n wife. whom he called his
pal She hunted and fished with
him, spent his money, entertained his
friends, and kept him 30 bright a
bohemian that he always spoke of
marriage as the Ideal state" If he
were tired, She was tired, If he work.
ed hard, she cleaned house, if he want.
ed to 90 to the theater, SO did she,
and II he liked a quiet evening at
home, IL was the only thing that would
make her happy.
To say that Mr.. Billings ever even
much as ilirted with another WON
an, would be to tell something that
was untrue, He was too selfishly hap.
Ply at home. Pretty Helen answered
telephone and wrote his letters,
and knew this; but Mr.. Clayton never
concerned himself with the home re,
Of his partner.
A week passed, and Helen made no
progress. She remarked once that she
terribly tired of living alone, and
asked MIR, Clayton il he knew some
nice young lady who could be her
mate, Mr.. Clayton replied he
knew few young ladies', but would
look around. Helen said at the
luncheon hour as she pinned her hat
and showed all the pretty lines Of her
little figure, that it was terrible To eat
and Mr.. Clayton suggested that
join the Young Woman's Christian
association, She pouted as she went
and stamped her foot when she
got to the elevator.
When she returned she came In all
enthusiasm, and as he looked up with
smile from his private office, she ex.
claimed that she was just dying to
~Bernhardt, and inquired II he
iad seen her yet, He mildly asked
why she did not tip 1t off" to her
beau, and Helen dropped her big gray
yes and modestly said she did not
nave Il beau. and made an upward
sweep with her eyes as she finished.
Mr.. Clayton thought 1t would not take
ner long to get one, with those eyes.
but what he said va That's too
Helen could have cried with vexa.
ion. She would not have felt so,
II she had known that Mr..
Clayton moved his chair SO he could
look into the outer office and see the
soft profile OF the girl as she wrote
her letters: nor IL she could have
known he sighed and wondered why
a nice little girl like that could not
love him.
After bo had gone Helen banged
he of the typewriter down over
The machine, kicked the chair under
the table with her high heeled boot.
threw n paper after another on the
floor and stamped on them, then burst
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