Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-11-13
When a
Woman Will
BY NAB ERWIN

Jul tNo oNtLuSS Vi escape lOT Hltls 10
leave the country with no trace be.
hind. or commit suicide.
Miss Helen Leonard had made up
her mind TO marry, aud had picked out
the man. She was Just a little bit
of dainty. fuzzy thing. in white
shirt waists and short walking skirts.
who took an hour every morning TO
comb her hair TO loon as II she never
gave II thought II fell around her
low forehead in careless waves of
gold and brown. and she had a habit
OF brushing IL back from her face
at just the right moment to show of
delicate wrist and hand.
She hated the typewriter, the let.
ters, tho briefs. and the endless
amount of work OF the law firm, but
she loved the senior member of the
firm. and he did not have sense enough
10 see IL.
He stood six feet two. was wealthy.
dignified. but loved the wrong WON.
an In his salad days. and was afraid
OF the entire sex feminine. He would
never have consented 10 woman
stenographer in the office. only he had
prejudice about seeing a man at
n typewriter
Poor little Helen had racked her
brains for months trying TO make him
sec she was something more than a
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 oc.
casionally discuss the law cases where
women were concerned with her, and
smiled good naturedly at her -girlish
remarks. Helen knew he was fond
OF her, just as dog feels human SYM
pathy. She had got him very close
to the edge twice. but each time Mr.
Billings. the junior member OF the
firm, had interrupted them. So pretty
Helen had about come to the conclu-
sion that brick wall would have to
fall on Mr. Clayton TO wake him up
when something happened.
lt was not much, only that Mr. Bi.
lings decided to take two weeks so
journ at hunting lodge out OF
town.
Mr.. Billings was gay and handsome
and debonnaire, with a stunning WON.
an for a wife. whom he called his
pal She hunted and fished with
him. spent his money, entertained his
friends. and kept him so bright n
bohemian that he always spoke of
marriage as the Ideal state" II he
were tired. she was tired, IL he work
ed hard, she cleaned house. IL he want
ed to go to the theater, so did she.
and II he liked a quiet evening at
home. 1t was the only thing that would
make her happy.
To say that Mr.. Billings ever even
SO much as fiirted with another WON
an. would be 10 tell something that
WAS untrue. lie was too selfishly han
Ply at home. Pretty Helen answered
the telephone and wrote his letters
and knew this; but Mr.. Clayton never
concerned himself with the home re-
lations of his partner
A week passed. and Helen made no
progress. She remarked once that she
was terribly tired of living alone, and
asked Mr.. Clayton II he knew some
nice young lady who could be her
room 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 II was terrible TO eat
alone, and Mr.. Clayton suggested that
she join the Young Woman's Christian
association. She pouted as she went
out and stamped her foot when she
got TO the elevator.
When she returned she came in all
enthusiasm, and as he looked up with
a smile from his private office. she OK.
claimed that she was just dying to
hear Bernhard, and inquired IL he
had seen her yet. lie mildly asked
why she did not tip It on to her
beau and Helen dropped her big gray
eyes and modesUy said she did not
have a beau, and made an upward
sweep with her eyes as she finished
Mr.. Clayton thought It would not take
her long to get one, with those eyes.
but what he said was That's too
bad"
Helen could have cried with vega.
ton. She would not have felt 40
though. II she had known that Mr..
Clayton moved his chair SO he could
look Into the outer ONCE and see the
soft profile of the girl as she wrote
her letters; nor II she could have
known he sighed and wondered why
nice little girl like that could not
love him.
After he had gone Helen banged
the cover OF the typewriter down over
the machine, kicked the chair under
the table with her high heeIed boot
threw one paper after another on the
floor and stamped on them. then burst
into tears and sat down and put her
head on the table. and had a good
cry.
"Oh dear she said to herself. ~
know I'll have to pound that horrid
old typewriter all my life. or marry
some man don't want and who
never never will earn enough for mo
to even have white shirt waists"
Just then the telephone rang and
some one inquired II Helen would care
TO go TO the thoater that night Helen
snapped him up with II can't have
to work" The voice replied that Mr..
Clayton would not know what 10 do
without her. and Helen banged up the
receiver.
HE wouldn't know what to do with
TAR AND CANCHALAoTA