Willmar tribune., 1909-03-24
HELEN INT
ed there as wife of the secretary of war.
she wore demi-toilette of black lace
over white, with black and white hat.
She DreferS hats tO tO0res


She prefers hats to toques.
The question has already come up as mat.
ter OF speculation in Official circles of Wash.
ington society as to whether Miss Helen Taft
Will finish her college course or be White
House debutante within the next two years.
The question undoubtedly will be left to her
own inclination to settle.
One afternoon last June, when the eyes Of
the nation were on Chicago, there emerged
from one of the big, substantial brick houses
in K street, Washington, little group of
figures, including woman who led the way
as they turned into Sixteenth street and
walked southwark toward the White House.
She swung along with a step as elastic as thai
of the boy and girl accompanying her. They
talked and laughed as they went, and their
voices, all pitched to the same pleasant con-
tralto tone, bespoke their kfnship.
Perhaps they noted through the green vista
OF Lafayette park the gistening columns of
the north portico of the White House. The
picture was familiar one to all of them.
That to the woman it stood for the moment
as the concrete presentment of fate toward
which her steps had turned % years before
almost to the day, who shall say? Her clear,
bluegray eyes looked as unblinkingly at the
reality as they had at the vision. Though in no
sense under the spell of that faculty which
Thurlow Weed years ago declared had bewi
dered many men whose eyes were turned in
that direction, she was too frank to feign an
indifference to the alluring possibility of
residence within its walls. She had can
didate at Chicago that day, and if the question
were put squarely to her she was ready un-
hesitatingly to avow him.
The woman and children made altogether an
fncOnspicuous little group as they crossed
Pennsylvania avenue and entered the big triple
department building on the corner of Seven
teenth street. The watchman at the door of
the war department and the messengers in
the corridors recognized them, however, as
they made their way toward the Office of the
secretary, returning the grinning salutatlons
that greeted them on all sides.
Mrs. Taft wore a white linen suit A flower.
laden hat shaded her face, which retains all
its girlhood contours. The door closed upon
them and it was five o'clock before they re.
appeared. Was it the same party, or had
that history-making afternoon wrought some
subtle change? Mrs. Taft wife of the secre.
tary of war, was now Mrs. Taft wife of
presidential nominee. Her step was lighter,
her eyes brighter Happy? Surely. Her can
didate had won the first approaches to ulti.
mate victory.
They went as they had come, on foot, stop
ping in the street to buy an EXTRA" for the
pleasure of approaching the good news from
another angle.
The wife of man already one of the most
conspicuous figures in public life in America,
Mrs. Taft became from that moment a national
figure. The November victory of the Republi-
can party but concentrated the attention which
had been upon her for five months as the wife
of it's nominee. There were no longer favo
rites in the field. Comparisons were out of or.
der. The names of the president.elect and his
family became household words throughout the
land.