The Press., 1918-07-25
Brains VS. j Ernbonpoint, i,
By JANE OSBORN

HS$$$$S$$$$$ sSSSSsSsSSSsSN Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
 per Syndicate.)
 When Ned Majors, promising young CT brother of Stone Majors head of the dress manufacturing house of Majors & Clay, was put in charge of the "StOut Model" department of that large concern, he announced his intention of having a woman for his "right-hand man." Stone Majors and the other executives of the concern had always held out against women in responsible positions. Even their stenOgraphers were young men. Girls were we'll and good at the telephone or to run er- rands, or something of that sort, Stone Majors told his brother, but when you come to having them in your office with you, you first get to noticing what sort of dresses they wear, then you start in making pretty speeches, and the next thing you know your mind is more on the girl than your business.
 ''When get ready to marry" he continued, "I'm going to get some nice young girl, fresh from boarding school. I don't want some one that knows the dress-manufac business better than do, and that will serve us shop talk at breakfast and dinner"
 "That's just where I'm perfectly safe" Net retOrted. "I couldn't pOssi- bly, fall in love with the sort of girl I'm going to get. What I want a wom- an for Is because in my end of the work the right sort of woman can fairly sell the models off her back. Pm going to have a stout ; that's why she will help sell the type of dresses that I am going in for, and, moreover, that Is why there isn't any remote chance of my falling in love with her. could like stout girl a lot and get along with her beautifully. but I'm no Turk. I don't want fat wife. simply could not think of It."
 "Well, how are you going to get this 'right-hand man of yOurs?"
 Advertise of course. 'Wanted-A stout woman with brains and a knowl- edge of the wOInan's dress business That ought to get her."
 SO-the advertisement was inserted in the morning papers, and for an hour or two the door that led to Ned Majer's office was blocked with heavyweight applicants, who considered themselves qualified for the position. Apparently they all did qualify as to embOnpOint. Ned's problem was simplified into tell ing which of the fifty-seven applicants had the most brains. So important did he consider this qualification, in fact, that when Hilda Clark tipped the scales only at 16O pOunds-hardly one of the others hut had done better Ned waived this slight discrepancy be- cause of her very obvious advantages in the other considerations. He had had set of scales brought into his office from the factory. so that he might not trust to mere guesswOrk re' garding the weight of his applicants.
 "YOu look fat enough, anyway" he said gOOd-naturedly to her, as he helped her step down from the weigh ing platform. "Eat plenty of butter and potatoes and things. guess you are just the man I'm looking for" And as he showed her to the exit hall he made his way to his brothers office.
 "Well, I've got her." he said. "And she's fat and all intellect. We're both safe. I never could get sentimental over such a heavyweight, and you couldn't stand the intellect. She's the kind of girl that looks as if she knows just what buyer was going to order as soon as he came into the place, and 1t Is all In her eyes-the brains, I mean"
 So Hilda Clark was installed, and before long Stone Majors had forgot ten that he ever opposed his broth CT in taking Gh a woman assistant. With an amazing capacity for hard work and a keen interest in all the phases of her work that brought her active mind into contact with other minds as shrewd as her own, or nearly so, she soon had charge of the selling end of the business for both broth CTS. Her personal magnetism, rather than actual beauty, made every frOck she tried on take on new interest and distinction, and this, as Ned had fore seen, had considerable effect on the size of buyers orders. No mere man, even with the same ability as Hilda Clark, could ever have pushed the sell ing of the Majors & Clay "stOut mod els' as she did. So the work piled up, and evenings, when she was not stay ing after hours strengthening out 8 tangle of orders with Ned, she was cOnferring with Stone. It was hard work, but pleasant. It agreed with her, but
 "What's the matter with the last mOdelY' was the blunt and peevishly put query of one of the large buyers one day some six months after Hflda had come to be Ned's "right-hand man." "They are the dowdiest things ever saw. Say, honestly, just be- cause fat wOman's fat she doesn't want to dress like her great-grand- mother"
 That was the first of the complaints. Others followed. The designer was blamed first, but she was apparently putting out as good ideas as ever. The workmanship was the same, and the same quality of material was gO- ing into the dresses.
 One day Ned came into his brothers office with a pale but relieved face.
 II know what's the matter; Hilda's lost twenty pounds. She's been doing it gradually. I knew something was wrong, for the models looked so dOwdy on her. knew she must be getting thin. You know, never could fail in love with a fat girl. And, anyway, I got her on the scales today. She wouldn't get on, so I lifted her on. I couldn't have lifted her when she first came. And found out what was the natter"
 "DOes that help matters anyT snapped Stone.
 "Well, not so much, only that we know what the matter is. And, be- sides" .-Es
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