The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-30
Helen Wills Is Unspoiled By
 Her F. ane
By CAROLINE CRAWFORD

1lFTNHE conceit of youth is title wb which will never belong to shy,
 modest Helen Wills, the 1S-year n1d "girl tennis marvel' from CalifOr- f1ia. who took on the tennis cham r,ionship at the Olympic games and defeated Molla Bjurstedt Mallory at Forest Hills last Saturday.
 For another 12 months the laurel ehaplet symbolic of the national wom- en's lawn tennis championship will cir nle the chestnut tresses of Helen, but at heart and in every action she IS the same quiet little girl that she was when she first came to the east three years ago with her brown hair done in a Hopping pigtail.
 Last Saturday at the Forest Hills stadium in the final match of the an- nual title tournament when Helen de- feated Molla in straight sets, G-1, 6-3, s She was announced by admiring would abe swains and enthusiastic spectators. "A gallery of 5000 persons-by far the Largest tennis throng of the season. saw the. youthful champion success fully defend the title she won from Mrs. Mallory one year ago, and for ifoment it seemed as if the 5000 spec fators pressed around Helen to con gratulate her.
 Was Helen fIustered, rattled, puffed up with pride, blushingly embar- rassed?
 She was not Little Poker Face" hs she has teen playfully called by ardent admirers, smiled her demure. shy smile and turned away, only, to Encounter other bursts of enthusiasm.
 Hands of stalwart young men, fa= nous old tennis players, admiring ma trons, athletic school girls, stretched @out from all directions to grasp Helen's lin warm congratulation. Flowers were sshowered upon her. Silver loving cups sappeared from still more ardent spec tators belonging to tennis clubs, while movie and newspaper camera men wait ed anxiously.
 To most girls of barely IS these at fentions would be simply wonderful sand they would get all the blushes, thrills and gggles there were out of At. But not Helen!
 x She bowed she smiled she shook the bands which were foremost and posed for the camera men, but all the while her face retained that stoical, poker Expression. and she seemed anxious to get to some admiring buddies whom she had promised to pose for, while they waited eagerly with their dollar cam H ttkflG uuucI LutlT duu IEtSu JO .ktl pointers from the real camera man who were snapping their heroine. z Then came the Climax! The con- gratulations of a gallant Frenchman. As Helen was about to run away from the throng a chivalrous, well groomed E'renchman made his way to her side, Shrugged his shoulders, sighed, breathed Out his congratulations in mixed Eng fish and French, and then graciously lifting her hand to his lips, gently kissed it.
 Not blush, not an emotion of sur prise or displeasure crossed the tennis narvels keen young face. Her once 1dea was to get to those children and give them an opportunity to snap her with their own much-prized cameras. She had promised she would and promise to child should be kept. With The kddies, Helen became child her self. Her demure, shy smile turned to q happy, childish one. She laughed with them, joked with them, held up her hand and warned them to be sure and get a good picture.
 The congratulations of the older people, the stalwart young would-be Nwaina the flowers, the loving cups and the F'renchman's gallant kiss on her able hand meant nothing to her they were all a part of the champion ship. But her own young heart re- eponded to the children. She became q hddie herself and perhaps it is this youthful spirit which keeps Helen Wills from being conceited and getting Tall puffed up."
 What kind of a girl is Helen Wills?' many spectators asked, 'Is that cum ning little poker face of hers a make Hp or Is she really just shy, kiddish girl who dislikeS the limelight and has the simple heart of child?"
 Everybody is asking that question since Helen attained international fame on the courts of Wimbledon, Colombes and Forest Hills.
 The answer is: "She is the most un- Affected, the most delightfully."- modest young woman ever to attain so high place in sports"
 Perhaps Helen Wills delightfully."- girl ish attitude may be explained through her careful rearing and home training Her father, Dr. Clarence A. Wills. is one of the leading physicians in Berke- Icy, Cal. Her mother has always been her best pal, and is always seen with Der, not with a severe chaperon's ex- presS1on, but with that unmistakable air of the true companion.
 Helen takes an active part in the social activities at the University of fCalfornia, where she has just com pleted her sophomore year, but she does not allow dances and late parties to Keep her up on school nights. Her doc tor father insists upon the old theory of "early to bed and early to rise" and perhaps that is another reason why the clever 1S-year-old girl tennis cham pion is able to keep a 'poker face" alnid wild bursts of appreciation and congratulations and is still a child at Aeart utterly devoid of that modern s1ri' know-it-all flapper spirit which D so evident today