windows 8.1, word 2003



i am working with a document that is about 120-150 pages (unknown at this time)

i have been changeing the font size and it makes massive jumps in page numbers by small changes

I am wondering I am useing microsoft word 2003 and useing the font Gabriola which uses some long F's and maybe others.

I was forced to use the setting exactly and 1-2 sizes larger than the font to make it show it all because without this it was double lined, is it possible instead of doing that and takeing allot of pages to do so, can i overlap the text from one line to the next, haveing that long f over overlap into other lines or at least partially

or is it possible to greatly reduce the space inbetween lines
makeing changes like this is makeing a desturbing amount more pages