Judge, 1915-08-14 · page 13 of 28
Judge — August 14, 1915 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical short story by J.A. Waldron about a charming opportunist named Mr. Jingle at a summer resort hotel. The satire targets a recognizable male type: the smooth operator who flatters multiple women simultaneously while claiming each is uniquely special. The humor lies in exposing his transparent duplicity. Jingle tells Bessie she's prettier than Alice and Helen, that she has "witchery" others lack, and implies he chose her companionship deliberately—when in fact he danced with all three women the previous evening and simply walked with Bessie because the others were occupied. The illustration shows him in an upscale hotel setting, surrounded by eager young women. The satire critiques both male dishonesty and female gullibility: Bessie believes his flattery despite obvious contradictions, finding his attention irresistible enough to overlook his insincerity. This reflects early-20th-century anxieties about courtship dynamics and gender relations at leisure resorts, where unchaperoned interaction between men and women was newly commonplace.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
RIGHT By J.oaA. ONE A WALDRON R. JINGLE arrived at the Gorge Hotel unaccompanied by tin- ¢ kling cymbals and sounding brass, but in an incredibly short time the girls found he was as lively as his name. Of the few men in sight—it was a summer hotel—he was the most engaging. The Gorge Hotel environment was romantic. There were mountains and valleys, fields, woods, rippling streams and singing waterfalls. Motor roads were fair, but the bid was for walking and sequestered companionship. “What a pretty girl you are! But no doubt I'm not an orig- inal discoverer of the fact." Thus ventured Jingle to Bessie, who had grasped at a stroll with him the very first morning. She-had danced with him the previous evening. “Am I as pretty as Alice?’’ Bessie asked, looking at him archly, Jingle had also danced with Alice. “Much prettier. You have a witchery quite foreign to her— or to any other I have seen about here.’* “How about Helen?’ Jingle had also danced with Helen. “Candidly there’s no comparison. Why did I select you of all the young women for a stroll?"* “*But Alice and Helen were playing tennis—a mixed double— and their partners aren't réally so bad as men go around here. Do you imagine either of them would have preferred a walk with you?" ‘Perhaps, if I had seen either of them first. “*Why do you flatter me?’’ “You'll pardon me, but it’s not flattery. To flatter one is to, say something one doesn’t deserve. If you think I’m insincere, consult your mirror.’’ Bessie took out that concealed necessity from habit anddabbed her nose. Then she smiled at Jingle—or rather upon Jingle. “His subsequent line of talk convinced her that he thought she was the one girl in the neighborhood. The next morning Jingle, up almost with the birds, found Alice alone in the breakfast room. Tennis had probably stimulated her appetite and induced early rising.., During the evening after his walk with’ Bessie, Jingle had danced impartially with her, with Alice and with Helen. Bessie had thought this a little strange, but the pleasure of dancing with him was too great to miss. It I waited for you."”