Judge, 1921-03-12 · page 5 of 32
Judge — March 12, 1921 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of "The Irresistible Bjohnson" The illustration shows a man in formal attire (center) at what appears to be a railway platform, surrounded by admiring women and onlookers. The caption references "The Passenger with a Stop-over Ticket Nears His Station." The accompanying short story by Tudor Jenks describes a mysterious man named Bjohnson whose charm makes him irresistible to women. The narrator is puzzled by Bjohnson's appeal—he's neither exceptionally handsome nor wealthy, yet women consistently flock to him and seek his company. The satire appears to mock the inexplicable nature of masculine charm and social magnetism among the wealthy or well-connected, suggesting that some men possess an indefinable quality that transcends conventional attractiveness. The railway setting implies Bjohnson is a traveling gentleman whose charisma follows him everywhere.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tne Passexcex wetn a Stor-over Ticket Nears His _—a Station The Irresistible Bjohnson By ‘Vuvoor Jexks OR a long time [could not understand the success of my friend Bjohnson with women. Young and old, rich or poor, homely or beautiful—all agreed that Bjohnson was “perfectly charming ” or “most fascinating.” seautiful, nor graceful; he was not especially popular among men, though he was admitted by them to be a good sort of fellow,” and he was entirely unobjectionable as He was nc a club-member. But women sang his praises everywhere, and he was simply pelted with their invitations to every kind of r. Indeed he could have passed all his days with no more money than he might need for tips or other purely pers« I was interested in Bjohnson’s invariable ¢ ic amulet he carried, or what It was not expe rm among women, and wondered what magic secret he had learned from a Gypsy grandmother. 1am too old a man to have need of any device to please ladies, being rather an onlooker than a par ipant in life. But as a student of human nature, [ found onan interesting specimen and a puzzle ruse L envied him. By accident I found the solution to my problem. My wife gave a large recepti heard Bjohnson’s conversations with two | rucsts W est. he entertained. One was Miss Perki maiden aun advanced age, reserved and highly dignified; the other, Miss Blossom, a blushing and eager debutante,’ a visitor to some of our relatives, and so included in our invita- at my wife's r tions to them I did not mean to listen to their talk, but was in each case in attendance upon a talkative lady who gave me no chance to get a word in edgewise; and, in each ¢ where [ could not help overhearing with the old aunt and with the yor After that experience 1 guessed Bjohn longer was he a mystery nor his method a pu And here is his talk with iden aunt, which was already well started when I first heard i Yes.” said Bjohnson, “Ll was cager to meet you, Miss Perk The quiet elegance of that gray gown, with its graceful folds relieved by the Jon as You appeared rare lace, the