Life — July 20, 1911 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

* said dear! unice, said E'S simply adorable “He's perfect Margy Not being particularly interested in clergymen in general, it was hard for me to focus my mind upon this one in particular. But I saw that it must be done. When Margy and Eunice both trained their guns on one, nothing short of surrender would do. How times have you heard him preach?” I said, by way of an opener. “Once! but that was enough!" (It would have been for me.) jairly carried off my “And he didn’t spare any he? So full of earnestness!” “Dear me, no! Every word was truth, straight from the shoulder. They went on this way—well it would have been a matter of four or five iles in a motor car—when I inter- many feet.” one, did “T was posed, “Judging from remarked mildly, “1 assume that he is unmarried.” “Oh, certainly,” rously, “This is your enthusiasm,” I said Margy rapt his first living, you know “Why not draw lots for him? You ight marry him first,” I suggested to Eunice, “and if he’s fairly companion , you can get a di- over to Margy. le and wears we vorce and turn him Isn't the church more liberal than— “Don't joke!” interrupted Eunice sharply. “Just because you think you are going to marry me is no reason why you should become so cynical.” Why not?” I asked innocently, knowing beforehand that such a remark was likely to make trouble. And it would have made trouble if the bell, at this fortunate moment, had not rung and the Reverend Mr. Ushers Panfield had not entered the room. I recognized him at once as my panion of five years before at Carlsbad and afterward at Paris. My! What a time we had had! Was there anything we hadn't scen and done? I remember that I checked it off afterward in a lit- tle book and the list was quite com- plete. And while we were at it, what I had overlooked in the rush, Panfield had remembered. Not that I held it up against him no: at this critical juncture in his affairs. I am liberal myself, Margy—who seemed to be awed by com- “Le FE « Saving Margy her juxtaposition with so much conse- crated material—introduced us to each other in subdued tones. The Rev. Mr. Panfield pressed my hand nervously. His look said as plainly as possible: “Don't give me away!” and mine in reply said: “ Don’t worry. I am a sport myself.” At the same time I made a mental reservation. It was Margy. Margy had fifty thousand in her own right—and Margy was __ susceptible. What can't a soulful young clergyman do with a visionary creature like Margy? The Rev. Mr. Panfield departed— nuch sooner than anybody but myself looked for—and being interested in the affair I naturally watched it for several weeks with growing concern. One day I said to Margy (we being alone) : “My dear Margy, how much dissipa- tion do you think a man ought to have before he is fit for marrying?” Margy frowned. “I know you are going to say some horrid, cynical thing! Why are you al- ways bantering, when every one knows that at heart you don’t mean it? Now, d, you know perfectly well that I don’t approve of anything of the sort.” The fact was, that I was get alarmed about both Margy and but as for Eunice, I felt that I could manage her all right without any out- side help—even from the Rev. Mr. Pan- field himself. But with Margy it was ferent. When a girl is as sentimental as she is, she necds some kind of a guardian. Are you in love with Mr. Panficld?” I asked abruptly. Mar; started, I am deeply I cannot understand why you treat him so lightly, He scems instinctively to know that you are making light of him and avoids you. If you only knew what he really is! (I thought of Solomon!) And the work he is doing in the parish Why, everyone there never has been such an azcakening?” “Margy!” I) said, and this time I was serious, “I don't want to sce you go wrong about this matter, and I am going 10 tell you something—but I want you to promise that you will keep it secret.” “I shan't believe anything you tell me about him!” said Margy positively. interested in him and says “Oh, yes you will. Promise? “ Honor bright ? “ Honor bright. “Well, then, Margy, the facts are these. The Rev. Mr. Panfield is not the saint he seems. Mind you, I don't bold his past up against him. He may have reformed. Doubtless he has. Solomon did some good work as a result of sow- ing wild oats. No, I don’t object to Panfield merely he has been more or less wild, but because he is try- ing to convey the impression that he is made of a little different stuff than the rest of us. He is posing as being a soul ful, uplifting person, on a high intel- lectual_ and spiritual plane—whereas he is nothing of the sort. He is sailing under false colors. Panfield isn’t as much of a sport as I thought he was. And, of course, you don’t know, Margy, that the sort of pose he is giving you is just the thing that makes a lot of hysterical women flock around him. “I won't listen to another word— “You'll have to. I'll hold you down in that chair, if necessary, just to be friendiy. About four or five years ago Panfield and I were on the Continent toxether—wild young blades, as they say—and he didn’t lag much behind in the procession. Panfield was a thor- oughbred—then. Now he wants to nice young girl—with a nice income—and rise in life, and, of because marry some course, my presence here isn’t comfort- ing 10 him. But he knows me of old and he has confidence cnough in me to think that I won't yive him away, Well, I won't; only to you—and that’s why I de you promise.” At this I pulled from my pocket a certain set of photographs. 1 don't know why I ever saved them from the terrible past. But there they were. And there was the Rev. Panficld, the leading character, “Here's the evidence, Margy,” 1 Latin Quartier—yes, just five years ago this month—there’s the date and I’m not showing you the worst’ of them, either,” I added significantly “Does Eunice know about this asked Margy, shivering. And if you tell her! knows said. “Certainly not —of course, she does. I about Everybody have nothing to I dropped that sort of thing And now will you be good?” awful?” Marg conceal. long ago. “Isn't it whispered comicbookMeom