Evening journal., 1912-08-20
Evil to Him Who
Evil Thinks
By RYLAND BELL


A guest at a house party at the
country home Of my friend Butler,
head of the firm of Peter Butler & Co.,
publishers. l met people who were in
business way connected with litera-
ture. There were several proprietors
Of large book manufacturing concerns,
a number Of literary critics and half
dozen authors. These persons COM
posed about a third Of the invited
guests and on account of their connec-
tion with literature were objects of in
terest to the rest Of us.
The Buffers had recently published
novel called THE Code Reversed, .
which was having a phenomenal sue
cess II had been issued under a nom
de plume. and opinion was divided
as to whether the author was man or
woman
One spicy review OF It said II was
the most immoral novel that had been
issued in many years. Most Of the
notices took pretty much the same
view Of the book, but there were a few
that made no mention whatever Of
anything naughty in It. One critic
said that some persons might give It an
immoral Interpretation, adding. Evil
to him who evil thinks"
Naturally we spent good deal of
time discussing the merits. demerits
and Interpretation to be put upon this
story. Some of us endeavored TO in
duce Butler to tell us about the au-
thor But he resoluteiy declined. He
would not even say whether the book
had been written by man or a wo-
man.
The party came together early in
October and remained till November.
though there were many changes in
the meantime. I remained as long as
Butler kept the house open, having
met a young lady who affected me diff
ferently from any other woman. She
was but nineteen and more Of a lily
than a rosebud. kept my tongue al
ways under control when with her lest
! might shock her-not that she was
prudish. for there was nothing Of
prudishness in her. Her purity was
self evident
She did not belong TO the author
esses. several Of whom were among
us l attempted TO talk to her about
literature. hut found that her reading
was very meager. Indeed. in a party
where there was a sprinkling of in.
tellectual people I did not see that she
had any place. I limited as much To
Butler who said. "Oh. she's nice lit
tie girl; rather unsophisticated, but
you know we're not all geniuses here.
Toward the close OF our stay Butler
announced one morning that in a fen
days the author of "The Code Revers
ed would be with us. Several who had
announced their Intention Of leaving
Immediately declared that they would
remain Some one asked Butler II he
or she was coming incog Butler re
Piled that the person would be incog
Bot he promised before the party
brpke up TO remove the mask that We
night all see him ,or her in proprif
M eona
Z ring the next few DAYS severa
persons arrived. and each conner wa,
at once ponnced upon as the author
One was a young man who wore his
hair pompadour and looked otherwis,
like a genius. Another was a middl,
aged masculine looking woman with 4
coarse voice. and unrefned manners
Perhaps I would have taken more
interest in this matter had not bee,
especially engaged with the young ladl
I have mentioned whose name was
Mary Brown. One evening while chat
ting with her alone. drawing nearei
and nearer to speaking my heart
finally let my arm fall upon her wais
and. turning my face to hers. kissed
her.
I had scarcely done so when It seem
ed to me that the act was a prof
anation was not repulsed. but ther'
was so much modesty displayed on thl
part of the young lady that blamed
myself for taking what had not th'
right to take l hastened 10 repair thl
damage by an offer Of my heart an'
hand
Two days later. as / was about 4
leave Butler announced that If W.
would all gather in the drawing room
he would present the author Of "Th
Code Reversed " entered with the 9th
ers. and when all had assembled on
host approached us and taking Mar,
Brown by the hand led her apart from
the others and said:
MY friends. | have the honor q
present the author Of The Code RE
versed. l will also explain that he
book Is an example Of how Different,
different persons may look upon III
same thing. You all have had an OF
Dortunity TO know Miss Brown an
are. am sure. united as 10 her purity.
"But you said she was, to arrive.
remarked a guest.
pardon me; I said that she woul
be with us | did not say that she wa
not then with us"
Miss Brown is now my wife. but
take care that she doesn't scribhle-
at least not FOR publication.
Fortunately she was not spoiled b
her remarkable success. Had she bee
elated over it she would have bee
doomed to an equal disappointment
Her story was without literary merl
A meaning had been placed upon
by persons whose minds naturally pc
ceive the sensual. To the author n
such meaning was intended. Indee,
she was incapable Of conceiving {
such meaning. Butler understood bot
the public and the author and. not b,
ing averse 10 making money out OF