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"Know the Marvins?"
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Marvin has taken a
special interest in influencing com
missions for me in her society cir
cle." "A sweet little lady, that," com
mented his friend. "Wasn't that her
husband who just walked away? A
fine fellow, but spoiled. Money, so
cial standing, a charmfng wife, but
fast on the downward path, I fear."
"I had not heard of that," mur
mured Boyd, very greatly troubled.
"She don't know the worst and he
don't realize it," went on the other,
"So far his weakness is only getting
with a lively crowd of old college
chums and drinking champagne. You
can infer what that will lead to in
time. He has a bout, say once a
week, isbrought home jolly but bois
terous, is all savage and disgruntled
the next morning. It's breaking that
poor little woman's heart."
All this was a revelation to loyal
Hoslyn Boyd and he was deeply
grieved. Mrs. Marvin called him in
a day or two later to see about en
larging some family pictures. He
fancied he could trace a repressed,
sorrow in her manner, the lines of
care about her fine-chiseled lips.
However, he dared not broach the
subject resting weightedly qn his
mind, nor proffer the earnest, helpful
sympathy that stirred his honest soul.
"Poor woman! If I could only as
sist her," was the constant hurden
of his thoughts. He saw the friend
who had advised him of the situation
and told him of his gratitude towards
Mrs. Marvin, hisanxietyto he of ser
vice to her.
"You can't break into a family row,
you know," he was advised. "You'd
get no thanks if you did. It's just
this way: if Marvin could be made to
know and see the ridiculous figure
he makes when he gets full of cham
pagne, he would probably be shocked
into behaving himself."
"I'vo pot an idea!" mused Boyd
slowly and hopefully, and he proceed
ed to carry it out. He was an ex-,
pert photographer, as has been said
There came to him an inspiration to
use his art to produce a salutary ira-
pression upon the reckless Marvin.
After that for nearly two weeks
Marvin had a shadow without sus
pecting it. Secretly but diligently
Boyd followed him through two of hisf
reckless "bouts with the boys." It)
was the morning after the last of
these escapades that Boyd appeared!
in his private office. " t
"Mr. Marvin," he said, as they
were alone, "I have called to show
you some photographs."
Marvin had met him several times
and was civil enough, but evidently
bored. The effects of hjs'previous
night's debauch had unnerved him.
He was unhinged, "probably ashamed,
possibly xepehtant.
"TJie pictures comprise a series,"
went on Boyd. "They cover the do
ings of a man I deeply esteem, but''
who has fallen upon evil ways. I
hope you will be patient while I ex
plain them, and then tell you how
and why they were taken."
Marvin regarded his visitor with
plight suspicion. He gave a violent
start and flushed deeply as he glanced
at the first of the pictures Boyd hand
ed him.
Then he forgot rancor and resent
ment at this overt invasion of his
strictly personal affairs.
He was the center of all the photo
graphs shown. In the first he was
depicted standing at a bar, drinking
with men, some of whom he would
not even have recognized in his sober
senses.
The second showed him leaning
from an automobile, a senselessly sil
ly expression on his face, throwing
coins to a hideous, jeering mob fol
lowing the machine
In a third he was being held up by
two others while he made a speech ta
a grinning crowd at a street corner.
Another showed him clinging to a
lamppost, helpless. So down the line;
truthful delineation of a tippler'
progress.
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