Slippy McGee, Sometimes Known as the Butterfly Man

BL

one of her few remaining treasures-a carved ivory fan which Le Brun had painted out of his heart of hearts for o

years in those carved and scented boxes which are like little tombs, they remember the lights and the flowers and the perfumes, the glimmer and gleam of jewels and silks, the frothy fall of laces, the laughter and whispers and glances, the murmured word, the stifled sigh: and above all, the touch of soft lips that used to brush them lightly; and the poor

is your Hour, that you are young, and life and love are yours. It is in such youthful and happy smiles that we whose day declines may relive for a brief and bri

inserted it here, although I suppose it really isn't at all rele

layer of silvery thistle-down; and on this, hovering above flowers, some of his loveliest butterflies spread their wings. So beautifully did their

I've played like they were all of them your carriers. So you see we had word of you every single day of all these years you've been gone! Now I'm sending one or two of them back to you. Please play like my tray's a million times bigger and finer and th

tterfl

as so delighted with it, and so proud of it. I like its

lude little Appleboro. Why should a girl with such connections and opportunities be buried in a little town when great cities waited for just such with open and welcoming a

tic old Aunt of her mother's, a sort of awful high priestess in the inmost shrine of the sacred elect; this Begum, delighted with her young kinswoman, ordered the rest of her world to be likewise delighted, and the world agreeing with her verdict, Mary Virginia fared very well. S

ager child we used to know has gone forever-life has taken her. This beautiful creature's place is not here-she belongs to a

tiaras and titles and those fine gentlemen with orders, whom your fancy conjures u

very little in the world which claims Mary Virginia no

looked at that photo

otion in my head that she'd grown up. ... I never could think of her except as a sort of kid-angel, because I couldn't seem to bear the idea of

s, please. As for Appleboro not being good enough for her, that's piffle, too, p'tite Madame, and I'm surprised at you! Her own town is good enough for any girl. If it isn't, let her ju

instead of bumping t

young man grandly. "We've always been long on good-lookers in Caroli

there are no berries at all-except preserved ones," suggested my mother, with tha

count for something? How about Claire Dexter, for instance? She mayn't have a Figure like her Aunt Sally Ruth, but suppose you dolled Claire up like this? A flirt she was born and a flirt she will die, but isn't she a perfect peach? That reminds me-that ungrateful minx gave two dances rightfully mine to Mr. Howard Hunter last night. I didn't

lips came fi

nette," she remarked crisply. "I am absolutely certain that if you co

, then?" suggested Lauren

er worth. Such a man as this, a two-handed sword gripped in his steel fists, a wolfskin across his broad shoulders and eagle-wings at either side the helmet that crowns his yellow hair, looks at one out of many a red, red page of the past with just such blue, dange

much of him, and I was indebted to him for more than one shrewd and practical suggestion. If at times I was chilled by what seemed to me a ruthless and cold-blo

human beings as with figure

ny clever social chemist can reduce them to first principles. It's really very simple, as all gre

I can't help. Self-preservation, we all admit, is the first law of nature. Now I consider myself, and the class I represent, as beings much more valuable to the world than, let's say, your factory-hands, your mill-workers, your hewers of wood and drawers of water. Thus, should the occasion a

without the doors of the sick civilization he has brought about, Lazarus lies, licked by the dogs of chance. No, this man was advocating no new theory; once, perhaps, I might have argued even thus myself, and done so w

chronic insurrection. That means losing time and scamping work. The square deal is not socialism nor charity nor a matter of any one man's p

een mind of his, that the Butterfly Man amused and interested Hunter so much. Or perhaps, proud

anybody unusual or interesting to pass him by without at least sampling its savor, he formed the habit of strolling over to the Parish House to talk with the limping man who had come there a dying tramp, was now a scientist, with the manner and appearance of a gentleman, and who spoke at will the language of two worlds. That this once black sheep had strayed of his own will and pleasure from some notable fold Hun

sh House speculatively. Not even the fact that he quoted her ado

a heart!" said she, regretfully

he world delighted me. To me immured in a mill town he brought th

ee the wheels go 'round. However, let me admit that I thank God devoutly I am no longer young and susc

e a slim book, making known to

ather De Rancé? Because you amuse me. I see in you one of life's subtlest ironies: A Greek beauty-worshiper pos

ll beauti

and ado

no bette

in his h

red for

alia, from the Antilles and Mexico and South America and the isles of the Pacific; from many and many a lonely missionary station had they been sent us. Even as our collection grew, the library covering it grew with it. But this was merely the most showy and pleasing part of the work. That which had the greatest scientific worth and interest, that upon which John Flint's value and reputation were steadily mounting, was in less lovely

l me thy name!" Like Jacob, he paid the

and absorbed student himself was to his mind the most interesting specimen, the most valuable study. It amu

d all French, Russian and English literature at his fingers' ends, sit chuckling and absorbed for an hour over that fearful collection of lugubrious verse and worse grammar; pausing every now and then

re Mr. Hunter?" I w

ire him." Fli

ire him, why don

efle

too pointed. He looks like he'd bite. I don't think he'd care mu

paused in his work, stretched his legs

y's faults, or to find out what they've got up their sleeves besides their elbows, unless I have to. Why, I'd as soon ask a fellow to take off his patent leathers to prove he hadn't got bunions, or to unbutton his collar, so I'd be sure it wasn't f

us. A gentleman wears good shoes and clean collars-wherefore, y

ood," he offered brazenly. "For he may-and I sure don't

nute. That man's got about all a man can have, hasn't he? In himself, I mean. And if there's anything more he fancies, he can reach out and get it, can't he? Well, then

rself?" he demanded,

e him im

like him?"

e to remember that if Madame doesn't, she is only one

plum-foolest things God has found time to make yet. If you don't believe it, watch them stand around and cackle over the first big dunghill rooster

about it. When a man talks like you're talking now, it's just

s, I don't know just how or why. Maybe it's because he's so sure of himself. He can afford to be sure. There isn't any reason why he shouldn't be. And it hurts my feeli

e mill folks! Whatever his motives are, the result is ri

es according to what's in you. You know good and well one side is full of near-poors, and half-ways, and real-poors-the downandouters, the guys that never had a show, ditchers and sewercleaners and sweatshoppers and mill hands and shuckers, and overdriven mutts and starved women and kids. It's sure one hell of a road, but there's got to be a light somewhere about it or the best of the whole world wouldn't take to it for choice, would they? Yet they do! Like Jesus Christ, say. They turn down the other side cold, though it's nicer traveling. Why, you can hog that other r

son, I guess if you're man enough to foot it without a pay-envelope coming in on Saturdays, why, it's plenty good enough for me-and Kerry. But while

"What he's doing is good. Even Laurence could

erfly Ma

ility-and-nothing-but-business bug biting you, like that skate's got? Why, what do you suppose you'd have done with little old Slippy? I was considerable good business to look at then, wasn't I? No. You've got to have something in you that will let you take gambler's chances; you've got to be willing to bet the lim

f about the brilliant figure of Hunter, the two did not dislike each other, though Hunter, from an older man's sureness of himself, was the more cordial of the two. I fancy each watched the other more guardedly than e

ality. Thus the secretary gradually removed the thorns and briars of doubts and prejudices, sowing in their stead the seeds of Inglesby's ambition and rehabilitation, in the open light of day. He knew his work was well done; he was sure of ultimate success; he had always been successful, and there had been, heretofore, no one strong enough to actively oppose him. He could therefore afford to make haste slowly. Even had he been aware of the Butterfly M