Many a young man has succumbed to his environment. The hero of the
following moving tale is no exception:
She was waiting for him at the station. It was two o'clock in the
afternoon, and he had to go back that evening on the midnight train. He
acted like a man in a dream, but, none the less, he appeared to know
precisely what he was about.
As the train drew up the station was crowded. There she was in the
midst of the crowd, smiling and beckoning to him. Without a moment's
hesitation, and before she even realized what was happening, he sprang
forward, put his arms around her, and planted a clinging kiss on her
lips. She blushed intensely and whispered as well as she could:
"Oh, you mustn't!"
He made no reply. His eyes were fixed. Half frightened, she led the way
to the motor car. They got in. He promptly took her hand. She attempted
to motion to him that the chauffeur was in front and could see their
reflection in the glass windshield. He merely threw both arms around her
and almost crushed her, as he kissed her over and over again. Her face
showed surprise and indignation.
"You mustn't! We're not engaged."
"As if that mattered," he muttered, taking another kiss.
The motor car arrived at her home. They got out. They entered the house.
Her mother came forward to receive them. Suddenly, without warning, he
sprang forward and kissed her, throwing his arms about her like a
cyclone. Her mother, attempting to free herself, gasped. This young
man--whom she scarcely knew! The girl herself stared at him in open-eyed
astonishment.
At this moment the maid entered the room. As she stepped forward the
young man caught sight of her. Wasting no time, and before the surprised
mother and daughter could stop him, he had folded the maid in his arms
and kissed her also. She screamed, and finally ran away.
There was an aunt visiting them. This gentle, middle-aged spinster was
dozing in the next room. Aroused by the maid's screams, she hurried into
the room. But no sooner did this remarkable young man visitor see her
than he promptly grabbed her, and covered her face with kisses.
The girl's father all this time had been quietly smoking on the piazza.
Hearing the commotion he hurried also into the room, just in time to see
the spinster lady, almost fainting with terror, tear herself loose.
"He's been kissing every one of us," murmured the girl's mother. "There
must be something the matter with him."
The girl's father caught the young man squarely by the shoulders and
faced him about.
"He kissed me at the station--before everybody!" sobbed the girl. "Then
he kissed mama and the maid and Aunt Jane."
"What is the meaning of this?" said the girl's father, sternly. "How
dare you, sir, abuse our hospitality?"
The young man shuddered. His eyes closed. Still in the clutch of his
host, there was a tragic silence. Then he opened them once more and
gazed feebly about him. He passed his hand wearily over his forehead.
"Forgive me!" he whispered. "It is not my fault. I live in bachelor
quarters in town. My friends had all gone away and there was nothing for
me to do but go to the moving picture shows night after night. I have
been doing this for weeks. In the moving pictures the young man hero
kisses everybody he meets. It's the regular thing--nothing but kissing,
kissing, all the time. My mind has been unhinged by it. Forgive me and
take me to some asylum."
Then he burst into tears, threw his arms about the old gentleman--and
kissed him, and they led the poor wretch away.