Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

4 PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY from the bench. Carrying his little cane by the end, with its handle hanging down behind him, by accident it hooked around the girl's ankle and he pulled her off the bench to a sitting posture on the walk. "Help!" she cried out. Her call was not long unheeded. A man who had been strolling that way raised his hat again, and turned around to walk off. The man kicked him in that portion of his baggy trousers which was the fullest. Without looking around, Charlie retaliated by knocking his hat off with his cane. And then he ambled away from the scene on his heels. Charlie decided she was much prettier than the other girl. along the path broke into a run which quickly brought him to her side. Lifting her to her feet, he glanced from her to Charlie, who was standing near. "Is he annoying you, madam?" the stranger inquired, with a nod toward Charlie. "He pulled me off this bench !" the girl indignantly charged. Charlie opened his lips to explain. Then he shut them again swiftly, and raised his derby to the man, who had reached him in a single stride. The man thrust his face into Charlie's threateningly. "Well?" he growled. Charlie coughed behind his hand. He A little farther along the path, be came face to face with the cross-eyed man, who was returning from the unsuccessful search he had made for a policeman. Charlie knocked his high hat off once more. Then, as the man bent over to pick it up, with the crook of his cane Charlie "pulled one of his feet from under him, and left him sprawling there in the middle of the walk, while he waddled on his way. Five minutes later, the cross-eyed man met the man who had answered the girl's cry for help, and driven Charlie away from the bench, from which the girl had also gone. The cross-eyed man and the other shook hands, for they were old acquaintances. "I left a young lady sitting on this bench just a few minutes ago," said the former. "Did you happen to see anything of her?'' "I did," replied his friend. "But it didn't do me any good. She wouldn't let me sit beside her, or talk to her, or anything. She said she was through with men forever. It was all on account of a young fellow who she said had pulled her off this bench by the handle of his cane — he had cured her of the desire for masculine society." They looked at each other in silence for a moment. "He tripped me up with his cane!" announced the cross-eyed man darkly. "He knocked my hat off with it," said his friend. Then, linking arms, by mutual consent they turned and set off in the direction where Charlie Chaplin had last been seen — to exact the penalty of his many crimes from him. Charlie, seated alone on another bench where he had dropped down for a few moments' rest, saw them coming. He rose and walked away. The cross-eyed man and his friend came after him. Aware that flight was hopeless. Charlie stopped and waited for the pair to come up. He spun round on his heel and launched a blow at the cross-eyed man. It met its mark. He staggered back against his friend, and they both sprawled on the path in a tangle of legs and arms. Charlie, looking down at them as they struggled to free themselves of each other's limbs, tipped his derby to them and strolled away, without a word. Rounding the bend in the path. Charlie caught sight of two angry women sitting on a bench. They were the wife and daughter of the cross-eyed man. And, having just waked up and found him gone from between them, that accounted for their anger. Charlie stopped in front of the bench on which they sat, and raised his hat, with a smile at the pretty girl. She smiled back. "Mother," she said, turning to the older woman beside her, "as long as papa has gone off and left us alone here — probably to follow some girl, too ! — suppose we take this young man home with us?"