Man About Town (Henry)
from the Collection «The Four Million»
A curious individual embarked on a quest to understand and find the elusive character known as the "Man About Town." The journey began with the individual's inquiries about various mysteries, such as the contents of women's dress suitcases and the reason behind the two-piece construction of mattresses. These seemingly trivial questions highlighted the individual's insatiable curiosity and desire to understand the world around them.
The individual sought answers from various people they encountered in the bustling city of New York. First, they asked a newspaper reporter, who described the "Man About Town" as someone who falls between a "rounder" and a "clubman," always present at events and familiar with everyone. The reporter's description, however, was not enough to satisfy the individual's curiosity.
Next, the individual spoke to a bartender at a café, who described the "Man About Town" as a "fly guy" who knows the city's nightlife inside out. The bartender's description added to the individual's understanding but still left them wanting more.
The individual then encountered a Salvation Army lassie, who provided a different perspective on the "Man About Town." She described them as the "devil's bodyguard," always present in places of vice and sin. This description added another layer to the individual's understanding of the elusive character.
Finally, the individual met a critic friend outside a hotel. The critic provided a more detailed and analytical description of the "Man About Town," characterizing them as the embodiment of curiosity, impudence, and omnipresence.
He is the sublimated essence of Butt-in; the refined, intrinsic extract of Rubber; the concentrated, purified, irrefutable, unavoidable spirit of Curiosity and Inquisitiveness.
As the individual continued their quest, they were involved in a bizarre accident that landed them in the hospital. Upon waking up, they found a newspaper article about the incident, which described them as a "typical Man About Town."
The irony of the situation was not lost on the individual, who realized that their pursuit of understanding the "Man About Town" had led them to become the very character they sought to comprehend. In the end, the individual's journey not only provided them with a deeper understanding of the elusive "Man About Town" but also revealed the fluidity of identity and the idea that one's perception of oneself may differ from how others perceive them.