The success of Field's paragraph engaging Bok to Miss Pinkham stimulated the poet to greater effort.Bok had gone to Europe; Field, having found out the date of his probable return, just about when the steamer was due, printed an interview with the editor "at quarantine" which sounded so plausible that even the men in Bok's office in Philadelphia were fooled and prepared for his arrival.The interview recounted, in detail, the changes in women's fashions in Paris, and so plausible had Field made it, based upon information obtained at Marshall Field's, that even the fashion papers copied it.
All this delighted Field beyond measure.Bok begged him to desist; but Field answered by printing an item to the effect that there was the highest authority for denying "the reports industriously circulated some time ago to the effect that Mr.Bok was engaged to be married to a New England young lady, whereas, as a matter of fact, it is no violation of friendly confidence that makes it possible to announce that the Philadelphia editor is engaged to Mrs.Frank Leslie, of New York."It so happened that Field put this new paragraph on the wire just about the time that Bok's actual engagement was announced.Field was now deeply contrite, and sincerely promised Bok and his fiancee to reform.
"I'm through, you mooning, spooning calf, you," he wrote Bok, and his friend believed him, only to receive a telegram the next day from Mrs.
Field warning him that "Gene is planning a series of telephonic conversations with you and Miss Curtis at college that I think should not be printed." Bok knew it was of no use trying to curb Field's industry, and so he wired the editor of the Chicago News for his cooperation.Field, now checked, asked Bok and his fiancee and the parents of both to come to Chicago, be his guests for the World's Fair, and "let me make amends."It was a happy visit.Field was all kindness, and, of course, the entire party was charmed by his personality.But the boy in him could not be repressed.He had kept it down all through the visit."No, not a joke-cross my heart," he would say, and then he invited the party to lunch with him on their way to the train when they were leaving for home."But we shall be in our travelling clothes, not dressed for a luncheon," protested the women.It was an unfortunate protest, for it gave Field an idea! "Oh," he assured them, "just a goodbye luncheon at the club; just you folks and Julia and me." They believed him, only to find upon their arrival at the club an assembly of over sixty guests at one of the most elaborate luncheons ever served in Chicago, with each woman guest carefully enjoined by Field, in his invitation, to "put on her prettiest and most elaborate costume in order to dress up the table!"One day Field came to Philadelphia to give a reading in Camden in conjunction with George W.Cable.It chanced that his friend, Francis Wilson, was opening that same evening in Philadelphia in a new comic opera which Field had not seen.He immediately refused to give his reading, and insisted upon going to the theatre.The combined efforts of his manager, Wilson, Mr.Cable, and his friends finally persuaded him to keep his engagement and join in a double-box party later at the theatre.
