Munsey's Magazine, March 1924

Munsey's Magazine, March 1924, features "Spending the Evening," a complete novelette by John D. Swain about the night life of Paris. The protagonist, Horace Barnes, is an associate professor of French from a Midwestern college who has methodically toured Paris's classical sites and museums during a two-week sojourn. On his final evening, he abandons his scholarly routine and visits L'Œuf d'Or, a Montmartre cabaret, expecting to observe tourists being deceived. Instead, he becomes captivated by Martine, the venue's chanteuse performer, who emerges from a gilded papier-mâché egg alongside an exotic Australian cat. The narrative follows his internal conflict between intellectual principles and sudden romantic impulse. At the adjacent table, a wealthy young American tourist and his sophisticated blonde companion invite Martine and her companion—a man purporting to be a dangerous Apache criminal—to join them, prompting complications.