A Good Samaritan

A promising church appointment has Carter Reed watching the clock, while his cousin Reginald Fairfax keeps finding other people who need his help. Recently ordained and still finishing his theological studies, Fairfax is due to meet an influential churchwarden. On Broadway, however, he encounters the athlete Billy Strong and a companion, both too tipsy to manage their own return home. Helping them threatens to upset the carefully arranged evening.

Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews builds the comedy from that clash between practical plans and immediate kindness. Reed's impatience, Billy's expansive affection and Fairfax's stumbling explanations give the scenes their distinct voices. A later encounter with Miss Margery brings another test: an appealing invitation to the theater competes with Fairfax's responsibility for Billy. Set among New York streets, offices and social engagements, the story offers a brisk look at how a good intention can produce confusion, inconvenience and wounded feelings.