#consider the consequences

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Helen's Story: Part 4

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(Mod's Notes are in italics)

Previously on Consider the Consequences...

Helen's got herself a spankin' new job at the magazine office and now lives in Greenwich Village, the hippest part of town, where all the cool kids hang out: college students, artists, poets, you name it! That means Helen's life has been improved for the better!

But here's a kicker: the magazine editor, Mr. Merritt, isn't available, so Helen is left to edit something by herself, and she's got to work overtime, but there's an important party she's got to attend too that she's brought clothes for. This party is in honor of Phil Burns, a young artist she's infatuated with.

Since most of the votes were in favor of her attending the party, maybe a girl's gotta protect her mental health after all from soul-crushing workloads! And finally, I've got myself some company to vote with me!

If Helen chose not to attend the party, we bet our lives she'd be dead tired or all zombielike. Or suffer from mental health issues. And yes, I'm sorry if I hit that post button a little too early. I was too excited fot this.

Unfortunately every great story must come to an end, including Helen's, so we'll see how her time in the party goes.

Announcements to be followed later.

Helen wore to the party the Chinese-red frock for which she had paid too much, and never had a girl less cause to regret extravagance. The eyes of all the men in the room turned automatically toward the bright red, and they discovered Helen. The young man for whom she had bought the frock, Phil Burns, succumbed quickly, and his wooing, which had been tentative up to that point, became whole-hearted. He was a young artist who was doing commercial drawing until he could get himself known as a portrait-painter. He reminded Helen of Jed, but he had good health, and a practical streak in his artistic temperament.

There was a wild courtship of at least a week, culminating in their marriage at the Little Church around the Corner, with rice and confetti, and white ribbons on the taxi. Helen kept on with her job, because Phil did not earn enough for two. For the same reason she postponed babies. She gave just enough attention to her business to avoid being fired and the rest to her husband whom she loved devotedly. Their prosperity depended entirely on him and not on her. It took her some time to accustom' herself to being no longer a free agent. But the ​atmosphere of the home depended upon Helen and Helen was slated to be happy.

The consequence of Helen’s putting marriage interests ahead of business was that she was a great success as a wife, though not so good as an employee.

Now that we've covered Helen, it's now time to vote for our second character, and it's all BOYS!

Which of these lucky lucky gents will make it? Let your votes decide!

Who should be our second character?

Jed

Saunders

Voting ended onMay 29

Results to be announced next week.

And here's an announcement: Somewhere within this week, I'll create a summary of Helen's story based on your votes while we wait for the next character to have their turn.

BTW, we're almost close to a month ever since we started this blog, maybe one month more or less.

[nerdygaymormon]

Sacred disobedience central to Mormon theology

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Helen's Story: Part 3

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(Mod's notes are in Italics)

We are back with your regularly scheduled programming. I'm currently on vacation so more free time for me!

Previously on Let's Play Consider the Consequences...

Helen finally makes it to the big city of New York, just for her very first job at a local printing press.

While there, she's finally reduced into nothing but rookie status, since she didn't recieve enough training back home in Franklin. If she'd listened to mom and dad she wouldn't have gotten that rookie status.

But here's some good news:

Helen's a pretty dilligent worker, that even the boss gives her big promotions and an influential spot at work, but he underpays the rest of his subordinates just because he's got kids to feed.

One day Marion invites her over to a new job offering at a magazine office, but the boss wants her to stay with him. Helen's tired and fed up with the printing press, on the other hand.

Since the choice for Helen to take up the magazine job offer got a 100% score (then again it was me who voted for it), we can finally save her from a lifetime of misery from the printing press!

Let's see what happens next!

Options are highlighted in orange.

Helen lived with Marian Cole in a tiny apartment called a studio on the top floor of a Greenwich Village walk-up to which came artists, writers, minor playwrights, actors, musicians, communists, college girls—young people from every nation and every walk in life. They had a casual way of dropping in and eating whatever was on the table, and helping wash the orange-colored dishes and green glasses.

Helen had not known that life could be so gay. But eventually a time came when she had to decide which to put first, her job at the magazine office or her social life. A telegram came from the editor, Paul Merritt, who was out West addressing a convention, directing her to remove a certain article, found to be libelous, from the issue about to go on the press. It was five o'clock, but the foreman of the printing-plant said that if Helen would stay to proofread the new matter to be substituted, make the readjustments in make-up and O.K. the press proof, he would keep part of the composing staff there until twelve o'clock and the magazine could come out on time. If Helen worked overtime correcting the proofs she would impress Mr. Merritt and really help the business. On the other hand, her hours were from ​nine to five and she was under no obligation to work longer. Only those higher up had to worry about emergencies. Moreover, there was a party on that night, an important party, and Helen had bought a new dress for the benefit of Phil Burns, a young artist whom she was beginning to find extremely congenial.

If you were Helen, what would you do?

Go to the party

Do the overtime work

Voting ended onMay 22

Results to be announced next week.

I'll also be posting this in the Polls group each week.

Edit as of 5/16/2026: I forgot to add in the Previous and Next navigation links. Sorry about that.

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Jed's Story: Part 2

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(Mod's notes are in Italics)

We're now back with your regular schedule after a round of short, yet sweet polls.

Just a brief recap of our previous post before we can proceed:

Jed's decided to go back to school and give away his baby with Gwen for adoption to the Joralemons, a couple in desperate need of a child, but he's turned to drinking, so he's been given the boot away from school but it doesn't matter much to his mother, she'll accept him anyway, college or not.

One day, Mrs. Harringdale hosts a party where Jed meets a beautiful young girl named Carol Lane, who hails from New York but vacations in Franklin. The two suddenly are infatuated with each other and engaged to marry one another. They then give out a heart-to-heart talk where they spill the beans about their romantic lives. This is when he realizes that men's lives are different from those of women's and Carol must forgive him.

Since you've decided that he shouldn't marry Carol, maybe it's time for him to seek out another love interest... and be happy.

Options are highlighted in orange.

Jed's natural tendency was toward women of force of character, and his next love-affair, a year after he had decided not to marry Carol, was with Helen Rogers, a handsome blond girl whose grave beauty was more restful to him than Carol's vivacious prettiness. Mrs. Harringdale opposed this marriage because although Helen came of a respected family, she had neither the money nor social prominence of Carol, and Mrs. Harringdale still hoped Jed would renew his inexplicably broken engagement. At one time Jed wanted Helen to elope with him, but she insisted that their marriage must be open and aboveboard.

The two years that followed were distressing to everybody. Mrs. Harringdale would not recognize her son's engagement to Helen, except by fulminating against it. She developed high blood-pressure under the strain, and the doctors warned Jed that any undue excitement would bring on a stroke and possibly be fatal to his mother. At the end of two years Helen insisted that they must separate or marry. If he was to hold her, Jed had to choose between his mother's health and marriage with Helen. He felt deeply the truth of the old saying that a man may have many sweethearts but he has only one mother.

What would you like Jed to do?

Marry Helen

Stand by his mother

Voting ended onJun 12

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Jed's Intro

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(Mod's notes are in Italics)

Good morning!

Your friendly mod is finally now back from vacation. I'm sorry if I am sick, but this time we'll cover Jed due to popular demand! Don't worry too much about Saunders, we'll cover his story as soon as Jed's is finished.

Jed here is a man who has it all: money, fancy cars, women, and song, 'cause his mother's got a lot of money in her pockets. How do you think Jed will fare? Let's see!

Options are highlighted in orange.

Jed Harringdale was the only son of a widow. If she had been a poor widow he would have been very different—and perhaps a finer character—for he would have been expected to assume responsibility early, but she was so very rich that she took care of him too much and too long for his best good.

Jed was fundamentally fine, but he did not have drilled into him in early youth the tiresome habits of getting to his appointments on time, knowing how much money he spent, doing things he didn't want to do because somebody else thought he ought to do them, eating what was good for him and not drinking what wasn't. In brief, he was not healthy nor wise, but he was wealthy—and a darling. To know him was to love him, and also to nag at him.

Jed grew up in Franklin, a small New England town. He went to the high school, because it was the best school there, but took his senior year in prep school. From prep school he went to Harvard, where he had a wonderful time and got through his Freshman year by the skin of his teeth. He came back to the old home town for his summer vacation ​in the swaggerest clothes ever seen there and driving a racing-car which he called the Scarlet Siren. The first Sunday after his return his mother took him to church to show him off, and in the afternoon, in the consciousness of duty well done, he picked up the first acquaintance whom he met, square-shouldered Saunders Mead, a clerk in the local emporium, and the two lads started off in the Scarlet Siren in search of golden adventure.

The car took them to Whoopee-Land, where they were just in time to pay the entrance fees for two damsels, one fair as noonday and the other black-eyed, like the dark lady of Shakspere's sonnets. (Jed had had Freshman English.) They exchanged names as they went round and round in the Ferris Wheel, they clung to each other duly in chuting the chutes, they kissed each other conventionally in the dark mill, and by that time they were well enough acquainted for the Scarlet Siren to hurry them to a road-house for food and possibly something to drink.

Jed was a fairy prince to Gwen Murphy and she was Brunhilde to him. The strength and sureness of this uneducated young woman were restful to Jed, who was too sensitive and nervous to be husky. Jed's sophistication and slim grace were to Gwen a glimpse into another world, which she had always longed to enter. Love at first sight had come to both, and though Saunders sensibly dropped his lady ​love on her door-step at an early hour and prudently rang the bell before he gave her a passionate goodnight kiss, Jed drove through Arcady with Gwen all night, speeding home in a panic in order that she might get herself safely tucked into bed before her stern father got up. This was the prelude to the most wonderful summer that either of them had ever known; Jed drifted into passionate love, evading disquieting thought; Gwen, deliberately facing the facts, was willing to brave scandal and the gossip which was already arising, in order to have her love.

Before college opened in the fall Jed had to face the first big decision of his life. Gwen told Jed that they must marry at once because she was going to have a child. Jed found that the matter did not involve simply himself and Gwen, it involved also his mother.

Mrs. Harringdale was broken-hearted at the news. No girl in the world was good enough for Jed, and instead of the best he had, from her viewpoint, chosen the worst. She made a generous offer of money to Gwen on condition that she release Jed. She felt that Jed had been trapped by an unscrupulous woman, and at a memorable interview with the girl, during which Jed was miserable with late repentance, she accused Gwen of having deliberately schemed to get a rich husband. To which Gwen replied indignantly:

​"I certainly would never have had a love-affair with a man who couldn't marry me. What sort of a girl do you think I am?"

Mrs. Harringdale told her, and the conversation that followed will not bear repeating.

Jed was now faced with the choice between mother and sweetheart. When Gwen asked in astonishment, "Don't you love me any more?" he was equally astonished to find that he was unable to answer that question clearly even to himself. Up against a trouble like this, he had no time to consider whether or not he was still in love with Gwen. One cannot ask a man trapped in a burning building whether or not he loves his wife.

It was a terrible punishment, for an hour of dalliance, to ruin his career and hurt his mother so cruelly. Yet the child was his as much as Gwen's.

What should Jed do with Gwen?

Marry Gwen

Not to marry Gwen

Voting ended onJun 2

Hoo boy, more of the same old shortened polls. This is because of time zone changes.

We'll announce the results in just a few days' time.

[mafaldaknows]

I just read your anon's story about the male falsely accused of rape. Unfortunately this tragedy also effects his whole family and their future lineages. It's been noted that it takes around 6 to 7 generations to heal from a major tragedy and the psychological effects that occur as the result — trauma, trust issues, emotional and mental concerns that will affect their personal wellbeing and livelihood. People need to understand the total equation of their actions onto another. ✨✌️

Nothing to add, Anon. Thank you. ♥️

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Saunders's Story: Part 3

(Mod's notes are in italics)

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Good day! Welcome to the last installment of Saunders's story! I am your host, Milcah!

In our previous post, Saunders accepts Donovan's plan to have his old house demolished, but he's nervous about someone discovering the deal. It seems like Saunders's new house is going all well, with his mother liking the new house. Good for Mrs. Mead.

When the excavation starts, Alfred's spirits start to drop, only for him to awkwardly reply that everything's going well, thank you. This causes him to realize, being a naturally honest man, that he's been dabbling in dishonesty and it's affecting everyone, causing him to regret his mistake. He wants Alfred to give up the whole school shebang, but Alfred just wants the whole thing to go on, 'cause he's the new boss.

Since you want Saunders to expose the construction ring, oh boy, here you go. If he were to shut up, then he'd be called a con artist or be the aldermen's little pawn! oh no!

Saunders's first act, after he discovered how Alfred was being bullied into acquiescing in graft, was to go to Donovan, the president of the Board of Aldermen, and threaten him with exposure if he did not build the school-house according to the original plans. When Donovan pointed out that he had something on Saunders which he would not hesitate to use, Saunders carried his story to the editor of the paper of the opposition party. That paper doubled its circulation in the weeks following. Franklin rang with the scandal and the conservative group who did not want the taxes raised took advantage of the hysteria to get the school building postponed indefinitely.

Saunders himself was quickly involved, because the man whose lot had not been purchased had been propitiated with the contract to haul dirt and in retaliation for losing this job he exposed the deal between Saunders and Donovan. The outraged citizens lumped Saunders with the aldermen in their general condemnation. Mrs. Mead could not hold up her head before her neighbors, and Alfred ran away.

Saunders set his jaw. He accepted the punishment for his misstep as right, and determined to live down his disgrace. Later when Alfred, who was living a hobo life, wrote home for money, Saunders supplied it, although it meant that he had to deprive himself of everything but bare necessities.

Mr. Braley was the only one who understood Saunders's position and respected his desperate attempt to return to the path of complete honesty. When he died, some years later, he left Saunders an interest in the store and commended him in his will for the stanchness with which he had fought down disgrace. Saunders's fellow-citizens, who had not realized that winning back lost esteem is far more difficult than leading a life of continuous integrity, were so impressed by Mr. Braley's action that they felt more kindly toward Saunders. The man who had bought into the store at the time when Saunders, instead of taking advantage of Mr. Braley's offer, gave his money to Alfred, liked and trusted Saunders and the two carried on the business harmoniously for many years.

Alfred was not a complete disappointment, because, curiously enough, he developed a talent for verse-making in his wandering life. He was "discovered" by the Greenwich Village Poetry Association, and a slim volume of his verse, with a picture on the jacket of a man walking the railroad ties, was published and acclaimed. Saunders continued to support the poet as he had the tramp and his mother was prouder of her poet son than of any other of her children.

The consequence of Saunders's having acted dishonestly when he was essentially an honest man is a proof to any thoughtful person that to make a success in crime one must put one's whole soul into it as one must into any profession. People raised to be honest would better resign themselves to remaining honest.

And that ties the ribbons to Saunders's story. Tune in next week for a summary of his story and a special annoucement.

This is Milcah, signing off.

[letsplayconsidertheconsequences]

Saunders's Story Part 2

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(Mod's notes are in italics)

Hey hey hey!

What's up? We're back with more great CTC fun as we go along Saunders's story!

In our previous post, Saunders has kindly and willingly decided to lend his money to pay up for his brother's education. His brother, of course, has proven himself to be a great student at school, with plans for a school building as his final thesis. He then graduates with high honors, with everyone approving of his plans for the school building with much high acclaim at town hall. Even Donovan, president of the board of aldermen, approves of the plans and is willing to give him offers... until he hears that he's got to pay a commission to the board of aldermen -- $2000 -- but in bills! That's a really large sum of money, yikes!

If he accepted Donovan's offer (or at least according to his mind), he and his mother would get themselves a brand-new house with the latest gadgets, or if he chose not to, his brother's architecture dreams would be crushed and the school may just be built under a rock.

Since you decided it's best to accept Donovan's offer, we'll figure out what happens next...

-Is it financial suicide?

-Is Donovan actually a scammer (even in 1930s standards?!)

We'll see!

Options are highlighted in orange.

For some months after Saunders accepted the plan proposed by Donovan, selling the lot to the city and paying part of the money back to the president of the Board of Aldermen, he was nervous lest some one discover the deal and misunderstand his motives. But Donovan was too adept at this sort of thing to run into any danger whatever, and Saunders became reconciled to his own slight deviation from rectitude because of his mother's satisfaction in the convenient new home and Alfred's enthusiasm and delight in having his plans accepted.

About the time the excavation was finished and the foundation begun Saunders was disturbed by a sudden drop in Alfred's spirits. The boy became glum and uncommunicative, replying to Saunders's questions simply by saying curtly that everything was going well. Certainly he was attending to business, for he had numerous lengthy conferences with the aldermen, each of whom, by a curious coincidence, was furnishing part of the supplies for the building; one owned a brick-yard, a second ran a lumber-yard, and so on.

Saunders realized what he had put his younger brother up against, seeing what temptation there was to connive in dishonesty in the furnishing of materials. Disturbed, he asked Alfred frankly if there was graft in the proposition. Alfred, who had always looked up to Saunders, turned on him with sulky resentment.

"You're a great one to pry into my affairs," he retorted, "after you split profits with Donovan, yourself!"

Then the whole thing came out. The aldermen pretending they doubted, after all, that the plans were practicable, had put off signing the contract, until Alfred was beside himself with anxiety. Then Donovan had come into the open and explained that the school for which a hundred thousand had been appropriated, was actually to cost only sixty thousand. If Alfred wanted to be the architect, it would be necessary for him secretly to substitute for the plans publicly displayed, after being accepted as his thesis, a new set of plans calling for inferior materials and construction. The forty thousand dollars thus saved was to be split up among those who were in the ring. Alfred had at first refused, with young indignation, but when Donovan had told him how Saunders had come round, Alfred, disillusioned, had finally capitulated.

Saunders, bitterly regretting his own false step, urged Alfred to give up the whole business, but Alfred, with unexpected stubbornness, said that Saunders's day of authority over him was past. He assured his brother that although the material was scamped and the construction altered to a cheaper form, the building was still fireproof and better than a good many buildings about which nobody made any fuss.

What should Saunders do next?

Expose the ring

Keep quiet

Voting ended onJul 10

Results to be announced next week.