The Reverend Elmer Gantry was in his room at Elizabeth J. Schmutz Hall, engrossed in a questionable magazine focused on prize fighters and chorus girls. His afternoon took an unexpected turn when two large men entered without knocking, surprising him. He greeted them warmly, although his initial embarrassment about the magazine was evident as he described it as a product of the devil, revealing his own moral conflict.

Gantry's attempt to downplay his interest in the magazine highlights the tension between his public persona as a reverend and his private interests. He proposed to denounce the publication in the coming Sunday sermon, reflecting his desire to align his image with moral authority while also being drawn to the sensational content he was reading.