Peggy was standing at the top of the staircase.
"Phil," she said, rather breathlessly, "don't forget to post your letter!"
Then she fled.
One second later Philip was standing by the lamplit table. His letter was gone, and another had taken its place. It was addressed to "Most Excellent Theophilus."
He took it up, dizzily, and turned it over. On the back was written:—
I have saved you a stamp by reading your letter before you posted it.P.S. You will find the stamp on the inkstand.
I have saved you a stamp by reading your letter before you posted it.
P.S. You will find the stamp on the inkstand.
Finally he opened the letter. His own had occupied many pages; this, the answer, consisted of three words.
Philip read them through. Then, rocking on his feet, he read them again, and again. Finally he raised his head and gazed dumbly about him. His eyes fell upon a twinkling circular object lying upon the table close beside the place where he had found the letter.
With a swelling heart he snatched it up, and strode to the hearthrug.
There, with one devastating sweep of his arm, he rendered the mantelpiece a solitude. Everything went with one glorious crash—pipes, tobacco-jar, cigarettes, Bulgarian Atrocities—all. Last, but not least, with a heavy thud, wentthe Meldrum Carburettor. The day of Things was over.
Then, very reverently, in the very centre of the desert that he had created for her, he planted a portrait—the portrait of a Lady, in a large, round, shining, silver frame.
THE END
The Riverside Press
CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS
U . S . A
THE WOMEN WE MARRY
By ARTHUR STANWOOD PIER
"Keen and incisive in character study, logical and lifelike in plot invention and development, 'The Women We Marry,' is a novel that stands sturdily on its own merits. It is vigorous, frank and emotional in the best sense of that much-abused word, and there is little in it that is not faithfully representative of life."—Boston Transcript.
"The author of this realistic novel has not been afraid to endow his people richly with the ordinary faults and foibles of human nature.... Both his men and women are very real, human people."—New York Times.
"As a study of types, 'The Women We Marry' is one of the best things that American fiction has recently produced."—Springfield Republican.
12mo. $1.35net.Postage extra
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
THE SPARE ROOM
By Mrs. Romilly Fedden
"A bride and groom, a villa in Capri, a spare room and seven guests (assorted varieties) are the ingredients which go to make this thoroughly amusing book."—Chicago Evening Post.
"Bubbling over with laughter ... distinctly a book to read and chuckle over."—Yorkshire Observer.
"Mrs. Fedden has succeeded in arranging for her readers a constant fund of natural yet wildly amusing complications."—Springfield Republican.
"A clever bit of comedy that goes with spirit and sparkle, Mrs. Fedden's little story shows her to be a genuine humorist.... She deserves to be welcomed cordially to the ranks of those who can make us laugh."—New York Times.
"Brimful of rich humor."—Grand Rapids Herald.
Illustrated by Haydon Jones. 12mo.$1.00net.Postage extra
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
VALENTINE
By Grant Richards
"A far better novel than its predecessor, 'Caviare.'"—London Athenæum.
"Cheeriness, youth, high spirits and the joy of life—these are the principal ingredients of this novel."—London Telegraph.
"In 'Valentine' the action is laid almost wholly in London, with occasional week ends at Paris.... 'Valentine' is a good story about enjoyably human people, told with the rich personal charm of the accomplished raconteur."—Boston Transcript.
"Its details and all the actions of all connected with its details are worked out with a realistic thoroughness that makes the story seem a piece of recorded history.... Distinctly light reading, clever, engaging, skillfully wrought."—Churchman.
12mo. $1.35net.Postage extra
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
A SAFETY MATCH
By IAN HAY
"Delineates the progress of a marriage of convenience with an agreeably delicate touch."—New York Sun.
"The story is well written and of the variety which, once commenced, keeps the candle burning regardless of the hour until the end."—Boston Herald.
"The 'handsome rectory children' of the early chapters, their vague father, and their muddled but affectionate home life, are things of pure joy."—London Punch.
"Simple, yet strong, and strong because its simplicity is natural, the book will commend itself to all who love sane, wholesome and cheerful fiction."—San Francisco Chronicle.
"There is humor everywhere of the sparkling rather than the gleaming variety, and it makes the book delightful to read."—The Dial.
"Its homely, human humor, and its wonderful narrative of events, both commonplace and extraordinary, hold the interest of the reader unswervingly from the first chapter to the last."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
With frontispiece in color.
12mo. $1.20net.Postpaid, $1.31
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
A MAN'S MAN
By IAN HAY
"An admirable romance of adventure. It tells of the life of one Hughie Marrable, who, from college days to the time when fate relented, had no luck with women. The story is cleverly written and full of sprightly axioms."—Philadelphia Ledger.
"It is a very joyous book, and the writer's powers of characterization are much out of the common."—The Dial.
"A good, clean, straightforward bit of fiction, with likable people in it, and enough action to keep up the suspense throughout."—Minneapolis Journal.
"The reader will search contemporary fiction far before he meets a novel which will give him the same frank pleasure and amusement."—London Bookman.
With frontispiece. 12mo. $1.20net.Postage 10 cents.
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
THE RIGHT STUFF
By IAN HAY
"Those who love the companionship of people of fine fibre, and to whom a sense of humor has not been denied, will make no mistake in seeking the society open to them in 'The Right Stuff.'"—New York Times.
"Hay resembles Barrie, and, like Barrie, he will grow in many ways."—Cleveland Leader.
"A compelling tribute to the homely genuineness and sterling worth of Scottish character."—St. Louis Post Dispatch.
"Mr. Hay has written a story which is pure story and is a delight from beginning to end."—San Francisco Argonaut.
"It would be hard, indeed, to find a more winning book."—New Orleans Times-Democrat.
With frontispiece by James Montgomery Flagg. 12mo.
$1.20net.Postage 10 cents.
HOUGHTONMIFFLINCOMPANY
BOSTONANDNEW YORK
Transcriber's Notes:Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the speakers. Those words were retained as-is.Errors in punctuations, inconsistent spelling and inconsistent, hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted below.On page 59, the period after "good things of this world" was replaced with a comma.On page 69, the word "bulllied" was replaced with "bullied".On page 125, a quotation mark was added after "never meddled with that handle since."On page 167, a quotation mark was added after "shall double again".On page 170, "Allnut" was replaced with "Allnutt".On page 187, "Mablethrope" was replaced with "Mablethorpe", and the comma after "Go ahead, Philip" was replaced with a period.On page 198, the comma after "the fruit of honest toil" was replaced with a period.On page 205, "dimissals" was replaced with "dismissals".On page 208, a single quotation mark after "Well?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.On page 214, a quotation mark was added after "walk down to the Embankment,"On page 235, "byeway" was replaced with "byway".On page 241, the single quotation mark at the end of "will you?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.On page 245, a period was added after "gasp of dismay".On page 252, an exclamation point was added after "That bumpkin".On page 255, the comma after "the flying car" was replaced with a period.On page 255, the period after "he shouted" was replaced with a comma.On page 284, a quotation mark was added before "For a grand-uncle".On page 290, the comma after "Philip rebelliously" was replaced with a period.On page 291, the comma after "I don't want to overcharge you" was replaced with a period.On page 315, the single quotation mark at the end of "another reason?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.On page 324, the period after "should be happy with him" was replaced with a comma.On page 333, "unbiassed" was replaced with "unbiased".On page 368, the single quotation mark before "—Brand." was replaced with a double quotation mark.On page 378, the quotation mark before "The feverish Timothy" was removed.On page 388, the quotation mark before "You have dropped in" was removed.On page 392, "unbiassed" was replaced with "unbiased".On page 408, the exclamation point after "not five seconds" was moved within the quotation marks.In the ad for "A MAN'S MAN", "12mo," was replaced with "12mo.".
Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the speakers. Those words were retained as-is.
Errors in punctuations, inconsistent spelling and inconsistent, hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted below.
On page 59, the period after "good things of this world" was replaced with a comma.
On page 69, the word "bulllied" was replaced with "bullied".
On page 125, a quotation mark was added after "never meddled with that handle since."
On page 167, a quotation mark was added after "shall double again".
On page 170, "Allnut" was replaced with "Allnutt".
On page 187, "Mablethrope" was replaced with "Mablethorpe", and the comma after "Go ahead, Philip" was replaced with a period.
On page 198, the comma after "the fruit of honest toil" was replaced with a period.
On page 205, "dimissals" was replaced with "dismissals".
On page 208, a single quotation mark after "Well?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.
On page 214, a quotation mark was added after "walk down to the Embankment,"
On page 235, "byeway" was replaced with "byway".
On page 241, the single quotation mark at the end of "will you?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.
On page 245, a period was added after "gasp of dismay".
On page 252, an exclamation point was added after "That bumpkin".
On page 255, the comma after "the flying car" was replaced with a period.
On page 255, the period after "he shouted" was replaced with a comma.
On page 284, a quotation mark was added before "For a grand-uncle".
On page 290, the comma after "Philip rebelliously" was replaced with a period.
On page 291, the comma after "I don't want to overcharge you" was replaced with a period.
On page 315, the single quotation mark at the end of "another reason?" was replaced with a double quotation mark.
On page 324, the period after "should be happy with him" was replaced with a comma.
On page 333, "unbiassed" was replaced with "unbiased".
On page 368, the single quotation mark before "—Brand." was replaced with a double quotation mark.
On page 378, the quotation mark before "The feverish Timothy" was removed.
On page 388, the quotation mark before "You have dropped in" was removed.
On page 392, "unbiassed" was replaced with "unbiased".
On page 408, the exclamation point after "not five seconds" was moved within the quotation marks.
In the ad for "A MAN'S MAN", "12mo," was replaced with "12mo.".