E-text prepared by Darleen Dove, Roger Frank, Mary Meehan,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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STORIES THAT END WELL
BY OCTAVE THANET
AUTHOR OF "THE MAN OF THE HOUR," "THE LION'S SHARE,"
"BY INHERITANCE,"ETC.
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
Copyright 1911
The Bobbs-Merrill Company
The stories in this book were originally printed in Harper's Magazine,Harper's Bazaar, The Century Magazine, McClure's Magazine,Scribner's Magazine and The Woman's Home Companion, and to theseperiodicals acknowledgements are due for their courtesy in givingpermission for republication.
CONTENTS
AN ADVENTURE IN ALTRURIA
THROUGH THE TERRORS OF THE LAW
THE REAL THING
THE OLD PARTISAN
MAX—OR HIS PICTURE
THE STOUT MISS HOPKINS' BICYCLE
THE SPELLBINDER
THE OBJECT OF THE FEDERATION
THE LITTLE LONELY GIRL
THE HERO OF COMPANY G
A MIRACLE PLAY
STORIES THAT END WELL
AN ADVENTURE IN ALTRURIA
The story came to me through my friend, Mrs. Katherine Biff. Mrs. Biffis a widow. Her profession—I will not slight her beautiful art by alesser word—is that of cook. She cooks for my cousin, Elinor, and itwas during one of Elinor's absences in Europe that Mrs. Biff had herexperience in Altruria, as the supply for Miss Mercedes Van Arden. Itwas highly interesting, I think.
She gave me the episode herself; because, in the first place, I amElinor's own cousin (like the rest of the world, she loves Elinor) andin the second place, she knows that I appreciate her conversation.Assuredly I do value Katy's freehand sketches of life. She is a shrewdobserver. Often while she talks I recall Stevenson's description ofanother: "She is not to be deceived nor think a mystery solved when itis repeated."
Katy is an American by birth, but Celtic by race and by nature; a widowto whom children never were granted, but who out of her savings hashelped educate and settle half a dozen of her nieces and nephews. Katy'smarried life was brief and not happy. The late Biff was a handsome manwho never let other people's comforts or rights interfere with his ownpleasure. Nevertheless, when he was killed in a saloon brawl she did notgrudge him many carriages for his last journey (she who believes insimple funerals. "When I give free rides, I'll give 'em while I'm aliveand can hear folks say 'Thank you!'" says she), and she has erected aneat stone to his memory.
It was three years after his death that Mrs. Biff came to Elinor, withwhom she has lived since.
Elinor, one may say, bequeathed her to the Van Ardens. At least s