
"I NEVER SUSPECTED I'D END IN SUCH A LITTLE BLAZE" (p. 48)
NO. 13 - WASHINGTON - SQUARE - BY LEROY SCOTT - 1914
ILLUSTRATIONS
NO. 13 - WASHINGTON SQUARE - CHAPTER I - THE GREAT MRS. DE PEYSTER
CHAPTER II - ENTER AN AMIABLE YOUNG GENTLEMAN
CHAPTER III - MISTRESS OF HER HOUSE
CHAPTER IV - A SLIGHT PREDICAMENT
CHAPTER V - THE HONOR OF THE NAME
CHAPTER VI - BEHIND THE BLINDS
CHAPTER VII - NOT IN THE PLAN
In a sun‑dappled sitting‑room on Washington Square, the great Mrs. De Peyster presides over a modest fire, her hands steady as she transfers priceless jewels into leather cases. Though sixty and born of old New York aristocracy, she carries a dignity that seems to defy age. Yet beneath her composed exterior the quiet hum of unresolved family business lingers, hinting at secrets long kept.
A young, timid lady named Miss Gardner arrives at the doorway, summoned to make inquiries about Mrs. De Peyster’s estranged son. An amiable gentleman soon enters, offering a courteous distraction while the household whispers of a recent, puzzling blaze that seemed too small to be accidental. The contrast between genteel propriety and the undercurrent of unease sets the stage for a delicate dance of loyalty, love, and hidden agendas.
As the characters navigate social obligations and whispered conspiracies, listeners will be drawn into the layered world of early twentieth‑century Manhattan, where every gesture may conceal a motive. The story promises an unraveling of identity and family ties, all framed by the charm of a house that seems both sanctuary and stage.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (345K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-10-24
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1875–1929
A novelist, journalist, and screenwriter, he brought sharp social awareness to popular fiction in the early 1900s. His stories often mix big-city drama with a strong interest in labor, politics, and ordinary people under pressure.
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