The way of a man : $b a story of the new woman

A glittering reception unfolds on the fifth floor of a Manhattan townhouse, where Ellen West, newly elected president of the avant‑garde New Democracy Club, has gathered an eclectic crowd to celebrate her visionary ideas on gender and freedom. The evening’s charm rests on a staircase that doubles as a test of vitality: Ellen delights in watching men struggle up the flights, while her neighbor Randolph Field turns the ascent into a playful display of strength, whisking the sharp‑tongued editor Lucy Sheldon up with a dramatic swoop that leaves everyone laughing and blushing.

Among the guests appears Edwin Brown, a wealthy newcomer whose reputation as a “flesh‑hunting” mogul clashes with Ellen’s bold declarations about sexual independence and the future of a feminist culture. As the party swirls, their uneasy encounter hints at the larger battles that will shape the club’s mission and the personal convictions of the women who dare to redefine society’s expectations. The opening sets a lively stage for wit, rivalry, and the early stirrings of a new social order.