
When Archibald Bennett, the ever‑obliging bachelor brother, is roped into his sister‑in‑law’s endless to‑do list, he finds himself dispatched to a mysterious New England summer house with a reputation for eccentric owners. The Congdon family, whose members are famous for outlandish antics—from museum‑umbrella protests to self‑built charity buses—adds a layer of quirky intrigue to what should be a simple property inspection. As Archie's meticulous planning collides with the oddball rumors, his quiet summer venture quickly turns into a light‑hearted investigation of local oddities.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Howard Featherstone juggles political intrigue and family obligations, using Archie's good nature as a convenient bridge between her congressional brother and the domestic chaos at home. Their banter, peppered with dry humor and affectionate sarcasm, reveals a world where social duties and personal whims intertwine in amusing ways. Listeners are invited to follow Archie's careful itinerary, his train‑track expertise, and the subtle, comedic tension that builds as the harbor town’s secrets begin to surface.
Language
en
Duration
~9 hours (530K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2007-06-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1866–1947
Best remembered for lively early-20th-century novels like The House of a Thousand Candles, this Indiana writer also stepped into public life as a diplomat and civic figure. His career connected popular fiction, state politics, and American cultural life in a way that still feels distinctive.
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