Mary Roberts Rinehart

“ She was a short, heavy woman, of fine taste in her house and of no taste whatever in her clothing.
“I never know,” said Harrison Miller, “when I look up at the Sayre place, whether I'm seeing Ann Sayre or an awning.”
She was not a shrewd woman, nor a clever one, but she was kindly in the main, tolerant and maternal. She liked young people, gave gay little parties to which she wore her outlandish clothes of all colors and all cuts, lavished gifts on the girls she liked, and was anxious to see Wallie married to a good steady girl and settled down. ”

“ She viewed him through eyes that had lost their illusion about all men years ago, and she had no delusions about him. She had no idea that she knew all that he did with his time, and no desire to penetrate the veil of his private life. ”

“ Of course, this talk is between ourselves, but—I'm going to be frank, Nina. I want Wallie to marry, and I want him to marry soon. You and I know that the life of an unattached man about town is full of temptations. ”