Olive Higgins Prouty

“ Twice Laurel had to tell her mother that nobody could come to the party before Stella grasped the significance of the announcement. Then fiercely she threw her arms about Laurel, and held her to her tight.
"We don't care. We don't care!" she burst out. "Let them stay away! We'll have our party by ourselves! Don't you mind, Lollie. We'll have the party just the same—you and I and Uncle Ed Munn. Cats! Just because father runs off and leaves us all alone! ”

“ When Stephen first went to New York, he consulted several real-estate agents, and listened to many confusing arguments, about the desirability of this suburb over that, its commuting advantages, its unexcelled schools, its unusually "nice" set of young people. Stephen fully expected that Stella would join him in the spring in some suburb or other best suited to her peculiar susceptibilities. Or if not in the spring, in the summer. It would be unwise, he concluded, to take Laurel out of school until the end of the year. ”

“ The more places you're seen at the more you go to, and it's just life to me to keep going! Why, when I don't go out for a week—have a wave and a manicure and a hot bath and get all dressed up in my best clothes, and set out for a real little party of some sort somewheres—I get horribly depressed. Listen here, Effie, I haven't eaten a dinner outside my own house for three weeks now! I haven't been to a River Club dance since Alfred Munn took the horses South in December! I've known for quite a while it was time for Stephen to come back and get Laurel and me. ”