Ainslee's magazine, Volume 16, No. 2, September, 1905

In Short

This issue of Ainslee’s Magazine gathers early twentieth-century popular fiction, poetry, and social observation, weaving together stories of love, financial ruin, and moral conflict. Across its pages, lighthearted social satires of wealthy enclaves sit beside tense melodramas of Wall Street speculation, aristocratic romance, and competitive horse racing. These pieces reflect the anxieties and aspirations of the Gilded Age, exploring how wealth test character, how personal honor collides with social expectation, and how romantic devotion survives deceit. It endures as a vivid slice of American periodical culture, preserving the popular imagination at a major historical crossroads.

The Story

The volume opens with social comedy in "The Maintenance of Jane," where the austere, respectable Willoughby family gathers to examine a mountain of debt accrued by Jane, a high-spirited relative whose lavish taste in wraps, lingerie, and sables leaves her kin aghast. Escaping their stifling disapproval, Jane finds refuge in a cozy bungalow, striking up a relationship with Ormsby, a pragmatic man whose difficult childhood spent caring for his rheumatic mother left him craving stability. Despite the gossip of her aunt and the persistent rain, Jane visits the bungalow under the guise of an employment appointment, realizing her playful, unpredictable nature is slowly giving way to a deep attraction to Ormsby’s quiet strength.

The narrative scope expands into the cutthroat world of modern finance in "The Deluge," where a determined narrator wages a high-stakes campaign against "The Seven," a ruthless cartel of financiers who wield control over the United States Treasury to manipulate stock prices. Armed with the power of public exposure, the protagonist battles stock market panic while consumed by personal heartbreak over his lost love, Anita. Even as his financial warfare ages his rivals, he finds himself confronting his former romantic rival, offering the man freedom while fiercely promising retribution if Anita is mistreated, right before Anita gallops past them on horseback toward the landing.

Romantic drama deepens in the historical tale of Pomona and the wounded aristocrat, Lord Blantyre. Finding the haughty lord lying near death in the woods with a sword wound to his chest, Pomona carries him back to her farm. Though her servants urge her to prepare him for burial, she nurses him with fierce devotion, giving him brandy and tending his injuries. When two aristocratic women later attempt to humiliate Pomona by mocking her attire and forcing her into tight silk dresses, Lord Blantyre intervenes, severing her constricting bodice with scissors, banishing her tormentors, and declaring his tender, undeniable love for her.

The issue moves through varied landscapes, from a quiet Maine coastal town where a young man named Stephen Glyn pines for the elusive Elfrida May, to the tense excitement of the racetrack in "The Dog Star," where a bishop watches in awe as his estranged son rides No. 1 to victory in a high-stakes Derby. In the international romance of "The Princess’ Kingdom," a young man named Somerset frantically plots to rescue his beloved princess, Ottilie, from an arranged marriage to a wealthy suitor, meeting her at dawn on the beach to plead for her hand. The issue closes with a travelogue exploring the modern social customs and Southern hospitality of Augusta, Georgia, followed by theatrical critiques of controversial French plays in Paris.

How It Unfolds

The debt is revealed The Willoughby family gathers in horror around a pile of receipts detailing Jane's exorbitant spending on wraps, sables, and fine lingerie. Her exasperated uncle and firm-chinned aunt debate her lack of financial discipline while Jane prepares to visit a quiet, firelit bungalow against their wishes.

A refuge in the bungalow Jane arrives at the home of Ormsby, a grounded man whose tough, uncertain upbringing makes him long for order and stability. Though her relatives voice bitter disapproval and spread neighborhood gossip, Jane defies them, using a sudden downpour as an excuse to keep her appointment.

War on Wall Street A crusade against a corrupt financial syndicate known as "The Seven" escalates as public disclosures break their hold on crucial stocks. Amid this economic warfare, the narrator wrestles with intense longing for Anita and confronts a rival with a mixture of physical dominance and cold warning.

The rescue in the orchard Pomona discovers Lord Blantyre lying unconscious on the forest floor, bleeding profusely from a sword wound near his heart. Ignoring her servants' suggestions to leave him for dead, she carries his heavy body home and pours brandy down his throat to save his life.

Triumph over cruelty After snobbish ladies mock Pomona and trap her in suffocating formal attire, Lord Blantyre cuts the laces of her bodice to free her. He dismisses the cruel onlookers, professing his deep affection and comforting the weeping girl.

Drama at the racetrack Bishop Chalmers stands by the rail at a crowded horse race, expecting to see his estranged son degraded by a life of crime and gambling. Instead, he sees a composed, clear-eyed youth in jockey colors riding fearlessly toward the starting line.

A dawn rendezvous Somerset meets Princess Ottilie on the quiet seashore at six in the morning to beg her to abandon her arranged marriage. Though she remains steadfast out of duty to her mother, Somerset vows to follow her across the globe to win her back.

The People

• Jane (Mrs. De Mille): A carefree, cheerful woman whose extravagant spending infuriates her conservative family. She embraces life's uncertainties, defying her strict Aunt Susan to spend time with the grounded Ormsby at his bungalow.
• Jacob Willoughby: Jane’s well-meaning but weak-willed uncle. He stammers through Jane’s piling debts while trying to avoid the harsh glares of his overbearing wife.
• Mrs. Jacob Willoughby (Aunt Susan): A stern, uncompromising woman with a firm chin who scorns Jane’s frivolous lifestyle and enforces strict propriety over the household.
• Ormsby: A grave, self-reliant man who grew up in poverty caring for his sick mother. His difficult childhood leaves him seeking a calm, orderly life, which is upended by Jane's arrival.
• The Narrator of "The Deluge": A fierce, relentless crusader fighting a powerful financial cartel. Despite his public victories, he is haunted by his passionate love for Anita.
• Pomona: A strong, compassionate farm owner who fearslessly rescues the wounded Lord Blantyre, braving public ridicule to nurse him back to health.
• Lord Blantyre (The Wicked Earl): A proud, aristocratic gentleman who survives a near-fatal sword fight and repays Pomona’s devotion by defending her from high-society tormentors.
• Bishop Chalmers: A devout clergyman who attends a horse race expecting the worst of his long-lost son, only to feel a swell of unexpected pride upon seeing the young man's calm courage.

In Its Own Voice

“No, I think not. Have the Willoughbys had breakfast?”

Jane asks her devoted maid for news of her strict relatives before settling back into bed, relishing her comfortable victory over her overbearing aunt.

“Kiss me, Pomona!”

Lord Blantyre whispers this faint, desperate request to the woman who lifts his bleeding body from the pine needles to save his life.

“Ces Messieurs,” from the pen of M. Georges Ancey, was prohibited for a long time by the minister of public instruction, a benign censor, who objected to the play because it attacked the priests.

A dramatic critic reflects on the controversy and censorship surrounding modern theatrical productions in Paris.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this collection explores the tension between individual desire and social expectation. It examines how money—whether through the careless debt of a socialite, the predatory schemes of Wall Street, or the rigid class hierarchy of European nobility—exerts a corrupting force on human relationships. The stories repeatedly pit character against reputation, contrasting the cold moralizing of respectable society with genuine acts of mercy, courage, and sacrifice. Through these varied tales, the volume asks whether true affection and personal honor can survive in a world driven by financial ambition, social posturing, and family pressure.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers an entertaining glimpse into the popular literary tastes of early twentieth-century America. Readers who enjoy period romance, melodrama, and historical fiction will appreciate its vivid settings, ranging from bustling Gilded Age finance halls to quiet coastal resorts and high-society drawing rooms. The prose carries a rhythmic, classic charm, making it an engaging read for those fascinated by turn-of-the-century culture.

Modern readers should be prepared for typical period tropes, including melodramatic characterizations, class snobbery, and occasional archaic dialect in the dialogue. The structure of a literary magazine also means shifting between fragmented serialized tales, poetry, and social commentaries rather than following a single continuous plot. Nevertheless, the collection's lively pacing, authentic historical atmosphere, and enduring themes of love and ambition make it a rewarding dive into the popular fiction of a bygone era.