In and Out

In Short

Edgar Franklin’s In and Out (1917) is a fast-paced American farce that pivots on a single absurd premise: a middle-aged, high-minded bachelor attempts to test a philosophical theory about human potential, only to entangle himself in a web of mistaken identities and midnight panics. Set primarily in an exclusive, all-male Manhattan hotel apartment, the story details a frantic night and morning as a well-meaning social experiment collapses into chaos. The novel has endured as a crisp snapshot of early twentieth-century popular comedy, showcasing the period’s appetite for breezy situational humor, witty banter, and theatrical misunderstandings.

The Story

The narrative begins at a Manhattan prize fight, where forty-five-year-old Anthony Fry—a dignified, wealthy bachelor who has inherited the fortune behind Fry’s Imperial Liniment—sits in a ringside box alongside his skeptical, married friend Johnson Boller. Anthony is a man prone to abstract, eccentric theories. Watching a poorly matched bout, he grows convinced that ordinary people fail in life simply because they do not recognize opportunity when it presents itself. Determined to prove his theory, Anthony singles out a shabby, twenty-year-old spectator in a heavy coat and cap, known only as "David Prentiss." Anthony invites—and effectively pressures—the reluctant youth to return with him to his luxurious suite at the Hotel Lasande, a strictly all-male establishment.

Anthony intends to harbor the youth, lecture him on ambition, and offer him a path to a respectable life. However, "David" acts exceedingly strange, feigning extreme exhaustion and begging to go to bed immediately. As the night progresses, the apartment turns into a battleground of absurdities. A hotel policeman reports seeing a intruder at the window, and when Anthony and Johnson investigate, they discover that "David" has been sleeping in his full outdoor street clothes under the covers.

The next morning brings the dramatic unraveling of Anthony's social experiment. The youth in the guest room is not a young male mechanic at all, but Mary Dalton, the runaway daughter of the ruthless industrial titan Theodore Dalton. Mary had donned a wig, trousers, and a heavy coat to sneak out and attend a prize fight undetected. To make matters worse for the panicked Anthony, Mary happens to be engaged to Robert Vining, a high-powered lawyer who suddenly arrives at the apartment. Meanwhile, Mary's actual brother, Richard Dalton—the real owner of the shabby clothes—has also gone missing, leading an amateur criminologist named Hobart Hitchin to deduce that a heinous murder has been committed inside the bachelor pad.

As hotel staff, jealous spouses, outraged fathers, and suspicious amateur detectives converge on the suite, Anthony and Johnson engage in frantic cover-ups to protect the girl's reputation and avoid total financial and social ruin. Theodore Dalton threatens to crush Anthony's liniment company, while Johnson's wife, Beatrice, arrives and discovers women's apparel in the apartment, suspecting her husband of infidelity. The mounting chaos reaches its peak when Hitchin dramatically presents a pair of trousers as evidence of young Richard's murder. Ultimately, the misunderstandings are untangled: Mary's secret is revealed to be an innocent lark, Richard is found alive and well, the marriages remain intact, and a thoroughly chastened Anthony is left to clear the wreckage of his grand philosophical experiment.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins At a New York boxing match, wealthy bachelor Anthony Fry develops a theoretical belief that lower-class men simply lack the vision to seize life-changing opportunities. He decides to test his hypothesis on a streetwise youth sitting nearby, whom he forcibly invites back to his apartment for a night of moral instruction.

The trapped guest The guest, introducing himself as David Prentiss, acts bizarrely nervous and desperate to avoid conversation. After being given strict rules regarding the all-male hotel—including an absolute ban on women—David feigns extreme sleepiness and retreats to the guest room.

A suspicious night Midway through the night, a hotel policeman alerts the household to a suspicious figure at the window. Investigating the guest room, Anthony and his friend Johnson Boller discover David fully dressed in street clothes and shoes underneath the bedsheets.

The mask falls The following morning, Anthony confronts his guest, only to discover that "David" is actually a young woman wearing a brown wig. She confesses that she hid her identity out of sheer panic, believing Anthony was a dangerous lunatic when he forced her to stay.

Complications multiply The young woman is revealed to be Mary Dalton, the daughter of a powerful millionaire who threatens to ruin Anthony's business if any scandal touches his family. Simultaneously, Mary's fiancé arrives at the suite, while an amateur sleuth begins investigating what he believes to be a gruesome murder inside the apartment.

The final unraveling As frantic spouses, furious fathers, and misplaced garments collide in the living room, the truth comes out in a rush of explanations. Mary's reputation is saved, her missing brother is located unharmed, and Anthony is left to contemplate the disastrous costs of his social theories.

The People

• Anthony Fry: A forty-five-year-old bachelor of aristocratic bearing and independent wealth derived from Fry's Imperial Liniment. Mildly eccentric and obsessed with abstract theories about human behavior, Anthony wants to prove that anyone can succeed if given an opportunity. His stubborn high-handedness drives the central disaster, forcing him to evolve from a detached theorist into a hyperventilating mediator trying to save his own reputation.
• Johnson Boller: Anthony’s long-suffering, pragmatic friend who prefers a quiet game of chess and a bottle of ale to philosophical crusades. Johnson wants nothing more than a peaceful night away from home, but finds himself dragged into physical altercations, marital accusations, and murder investigations. By the end, his skepticism is utterly vindicated, though he barely escapes with his marriage intact.
• Mary Dalton ("David Prentiss"): A spirited young woman from high society who wants the freedom to experience modern life outside her sheltered routine. Disguised in male clothing to attend a prize fight, she gets trapped by Anthony's pushy hospitality. Though frightened at first, she shows a fiercely independent streak, going so far as to deliver a clean right jab when cornered.
• Hobart Hitchin: An overzealous amateur criminologist who desperately wants to solve a high-profile case. Looking for clues in every shadow, his wild leaps of logic escalate the domestic farce into a suspected murder mystery.
• Theodore Dalton: An aggressive, wealthy industrialist and overprotective father who wants absolute control over his household. His terrifying temper poses the primary financial threat to Anthony throughout the ordeal.

In Its Own Voice

"If that little wheeze had the pep of a dead mosquito," said Johnson Boller disgustedly, "he'd take that big stiff when his hands are up like that and slip him an uppercut that would freeze him solid!"

— Johnson Boller expresses his deep disappointment while watching a dull bout at the boxing ring.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't dare. I thought you were crazy."

— Mary Dalton explains why she maintained her male disguise overnight instead of revealing her true identity to her host.

"Almost every cent I have in the world is invested in the firm, you know, and once that goes to pieces I--why, great Heaven, Johnson! I'll have to get out and work for a living!"

— Anthony Fry confronts the staggering financial consequences of his disastrous social experiment.

What It's Really About

Beneath its frantic doors-and-hallways comedy, In and Out pokes fun at the high-handed paternalism of early twentieth-century upper-class intellectuals. Anthony Fry represents the wealthy armchair philosopher who views working-class individuals not as people, but as subjects for social experiments and moral lectures. The narrative systematically demolishes his smug assumptions: the "shabby youth" he attempts to uplift is actually a pampered heiress, and his rigid control over his environment crumbles the moment actual human unpredictability enters the room. The novel explores the absurdity of social Victorian decorum when confronted with modern realities—such as young women demanding independence—showing how easily stiff urban propriety transforms into sheer panic when conventions are breached.

Why Read It Today

In and Out appeals directly to fans of classic American farce, Edwardian comedy of errors, and screwball theater. Reading it feels like watching a stage play from the 1910s: the dialogue moves at a brisk pace, the physical comedy is sharp, and the stakes escalate with mechanical precision. Edgar Franklin excels at crafting escalating awkwardness, making the reader squirm with delight as Anthony's desperate lies compound upon one another.

Modern readers should be prepared for the distinct stylistic signatures of 1910s popular fiction. The prose relies heavily on period slang, theatrical exaggerated reactions, and rigid class stereotypes of the era. Anthony's paternalistic condescension toward the lower classes and the strict, archaic gender separation required by the "all-male" residential hotel reflect the social attitudes of its time. However, for those who enjoy lighthearted period comedy, the book's genuine warmth, quick punchlines, and satisfying resolution make it a delightful, fast-moving historical diversion.