Contrary Mary
by Temple Bailey (1869–1953)
- Free to read
- 6 hours to read
- 27 chapters
- Reading level: 6th grade
"Contrary Mary" by Temple Bailey is a romantic novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Mary Ballard, a strong-willed young woman navigating familial expectations while longing for independence and true love. The narrative explores her relationships, particularly with her family and her new lodger, Roger Poole, as they both seek refuge from their pasts in the same house. The opening of the story introduces a large, somewhat opulent house on a hill, where a wedding celebration is taking place. Amid the festivities, we meet a brooding figure, Roger Poole, who is there to inquire about renting an apartment. He encounters Mary Ballard, who is different from the other guests, and their conversation hints at a connection that will unfold. As Mary and Roger discuss the possibility of him taking the rooms in her home, it becomes clear that Mary yearns for financial independence and Roger seeks a fresh start after hardships. Their interaction sets the stage for a romance intertwined with Mary’s desire for autonomy and the complexities of her familial obligations.
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Chapter III
In Which Silken Ladies Ascend One Stairway, and a Lonely Wayfarer Ascends Another and Comes Face to Face with Old Friends.
In Which Rose-Leaves and Old Slippers Speed a Happy Pair; and in Which Sweet and Twenty Speaks a New and Modern Language, and Gives a Reason for Renting a Gentleman's Library.
In Which a Lonely Wayfarer Becomes Monarch of All He Surveys; and in Which One Who Might Have Been Presented as the Hero of this Tale is Forced, Through No Fault of His Own, to Take His Chances with the Rest.
In Which Aunt Frances Speaks of Matrimony as a Fixed Institution and is Met by Flaming Arguments; and in Which a Strange Voice Sings Upon the Stairs.
In Which a Strange Craft Anchors in a Sea of Emerald Light; and in Which Mocking-Birds Sing in the Moonlight.
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About this edition
This free edition of Contrary Mary by Temple Bailey comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #17938, released 2006-03-06. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Romance, Novels, American Literature.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
