The story in one page
Phyllis Ladd, raised by her doting but distant father in Carthage, falls hard for Cyril Adair, a vain and unsuccessful stage actor. Disregarding the obvious red flags, she marries him, trading her comfortable social standing for the precarious reality of a failing artist's life. As Adair’s career stalls amidst professional rejection and bitterness, their domestic life frays. Phyllis keeps her growing misery from him, hoping for a miracle that eventually arrives in the form of a sympathetic mediator who reconnects the estranged father and daughter, ultimately forcing a confrontation that yields a sudden, tearful family peace.
Who's who
- Phyllis Ladd
High-strung daughter who marries an actor against social expectation.
- Cyril Adair
Vain actor struggling with professional failure and personal temper.
- Robert T. R. Ladd
Railway president and father who initially rejects his daughter's choice.
- Rolls Reece
Dramatist who mediates the reconciliation between the father and daughter.
What it's really about
- Idealization
- The tendency to project greatness onto flawed partners.
- Professional failure
- The harsh reality of theatre world rejection.
Why it's memorable
- Adair waiting in an anteroom with a nosegay and a smart overcoat.
- A red rose pinned in Phyllis’ hair during the reconciliation night.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The father and the actor reconcile with a handshake, leaving the mediator to quietly exit the scene as he realizes the moment has become too personal for him to witness.
For your book club
- Is Phyllis truly in love, or just addicted to the drama?
- Why does a railway president eventually surrender to his daughter's choice?