Romance McCutcheon, George Barr: The Purple Parasol. V1. 11 Apr 2009

[crutledge]

George Barr McCutcheon (July 26, 1866–1928) was an American popular novelist and playwright. His best known works include the series of novels set in Graustark, a fictional East European country, Brewster's Millions, a play and several films.
Born in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, McCutcheon's father, despite not receiving formal education, stressed the value of literature and encouraged his sons to write. During McCutcheon's childhood, his father had a number of jobs that required travel around the county in Indiana. McCutcheon studied at Purdue University and was a roommate of future humorist George Ade. During his college years, he was editor of the Lafayette Daily Courier and wrote a serial novel of satire about Wabash River life.
Although McCutcheon became famous for the Graustark series (the first novel was published in 1901), he hated the characterization of being a Romantic and preferred to be identified with his playwriting.
He was the older brother of noted cartoonist John T. McCutcheon.


Excerpt
Young Rossiter did not like the task. The more he thought of it as he whirled northward on the Empire State Express the more distasteful it seemed to grow.
“Hang it all,” he thought, throwing down his magazine in disgust, “it’s like police work. And heaven knows I haven’t wanted to be a cop since we lived in Newark twenty years ago. Why the dickens did old Wharton marry her? He’s an old ass, and he’s getting just what he might have expected. She’s twenty-five and beautiful; he’s seventy and a sight. I’ve a notion to chuck the whole affair and go back to the simple but virtuous Tenderloin. It’s not my sort, that’s all, and I was an idiot for mixing in it. The firm served me a shabby trick when it sent me out to work up this case for Wharton. It’s a regular Peeping Tom Job, and I don’t like it.”

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