Stories That End Well

E-text prepared by Darleen Dove, Roger Frank, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
The stories in this book were originally printed in Harper's Magazine , Harper's Bazaar , The Century Magazine , McClure's Magazine , Scribner's Magazine and The Woman's Home Companion , and to these periodicals acknowledgements are due for their courtesy in giving permission for republication.
The story came to me through my friend, Mrs. Katherine Biff. Mrs. Biff is a widow. Her profession—I will not slight her beautiful art by a lesser word—is that of cook. She cooks for my cousin, Elinor, and it was during one of Elinor's absences in Europe that Mrs. Biff had her experience in Altruria, as the supply for Miss Mercedes Van Arden. It was highly interesting, I think.
She gave me the episode herself; because, in the first place, I am Elinor's own cousin (like the rest of the world, she loves Elinor) and in the second place, she knows that I appreciate her conversation. Assuredly I do value Katy's freehand sketches of life. She is a shrewd observer. Often while she talks I recall Stevenson's description of another: She is not to be deceived nor think a mystery solved when it is repeated.
Katy is an American by birth, but Celtic by race and by nature; a widow to whom children never were granted, but who out of her savings has helped educate and settle half a dozen of her nieces and nephews. Katy's married life was brief and not happy. The late Biff was a handsome man who never let other people's comforts or rights interfere with his own pleasure. Nevertheless, when he was killed in a saloon brawl she did not grudge him many carriages for his last journey (she who believes in simple funerals. When I give free rides, I'll give 'em while I'm alive and can hear folks say 'Thank you!' says she), and she has erected a neat stone to his memory.
It was three years after his death that Mrs. Biff came to Elinor, with whom she has lived since.