Chapter I: Front Matter

THE FIFTH WHEEL

THE
FIFTH WHEEL

_A NOVEL_

BY
OLIVE HIGGINS PROUTY

AUTHOR OF
"BOBBIE, GENERAL MANAGER"

_WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY
JAMES MONTGOMERY FLAGG_

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1916, by_
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

_Copyright, 1915, 1916, by_
THE PHILLIPS PUBLISHING COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation
into foreign languages._

DEDICATED
TO
MY MOTHER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. RUTH VARS COMES OUT 1

II. BRECKENRIDGE SEWALL 10

III. EPISODE OF A SMALL DOG 18

IV. A BACK-SEASON DÉBUTANTE 27

V. THE UNIMPORTANT FIFTH WHEEL 36

VI. BRECK SEWALL AGAIN 44

VII. THE MILLIONS WIN 50

VIII. THE HORSE-SHOW 56

IX. CATASTROPHE 69

X. A UNIVERSITY TOWN 80

XI. A WALK IN THE RAIN 90

XII. A DINNER PARTY 101

XIII. LUCY TAKES UP THE NARRATIVE 112

XIV. BOB TURNS OUT A CONSERVATIVE 124

XV. ANOTHER CATASTROPHE 135

XVI. A FAMILY CONFERENCE 142

XVII. RUTH GOES TO NEW YORK 156

XVIII. A YEAR LATER 166

XIX. RUTH RESUMES HER OWN STORY 177

XX. THE FIFTH WHEEL GAINS WINGS 181

XXI. IN THE SEWALL MANSION 198

XXII. THE PARADE 206

XXIII. AN ENCOUNTER WITH BRECK 212

XXIV. THE OPEN DOOR 222

XXV. MOUNTAIN CLIMBING 232

XXVI. THE POT OF GOLD 239

XXVII. VAN DE VERE'S 248

XXVIII. A CALL FROM BOB JENNINGS 258

XXIX. LONGINGS 266

XXX. AGAIN LUCY NARRATES 274

XXXI. RUTH DRAWS CONCLUSIONS 282

XXXII. BOB DRAWS CONCLUSIONS TOO 291

ILLUSTRATIONS

"'Why, Breck, don't be absurd! I wouldn't _marry_ you
for anything in the world'" _Frontispiece_

FACING
PAGE

"'Men seem to want to make just nice soft pussy-cats
out of us, with ribbons round our necks, and hear
us purr'" 128

"Straight ahead she gazed; straight ahead she rode;
unafraid, eager, hopeful; the flag her only staff" 170

"I was the only one in her whole establishment whom
she wasn't obliged to treat as a servant and menial" 202

THE FIFTH WHEEL