{"product_id":"2940012878205","title":"THAT AFFAIR IN PHILADELPHIA","description":"Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original edition for your reading pleasure.  It is also searchable and contains hyper-links to chapters. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e***\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn excerpt from the beginning of the first chapter:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHAT AFFAIR IN PHILADELPHIA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Have you heard of that little affair in Philadelphia?\" Caffrey asked, drawing his chair forward and looking straight into Bradley's eyes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What little affair can that be?\" Bradley demanded. \"Are they doing anything in Philadelphia?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why, where have you been, man? Don't you know that the great Hammerstein has built his two million dollar opera house in my city?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"To be sure, to be sure,\" Bradley assented. \"What of it?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's the grandest and most magnificent building in the world, but the question has come up, how to fill it?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I like that,\" Bradley said, roaring with laughter; \"How do they generally fill opera houses? Where are the men and women?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh, they are there aplenty, but they don't want men and woman. They are hunting for the aristocrats. The committee decided that no one could occupy the royal boxes but the elite,\" Caffrey explained.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How did they manage it?\" Bradley asked, interested.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"After all, they found it was too big a job for them to handle, so they called in the five Mrs. Bourbons to assist them; you see it would never do to go down a notch; if they did, she, I mean the madam, would lose her prestige forever,—in one family, you know, all equal.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But what did they want the ladies for?\" Bradley persisted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't you understand, they consented to be the umpire. They got themselves up in great state and sat on a high platform, holding their heads way up and sniffing in the air. All the applicants for the Royal Row passed before them, the millionaire and multi-millionaire, holding their tickets in their hands, name on one side and fortune assessed on the other, and, oh, Bradley, it would have made your heart bleed to see their humility, for all fearful and trembling, they turned to each great lady, and said, 'By your leave, madam,' and will you believe it, Bradley, they, the Mrs. Bourbons, stiffened themselves up and waved them away, saying: 'Go get a pedigree.' It was all over with them, the ladies filled the boxes with the aristocrats and the spinsters and the four year debutantes and the eligible bachelors were crowded down in the parquet. But those committee men were a kind lot, their\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehearts softened like Pharaoh of ancient times, and they agreed to take down the name of every applicant and promised to give it further consideration. 'It must be understood once and for all that only the elite could enter by the right door,' they said.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't tell me, Caffrey, that the parvenus,— those dear lovers of music were kept out,\" Bradley exclaimed, catching Caffrey by the arm in his heat, his eyes wide staring.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Be calm, Bradley, be calm,\" Caffrey advised. \"The day after, the morning papers issued a special edition of one sheet, mind you, of only one sheet, printed big, informing the citizens, not naming titles, degree or rank,— wasn't it nice?—that tickets could be obtained for the Family Circle.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Did they buy them?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The first thing that the parvenus did on arriving at their offices was to telephone to their wives,—many of them musicians. Bradley, singing for charity all the time, and now worn to a shadow with constant weeping over their disappointment,—not to hear Melba! not to hear Caruso !\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's a wonder they did not go crazy,\" Bradley exploded hotly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"'Well, they were rewarded,' their husbands said. 'We're all going to the opera tonight; you shall have a new diamond tiara.' Wasn't it queer that every blessed husband hit upon the same gift, but those women were sweet, conscientious souls, they called back, 'You forget, dear, I have one already? Then each husband promptly answered, 'What of that? You shall have another. Begin at once to arrange your coiffeur for two tiaras.'\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Were you there, Caffrey, quick, tell me?\"","brand":"Leila's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145524723952,"sku":"2940012878205","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012878205_p0.jpg?v=1763573755","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012878205","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}