How Georgette Kept Tryst

"How Georgette Kept Tryst" by M. E. Penn is a romantic narrative set in Paris. The story opens at Versailles during a holiday afternoon, where young lovers Etienne and Georgette stroll through the gardens. Etienne, a struggling writer who abandoned law for literature and was subsequently disowned by his wealthy family, has fallen in love with Georgette, a working-class flower-maker living in his apartment building in the Rue des Écoles. They are betrothed despite their disparate social positions. Etienne assures Georgette that he has written to his father about their engagement and will not abandon her for wealth or respectability. After their outing, they return to Paris via train. Upon arriving at her lodgings, Georgette receives a mysterious letter from an unknown male correspondent. The fragment concludes with Etienne watching her in her modest but neat room, displaying affection and admiration as she prepares to reveal the letter's contents.