Miss Dividends: A Novel

"Miss Dividends: A Novel" by Archibald Clavering Gunter is a fictional work written in the late 19th century. This novel appears to delve into themes of romance, social status, and the contrasting worlds of East and West in America, focusing on the central characters of Erma Travenion and Captain Harry Storey Lawrence. As the story unfolds, it sets the stage for the exploration of relationships amidst the backdrop of New York society and the frontier. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Captain Harry Storey Lawrence, recently returned from a year in a Southern Utah mining camp, who is enchanted by the refined beauty of Erma Travenion. Lawrence, in pursuit of a business transaction involving a silver mine, becomes smitten with Erma during a supper in New York, where their paths cross serendipitously. The opening chapters establish the contrasting characters of Lawrence, a rugged and determined Westerner, and Erma, an heiress known as "Miss Dividends," as they navigate social dynamics and personal ambitions against the backdrop of shifting societal norms and personal aspirations. Their interactions hint at the complexity of love, ambition, and the societal expectations that shape everyone's destinies.