The Wall Street Girl

"The Wall Street Girl" by Frederick Orin Bartlett is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Donald Pendleton, a young man who has recently lost his father and is navigating life in New York City under the shadow of family expectations and financial constraints. As he deals with the realities of adult responsibilities, his journey explores themes of love, ambition, and social status. The opening of the novel introduces Donald Pendleton as he meets with his father's lawyer, Jonas Barton, to discuss the terms of his father's will. Despite his initial expectations of inheriting substantial wealth, he discovers that his father has left him the family home but no funds for living expenses, leading to a stark realization of his new reality. The narrative then unfolds to depict Don's attempts to adjust to his newfound independence, while also dealing with his engagement to Frances Stuyvesant and pondering the practicalities of his financial situation. Along the way, he encounters Miss Winthrop, a diligent stenographer, and begins to form a connection that may complicate his already tumultuous life.