A Family Affair

Deborah Wilton, a well-to-do middle-aged widow, lives in one of those remote country villages where everybody's business is known to everybody else. The talk at the village store is that Deborah has become engaged to Walter Tranter, a mere boy who is young enough to be her son. This rumour is heard by Walter's family, and his three sisters and his mother each call in turn at Deborah's house to protest furiously at such a ridiculous marriage. It appears that they are not so much concerned for Walter, whom they seem to regard with a certain disfavour, but for the thoughts of his Uncle Gideon, who is to leave Walter his small fortune. Uncle Gideon would never countenance such a marriage according to the family. This it turns out is only too true, for we learn at the end after much hubbub and denial of the rumour by Deborah, that Uncle gideon is going to marry her himself.