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On April 27, 1946, publication of "Clara." The New Yorker. Hellbox.

In an unnamed resort there are "natives of the village" and "summer people." This gem of a story illustrates the social divide.

Charlie Dixon, a summer person, has returned to the village to meet with attorney  Bill Muldoon to discuss the settlement of his late mother's estate. They are dining at the local hotel, and Clara,  "....the head-waitress, a stout, pretty woman," comes to take their order." Clara, a village native, has had to go back to work because she has recently lost her husband.

After Bill Muldoon leaves, and the dining room closes, Charlie seeks out Clara and they have a drink together. It so happens that twenty years before they were hot and heavy, to the point at which they apparently did discuss marriage but ruled it out because of the social differences, which in the course of their conversation do emerge:

Charlie used to drive the expensive Marmon automobile (Alfred Eaton had one). He has a son at Yale. Clara can't afford college for her sixteen year-old daughter, " .... so she's going to take a secretarial course at high next year."

Clara: "Just think, I could have married you one summer."
Charlie: "You sure could have."
Clara: "It's a good thing for the two of us I had a grain of sense. I was better off with Dan."

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