THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

THE JOHN O'HARA SOCIETY

On May 24, 1947, publication of "Other Women's Households." The New Yorker. Hellbox.

Phyllis Richardson is active in her community's affairs. Her husband Valentine (Val) Richardson works for the local bank.

But there's a little incident that took place at their anniversary party several years ago:

"That was a party, all right. At three-thirty nearly everybody had gone home but Bob and Edith Conforth, and Val and Edith went out to the kitchen to get some more ice,  and when they came back, Val was wearing Edith's bra and panties and Edith was wearing Val's shorts and shirt. And Phyl and Bob stopped necking long enough to effect the same change. Only the four of them were left at the party, but Bob or Edith must have talked, or maybe it was Val, although he always denied he had. Anyhow, it got whispered around."

Val got spoken to at the bank: "....if that story ever got out to Old Lady Booth (the bank's major stockholder), your name is mud around here. I'd have to fire you, you know that."

One evening Val has to go to "Old Lady" Booth's house to report to her about the bank's financial affairs, and Phyllis insists, despite her husband's protests, on going with him.

Val is received but Phyllis is not. It appears the bank's major stockholder was well aware of the incident of several years before.