The Silver Butterfly

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25820

Title

The Silver Butterfly

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A romantic adventure set in early 20th-century New York, *The Silver Butterfly* follows engineer Hayden Woodrow's return home and his pursuit of artist Marcia Oldham. Blending whimsical fairy-tale imagery with a thrilling mystery, the novel explores themes of love, destiny, and the discovery of a hidden fortune, all underscored by Mrs. Wilson Woodrow's charming, optimistic prose.

Summary up to 500 words

In Mrs. Wilson Woodrow's *The Silver Butterfly*, engineer Hayden Woodrow returns to New York after years of building railroads in the wilds, eager to reconnect with his family and friends. His cousin, Kitty, introduces him to Marcia Oldham, a talented but guarded young artist whose father, a former millionaire, died in disgrace, leaving the family financially ruined. Hayden is immediately captivated by Marcia, despite her mysterious demeanor and the suspicious behavior of her fortune-teller friend, Ydo (Mademoiselle Mariposa). As Hayden pursues Marcia, he learns that Ydo is actually the daughter of Mr. Carrothers, Marcia's business partner. Together, they orchestrated a fortune-telling scheme to locate information about a lost mine, 'The Veiled Mariposa.' In a dramatic revelation, Marcia explains that her father had secretly purchased a vast estate from a dying man before his mental decline caused him to destroy the records. Mr. Carrothers saved these documents and partnered with Marcia to claim the property. Hayden eventually confesses his love to Marcia, and she reveals that she and Mr. Carrothers are the rightful owners of the 'Eldorado' mine. The story culminates in a joyful resolution where the couple embraces their future together. Despite Ydo's playful warnings against settling down, Hayden and Marcia decide to merge the romantic ideal of the wilds with the reality of domestic life. The novel concludes with Hayden declaring that the true treasures of Eldorado lie within the heart of their home in New York, effectively uniting the adventurous spirit of the frontier with the stability of civilized society.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25820.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg25820.epub

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2026-07-03 23:27 UTC

Categories

• Fiction
• Mystery