The Shadowy Third, and Other Stories

"The Shadowy Third, and Other Stories" by Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow is a compilation of short stories from the early 1900s that investigates love, sadness, and how hard it can be for people to connect with each other by telling stories full of emotion and thought. One story introduces Margaret Randolph, a young nurse who admires Roland Maradick, a charming surgeon but she must address the challenges in his difficult marriage to Mrs. Maradick, who has unsettling visions of their dead child. The tale begins as Margaret is called to look after Mrs. Maradick, who is seen as a kind but weak person caught up in her mind and believes her child's ghost is present. In the meantime, she finds herself attracted to Dr. Maradick, her employer's husband, and his captivating qualities. As Margaret gets ready to deal with this emotionally charged situation, she realizes how complicated her feelings are, which creates the conditions for a battle and an examination of where her loyalty lies in the middle of Mrs. Maradick's grief and the darkness that might be hiding behind Dr. Maradick's attractive appearance. The story highlights the conflict between what is real and what is imagined, implying deeper levels of psychological complexity that will keep readers interested throughout the collection.