Carolyn Wells 
Ptomaine Street [PDF ebook] 
The Tale of Warble Petticoat

Though today she is best remembered for the dozens of mystery novels she penned in the later stages of her literary career, much of Carolyn Wells’ early work was in the humor genre. This witty satire of life in early-twentieth-century America is one of her finest works. Initially published nearly a century ago, her keen observations ring true even today.