Mrs. Gallagher and the Ne'er Do Well

the long version

From the first time he saw her, Tom Peters felt an irresistible urge to carry Helen Gallagher away with him, to dirty her pristine perfection with the lusty dust of life! She seemed so full of unshared yearnings, a woman on whom no lover would dare to leave his fingerprints. Helen could scarcely resist the siren call of this bold vagabond, this tender adventurer who promised to show her all the world beyond her little town. And when he vaulted over her balcony rail to take her in his arms, she wanted to say yes, she'd go with him. But with the disapproving eyes of friends and family looking on, could she find the courage to follow her heart?