Edith Wharton 
The Hermet And The Wild Woman 

In the title story, the “hermit’ is a boy who witnessed the murder of his parents and sister. The trauma has shaped his life, but a new neighbor—the “wild woman’—is about to change his outlook. Wharton’s 1908 collection also includes “The Last Asset, ‘ “In Trust, ‘ “The Pretext, ‘ “The Verdict, ‘ “The Pot-Boiler, ‘ and “The Best Man.’