When the thing was at its hottest, I bolted

Just finished reading a 1904 novel called In the Bishop's Carriage, thanks to Project Gutenberg. Our heroine, Nance Olden, has fled from "The Cruelty" in turn-of the century Philadelphia, and turned pickpocket and con-artist -- but accidental encounters with Good Influences, her natural talent for impersonation, and a tendency to be less amoral than she wants to, all lead her into an honest acting career, plus romance with playwright/producer Fred Obermeyer.

Put like that it sounds really cheesy and sentimental, but it isn't -- mainly because it's told by Nance herself in her tough, smart voice; and Fred, though honest, is equally tough and smart. Plus it's got an intricate, almost farcical plot in which Nance, even once she's gone straight, keeps getting into scrapes and having to con her way out of them; and then there's her scheme to get the Theatre Trust off Fred's back....

Anyway -- quick read, fun.