Ukridge Sees Her Through
Encyclopedia
"Ukridge Sees Her Through" is a short story
by P. G. Wodehouse
, which first appeared in the United States
in the September 1923 issue of Cosmopolitan
and in the United Kingdom
in the October 1923 Strand
. It features the irrepressible Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge
, and was included in the collection Ukridge
, published in 1924.
to Ukridge's Aunt Julia and now partner in a typing firm, and finds she gained her partnership based on a promise from Ukridge that he will provide the £100 she needs to buy the share. Shocked, Corcoran asks his friend how he hopes to find the money.
Ukridge reveals that Hank Philbrick, an old friend from Canada
has made it big, and has been persuaded by Ukridge to buy an English country house; Ukridge has contracted with an agent
, who will split the hefty commission
with Ukridge. Corcoran meets Ukridge late one night, and finds with him the Canadian, who is in a state of severe inebriation
. Ukridge tells Corky that he has been drinking heavily since he came into his fortune.
Some days later, Ukridge arrives at his friend's house, distraught. The Canadian, in ill health after his binge, has been advised by a doctor
to repair to warmer climes, and plans to leave for Egypt
, scuppering Ukridge's scheme.
A magazine
editor
asks Corky to attend a small dance
held by the Pen and Ink Club; he goes, in some trepidation that Julia Ukridge, president of the club, will remember their previous meeting. She does, and confronts him, but on seeing his press invitation is calmed. Another author, Charlton Prout, secretary of the club, takes Corky into a side room to talk; when they emerge, the hall is packed. To the dismay of the Pen and Ink people, a party of 700 revellers have mysteriously bought tickets for the bash, for the Warner's Stores company outing.
Ukridge later reveals that he sold the tickets for the party, paying his debt of honour to Dora and netting a further £50 for himself.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE was an English humorist, whose body of work includes novels, short stories, plays, poems, song lyrics, and numerous pieces of journalism. He enjoyed enormous popular success during a career that lasted more than seventy years and his many writings continue to be...
, which first appeared in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the September 1923 issue of Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the October 1923 Strand
Strand Magazine
The Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
. It features the irrepressible Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge
Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge
Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a fictional character from the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse.Ukridge is a schemer who will do anything to increase his funding -- except, of course, work. An alert and creative opportunist, he makes sure that no kindness shown to him, however...
, and was included in the collection Ukridge
Ukridge (short stories)
Ukridge is a collection of short stories by P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on June 3, 1924 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on March 19, 1926 by George H. Doran, New York, under the title He Rather Enjoyed It....
, published in 1924.
Main characters
- Stanley Featherstonehaugh UkridgeStanley Featherstonehaugh UkridgeStanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge is a fictional character from the short stories and novels of P. G. Wodehouse.Ukridge is a schemer who will do anything to increase his funding -- except, of course, work. An alert and creative opportunist, he makes sure that no kindness shown to him, however...
, the irrepressible entrepreneur- Julia Ukridge, his haughty writer aunt
- Dora Mason, Julia's secretary and companion
- Julia Ukridge, his haughty writer aunt
- Jimmy Corcoran, Ukridge's writer friend
- Hank Philbrick, a friend of Ukridge, a wealthy Canadian
- Charlton Prout, a writer, secretary of the Pen and Ink Club
Plot
Ukridge's friend Jimmy Corcoran is persuaded to hire a typist to speed his writing. He meets Dora Mason, former secretarySecretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to Ukridge's Aunt Julia and now partner in a typing firm, and finds she gained her partnership based on a promise from Ukridge that he will provide the £100 she needs to buy the share. Shocked, Corcoran asks his friend how he hopes to find the money.
Ukridge reveals that Hank Philbrick, an old friend from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
has made it big, and has been persuaded by Ukridge to buy an English country house; Ukridge has contracted with an agent
Real estate broker
A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...
, who will split the hefty commission
Commission (remuneration)
The payment of commission as remuneration for services rendered or products sold is a common way to reward sales people. Payments often will be calculated on the basis of a percentage of the goods sold...
with Ukridge. Corcoran meets Ukridge late one night, and finds with him the Canadian, who is in a state of severe inebriation
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
. Ukridge tells Corky that he has been drinking heavily since he came into his fortune.
Some days later, Ukridge arrives at his friend's house, distraught. The Canadian, in ill health after his binge, has been advised by a doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
to repair to warmer climes, and plans to leave for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, scuppering Ukridge's scheme.
A magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
asks Corky to attend a small dance
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
held by the Pen and Ink Club; he goes, in some trepidation that Julia Ukridge, president of the club, will remember their previous meeting. She does, and confronts him, but on seeing his press invitation is calmed. Another author, Charlton Prout, secretary of the club, takes Corky into a side room to talk; when they emerge, the hall is packed. To the dismay of the Pen and Ink people, a party of 700 revellers have mysteriously bought tickets for the bash, for the Warner's Stores company outing.
Ukridge later reveals that he sold the tickets for the party, paying his debt of honour to Dora and netting a further £50 for himself.
See also
- List of Wodehouse's Ukridge stories