Explain the irony in "The Open Window."

's
short story "" is ironic because it ends in an opposite way from what we expect. Early
in the story, we think that Framton is visiting the home of an older woman who has psychological
issues as a result of a greatsuffered a few years prior. The woman's fifteen-year-old daughter
tells Framton that her father, two brothers, and pet spaniel exited through this "open
window" in the house and disappeared on a hunting trip; tragically, they were apparently
lost in a bog and presumed dead. Vera says her mother cannot cope with their deaths, so she
leaves the window open every day, expecting them to return.

When Mrs.
Sappleton finally enters the scene and makes references to the return of her husband and sons,
Framton is disturbed by what he presumes is the extent of her denial. As Mrs. Sappleton looks
toward the window and talks about expecting their return, Mr. Sappleton, the boys, and the dog
all re-enter the house. Framton is so upset by this surprise that he immediately leaves. Vera
basically leads him to believe that those family members are dead to scare him when they return.
She made up the whole story.

Instead of learning that Mrs. Sappleton is
mentally unstable and delusional, we learn that her daughter Vera has a gift for making up
fantastical stories that sound realistic. She does the same thing when she explains to her
mother why she thinks Framton left in such a hurry. She invents a story about a horrifying past
experience Framton had with a dog. The story ends with the line "Romance at short notice
was her specialty." Saki uses the word "romance" to mean the capacity for telling
creative and imaginative stories. The story is ironic because the story's conclusion does not
reveal Mrs. Sappleton's mental illness but Vera's storytelling skill.