In the Bishop's Carriage by MICHELSON, Miriam

Nancy Nance Olden, a young and very pretty woman, is an accomplished liar and thief. Raised in a horrific orphanage, called the Cruelty by its occupants, Nance and her criminal boyfriend, Tom Dorgan, are pulling a con when the book begins. The results of their act propel Nance into a series of events that she could never have imagined. This was Miriam Michelsons first novel and it was considered a blockbuster in its day. Ranked fourth on the list of bestsellers of 1904 by Publishers Weekly, Michelsons book was a source of controversy due to the dubious ethics and morals of its heroine. (Summary by Lee Ann Howlett)