[1][2] Born in Rahway, New Jersey, she was the daughter of William Edmund and Anna Potter Wells (nee Woodruff).

According to her autobiography, The Rest of My Life (1937), she heard That Affair Next Door (1897), one of Anna Katharine Green's mystery novels, being read aloud and was immediately captivated by the unraveling of the puzzle.

Among the most famous of her mystery novels were the Fleming Stone Detective Stories which—according to Allen J. Hubin's Crime Fiction IV: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1749–2000 (2003)—number 61 titles.

Many additional series ensued over the years, including the bizarre classic Adventures of Lovely Lilly (New York Herald, 1906–07).

The last series she penned was Flossy Frills Helps Out (American Weekly, 1942), which appeared after her death.