Critical commonplace has it that sequels, trilogies, series, and chronicles are primarily motivated by economic factors, but in reality, the series form allows the author to push the parameters of his or her exploration further with each revisiting. At the junction between romance and realism, Arthur Stringer’s Prairie Stories (1915-22) and Mazo de la Roche’s Whiteoak Chronicles (1927-40) address the issue of adultery, illustrating how the same act of infidelity can provoke different consequences. Comparing the two series, it becomes clear that de la Roche capitalizes more fully than Stringer on the possibilities afforded by the autographic series. More specifically, by expanding her initial narrative over several volumes (rather than limiting herself to a trilogy) and by beginning with actual rather than threatened adultery, de la Roche can address long-term repercussions of adultery in addition to its immediate effects. Consequently, she is able to analyze the adulterous triangle in a way that is more psychologically sophisticated than Stringer does.