gentleman."
"Does your mother live abroad?"
"Yes--that is, she's not my real mother. I never knew who my real father
and mother were. Ma wanted to adopt a little girl, and, she took me from
the Orphan Asylum at Detroit, because I had such lovely curls. They were
as light as yours, then, but they've grown dark, since. Is there
anything you put on yours to keep the colour?"
"No--nothing."
"Well, pa was very angry when he found out what ma had done. He didn't
want to adopt a child; but ma said she would, and she could, because
she had money of her own. But he was always real kind to me. They were
both very nice, only they would quarrel. Well, when I was sixteen, ma
said she would take me abroad to finish my education. We'd travelled so
much, I never had much chance to go to school. Pa said it was nonsense,
but she would go. But I didn't go to school there, either. We went to
Germany to look at one we'd heard of, and there a German gentleman,
Baron Von Krugenstern, proposed to me. He thought I was going to be
awfully rich. But when he found out how things really were, and that ma
had the money, he changed about and proposed to her. They are so fond of
money, those foreigners, you know!"
"Did your father die while you were abroad?"
"Oh, dear, no! He wasn't dead! He was over here, all right. But ma got a
divorce from him without any trouble. She and I and the Baron came over
and went to Dakota, and it was all arranged, and they were married in
six weeks. She got it for cruelty. I could testify I'd seen him throw
things at her. She used to throw them back again, but no one asked me
about that. Well, pa never heard about it till it was all over, and then
he was awfully mad; but I guess he didn't mind much, for he soon married
Aunt Delia, and they always got along very pleasantly. I made them a
visit after they were married, and then I went abroad with ma and the
Baron. But pa told me if I wasn't happy there, I could come back any
time."
"Were you happy there?"
"No, I can't say I was. They lived in an awfully skimpy way, in a flat,
three flights up, and no elevator. Baron Von Krugenstern didn't like
ma's having brought me, till pa died, and that made a change. Pa left
half his money to Aunt Delia, and the other half to me. Now, don't you
call that noble of him?"
Muriel assented.
"As soon as they found that out, the whole family were awfully polite to
me; they wanted me to marry his younger brother, Baron Stanislaus. But I
wrote to Aunt Delia; she'd married Uncle Perley by that time, and come
to Europe for a wedding tour. They were in Paris; and Uncle Perley was
very kind, and sent back word for me to come to them, and I set off all
alone; all the Von Krugensterns thought it was perfectly dreadful. I
bought my trousseau in Paris, for I hadn't quite decided I wouldn't have
Baron Stanislaus, after all. But Uncle Perley advised me strongly
against it; he said American husbands were a great deal the best, and I
conclude he was right. And then, on the voyage home, we met Mr.
MacJacobs."
"I suppose you are very glad you came away?"
"Oh, yes, I am quite satisfied--quite. Baron Stanislaus was six feet
three and a half inches high; but I don't think height goes for so much
in a man; do you?"
Muriel looked at the little nomad with some wonder, but without the
reprobation which might have been expected from a young person carefully
brought up under the teachings of the Reverend Richard Reed. She rather
regarded Minnie in the aspect of--to quote the hymn familiar to her
childhood--"a gypsy baby, taught to roam, and steal her daily bread;"
and no matter how carefully guarded the infant mind, the experiences of
the gypsy will kindle a flame of interest. She, too, like Mrs. Reed,
felt eager to see the end of the story.
The wedding preparations went on apace. The tradesmen worked briskly,
for they had received information, on the application of some of the
doubting among them to Messrs. May & Maxwell, that Mr. Pickens's credit
was good for a million at least, not counting the very handsome banking
accounts of his two ladies. Miss Webb made all the arrangements for her
bridal, as Mr. MacJacobs could not come till the evening before.
"I only hope he'll come at all," carelessly suggested William
Winchester, one evening at the Parsonage.
"Why! do you think there is any danger of his giving it up?" cried Mrs.
Reed, in consternation.
"I rather begin to think that there is no such person. MacJacobs! What a
name! Can it possibly be real?"
"The name has a goodly ring of wealth about it," said the parson.
"Scotch and Hebrew! 'tis a rich combination, indeed! Still, if it were
as you suggest, it is a comfort to know that the remedy is at hand. You
have done so much for them, Emma, my dear, that you cannot fail them
now. They will ask you to find some nice young man for a bridegroom,
rather than have the whole thing fall through, and I hope William is
prepared to see it in the proper light, and offer his services 'purely
to oblige you.'"
"I shall have an answer ready," said William, coolly, "I shall say that
I am already bespoken."
"And can you produce the proof? It will have to be a pretty convincing
one."
"Perhaps in such an emergency I might find a _very_ convincing one,"
said William, with a glance at Muriel, who had been looking confused,
and who now coloured deeply. It was more with displeasure than distress;
but then it was, for the first time, that she struck him as being
something more than a merely pretty girl.
MacJacobs, came, punctual to his time, a small but sprightly individual,
with plenty to say as a proof of his existence. He brought neat, if not
over-expensive, scarf-pins for his gentlemen attendants, and a bracelet
in corresponding style for Miss Blake. The wedding went off to general
admiration. The church was full, and if the company at the house was
scanty, there was no scarcity in the banquet. And when the feast was
over, and Mrs. MacJacobs, on the carriage-step, turned to take her last
farewell; while Muriel's handkerchief was ready in her hand, and the
Crocker boys were fumbling among the rice in their pockets, and William
Winchester himself was feeling in his for the old shoe--"I am sure," she
said, "it has gone off beautifully, and I shall never, never forget your
kindness, as long as I live! I _did_ so want to have a pretty
wedding--such as I've read about!"
If these last words roused dismal forebodings in the minds of the bridal
train, to be verified by a perusal of the next day's Boston papers,
they were forgiven as soon as they were uttered; for the light patter of
Minnie's voice died away in a quaver of genuine feeling; and a shower of
real tears threw for once a veil of sweetness over her little
inexpressive face.
THE END.
[Illustration]
BY ANNA FULLER.
A LITERARY COURTSHIP.
=Under the auspices of Pike's Peak.= Printed on deckel edged
paper, with illustrations. 22nd edition. 12 deg., gilt top $1.25
"A delightful little love story. Like her other book it is bright and
breezy; its humor is crisp and the general idea decidedly original. It
is just the book to slip into the pocket for a journey, when one does
not care for a novel or serious reading."--_Boston Times._
A VENETIAN JUNE.
Illustrated by George Sloane. Printed on deckel edged paper.
7th edition. 12 deg., gilt top $1.25
"_A Venetian June_ bespeaks its materials by its title, and very full
the little story is of the picturesqueness, the novelty, the beauty, of
life in the city of gondolas and gondoliers--a strong and able work,
showing seriousness of motive and strength of touch."--_Literary World._
A _Venetian June_ and _A Literary Courtship_ are also put up
as a set in a box. 2 vols $2.50
PRATT PORTRAITS.
=Sketched in a New England Suburb.= 10th edition. 16 deg., paper,
50 cts.; cloth $1.00
New edition, illustrated by George Sloane. 8 deg. $2.00
"The lines the author cuts in her vignette are sharp and clear, but she
has, too, not alone the knack of color, but, what is rarer, the gift of
humor."--_New York Times._
PEAK AND PRAIRIE.
=From a Colorado Sketch-book.= 3rd edition. 16 deg. With a
frontispiece by Louis Loeb $1.00
"We may say that the jaded reader fagged with the strenuous art of the
passing hour, who chances to select this volume to cheer the hours, will
throw up his hat for sheer joy at having hit upon a book in which
morbidness and self-consciousness are conspicuous, by their
absence."--_New York Times._
THE HUDSON LIBRARY
_Registered as Second-Class Matter._
16 deg., paper, 50 cts.; 12 deg., cloth, $1.00 and $1.25.
I. =Love and Shawl-Straps.= By ANNETTE LUCILE NOBLE.
"Decidedly a success."--_Boston Herald._
II. =Miss Hurd: An Enigma.= By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
"Miss Hurd fulfils one's anticipations from start to finish.
She keeps you in a state of suspense which is positively
fascinating."--_Kansas Times._
III. =How Thankful was Bewitched.= By J. K. HOSMER.
"A picturesque romance charmingly told. The interest is both
historical and poetic."--_Independent._
IV. =A Woman of Impulse.= By JUSTIN HUNTLEY MCCARTHY.
"It is a book well worth reading, charmingly written, and
containing a most interesting collection of characters that
are just like life...."--_Chicago Journal._
V. =Countess Bettina.= By CLINTON ROSS.
"There is a charm in stories of this kind, free from
sentimentality, and written only to entertain."--_Boston
Times._
VI. =Her Majesty.= By ELIZABETH K. TOMPKINS.
"It is written with a charming style, with grace and ease,
and very pretty unexpected turns of expression."--DROCH, in
_N. Y. Life_.
VII. =God Forsaken.= By FREDERIC BRETON.
"A very clever book.... The characters are well and firmly
drawn."--_Liverpool Mercury._
VIII. =An Island Princess.= By THEODORE GIFT.
"A charming and often brilliant tale."--_Literary World._
IX. =Elizabeth's Pretenders.= By HAMILTON AIDE.
"It is a novel of character, of uncommon power and interest,
wholesome, humorous, and sensible in every
chapter."--_Bookman._
X. =At Tuxter's.= By G. B. BURGIN.
"A very interesting story. The characters are particularly
well drawn."--_Boston Times._
XI. =At Cherryfield Hall.= By FREDERIC H. BALFOUR (Ross George Deering).
"This is a brilliantly-told tale, the constructive ingenuity
and literary excellence of which entitle the author to a
place of honor in the foremost rank of contemporary English
romancists."--_London Telegraph._
XII. =The Crime of the Century.= By R. OTTOLENGUI.
"It is one of the best-told stories of its kind we have
read, and the reader will not be able to guess its ending
easily."--_Boston Times._
XIII. =The Things that Matter.= By FRANCIS GRIBBLE.
"A very amusing novel, full of bright satire directed
against the New Woman and similar objects."--_London
Speaker._
XIV. =The Heart of Life.= By W. H. MALLOCK.
"Interesting, sometimes tender, and uniformly brilliant....
People will read Mr. Mallock's 'Heart of Life,' for the
extraordinary brilliance with which he tells his
story."--_Daily Telegraph._
XV. =The Broken Ring.= By ELIZABETH K. TOMPKINS.
"A romance of war and love in royal life, pleasantly written
and cleverly composed for melodramatic effect in the
end."--_Independent._
XVI. =The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason.= By MELVILLE D. POST.
"This book is very entertaining and original ... ingeniously
constructed ... well worth reading."--_N. Y. Herald._
XVII. =That Affair Next Door.= By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
"The success of this is something almost unprecedented. Its
startling ingenuity, sustained interest, and wonderful plot
shows that the author's hand has not lost its
cunning."--_Buffalo Inquirer._
XVIII. =In the Crucible.= By GRACE DENIO LITCHFIELD.
"The reader will find in this book bright, breezy talk, and
a more than ordinary insight into the possibilities of human
character."--_Cambridge Tribune._
XIX. =Eyes Like the Sea.= By MAURUS JOKAI.
"A strikingly original and powerful story."--_London
Speaker._
XX. =An Uncrowned King.= By S. C. GRIER.
"Original and uncommonly interesting."--_Scotsman._
XXI. =The Professor's Dilemma.= By A. L. NOBLE.
"A bright, entertaining novel ... fresh, piquant, and well
told."--_Boston Transcript._
XXII. =The Ways of Life.= Two Stories. By MRS. OLIPHANT.
"As a work of art we can praise the story without
reserve."--_London Spectator._
XXIII. =The Man of the Family.= By CHRISTIAN REID.
"A Southern story of romantic and thrilling
interest."--_Boston Times._
XXIV. =Margot.= By SIDNEY PICKERING.
"We have nothing but praise for this excellently written
novel."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
XXV. =The Fall of the Sparrow.= By M. C. BALFOUR.
"A book to be enjoyed ... of unlagging interest and original
in conception."--_Boston Times._
XXVI. =Elementary Jane.= By RICHARD PRYCE.
"A heartfelt, sincere, beautiful love story, told with
infinite humor."--_Chicago Times-Herald._
XXVII. =The Man of Last Resort.= By MELVILLE D. POST.
"The author makes a strong plea for moral responsibility in
his work, and his vivid style and undeniable earnestness
must carry great weight with all thinking readers. It is a
notable book."--_Boston Times._
XXVIII. =The Confession of Stephen Whapshare.= By EMMA BROOKE.
_In preparation:_
XXIX. =The Chase of an Heiress.= By CHRISTIAN REID.
XXX. =Lost Man's Lane.= By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
THE UNIVERSITY SERIES
I. =Harvard Stories.= Sketches of the Undergraduate. By W. K. POST.
Fifteenth edition. 12 deg., paper, 50 cts.; cloth, $1.00.
"Not since the days of _Hammersmith_ have we had such a
vivid picture of college life as Mr. W. K. Post has given us
in this book. Unpretentious, in their style, the stories are
mere sketches, yet withal the tone is so genuine, the local
color so truly 'crimson,' as to make the book one of
unfailing interest."--_Literary World._
II. =Pale Yarns.= By J. S. WOOD. Fifth edition. Illustrated, 12 deg., $1.00.
"A bright, realistic picture of college life, told in an
easy conversational, or descriptive style, and cannot fail
to genuinely interest the reader who has the slightest
appreciation of humor. The volume is illustrated and is just
the book for an idle or a lonely hour."--_Los Angeles
Times._
III. =The Babe, B.A.= Stories of Life at Cambridge University. By EDW
F. BENSON. Illustrated, 12 deg., $1.00.
"The story tells of the every-day life of a young man called
the Babe.... Cleverly written and one of the best this
author has written."--_Leader_, New Haven.
IV. =A Princetonian.= A Story of Undergraduate Life at the College of
New Jersey. By JAMES BARNES. Illustrated, 12 deg., $1.25.
"It is fresh, hearty, sensible, and readable, leaving a good
impression of college life upon the mind."--_Baltimore Sun._
BY ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
=The Leavenworth Case.= A Lawyer's Story. 4 deg., paper, 20 cts.; 16 deg.,
paper, 50 cts.; cloth, $1.00.
"She has worked up a _cause celebre_ with a fertility of
device and ingenuity of treatment hardly second to Wilkie
Collins or Edgar Allan Poe."--_Christian Union._
".... Told with a force and power that indicate great
dramatic talent in the writer."--_St. Louis Post._
=Hand and Ring.= Popular edition. 4 deg., paper, 20 cts.; 16 deg., paper,
illustrated, 50 cts.; cloth, $1.00.
"The best, most intricate, most perfectly constructed, and
most fascinating detective story ever written."--_Utica
Herald._
=Marked "Personal."= 16 deg., paper, 50 cts.; cloth, $1.00.
"It is a tribute to the author's genius that she never tires
and never loses her readers. It moves on, clean and healthy,
and ends without raising images or making impressions which
have to be forgotten."--_Boston Journal._
=That Affair Next Door.= Hudson Library, No. 17. Seventh edition. 12 deg.,
paper, 50 cts.; cloth, $1.00.
Other works by Anna Katharine Green are as follows: "A
Strange Disappearance," "The Sword of Damocles," "The Mill
Mystery," "Behind Closed Doors," "X. Y. Z.," "7 to 12," "The
Old Stone House," "Cynthia Wakeham's Money," "The Doctor,
His Wife, and the Clock," "Dr. Izard."
* * * * *
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON.