Geoffrey's victory;

It was a beautiful winter night. The sky was brilliant with millions of beautiful stars that glowed and scintillated as if conscious that their light had never before penetrated...

The knowledge that this woman, so beautiful and gifted, and who had, to all appearance, unlimited wealth at her command, should desire to cast her offspring adrift upon the worl...

The next morning there appeared an advertisement in the Boston _Transcript_, offering five hundred dollars to suitable parties who would adopt a female infant, and stating that...

“I shall never put myself in the power of this woman,” he had said to his wife, while discussing the question. “If we adopt this little one we must so arrange matters that she c...

She ran lightly up the stairs, and found that gentleman just on the point of leaving to return home, but evidently very much pleased to have his daughter come for him.

A severe blow upon the head, years previous, fractured the skull, a portion of which was crowded in upon the brain, the pressure causing temporary paralysis and idiocy, also los...

August Huntress and his gentle wife, Alice, deserved to be happy, for they had devoted the best of their lives to the work of rearing the two children who had been so strangely...

Assuming a somewhat exaggerated attitude of dignity, he began reciting one of Cicero’s orations, rendering it in the original with perfect ease and fluency, while his audience l...

Neither did he happen to meet any of them on his way to or from his recitations, and he hoped that the occurrence would gradually be forgotten and occasion no more trouble.

Gladys Huntress was very beautiful that evening when she entered Mrs. Brevort’s drawing-room, leaning on the arm of Mrs. Loring, who was to present her to their hostess, while A...

Gladys was more reserved and dignified in her bearing, but she possessed a peculiar fascination which instantly attracted everybody, and, taking the two together, it would have...

It was given nominally in honor of Gladys, but it really was as much for the sake of the daughter of the house, who was the pride and darling of her fond parents’ hearts, and he...

“How are you, Huntress?” and then turned to Gladys with his most alluring smile. “The signal for dancing has been given, Miss Huntress; may I have the pleasure of doing the open...

There was not much sleep for Geoffrey that night. He lay through the long hours thinking of his love for Gladys, and half believing, yet hardly daring to hope, that she was begi...

She was dressed in a morning robe of white flannel, relieved by quilted facings of pale blue silk, and fastened at the waist with a cascade of ribbons of the same hue.

Two years sped rapidly away, but they were improved to the utmost by both Gladys and Geoffrey in their efforts to secure a solid education. They saw but comparatively little of...

He was there and alone, fortunately, as nearly all the guests were still in the hall above, and his face lighted with a luminous smile as she sprang toward him, gladness beaming...

It is impossible to convey any idea of the anger, malice, and venom contained in these fiercely uttered words, and before Gladys could collect herself sufficiently to make any r...

In this latter place they lingered for some time, examining various objects of interest, Mrs. Mapleson appearing to be greatly attracted by the valuable collection of curiositie...

Colonel Mapleson received a letter from his wife, a day or two after Everet’s return to Vue de l’Eau begging him to come to Newport to join herself and friends.

His object was to visit an old lady who resided there, and who knew all about the Maplesons for the last three generations, for he believed she would be able to throw some light...

“I shall hunt up that old hermit’s retreat to-day,” Everet Mapleson said, as he awoke the next morning. “I want to see for myself just how and where he lived. I begin to find th...

Everet Mapleson spent the next week mostly in hunting and fishing, occupying, however, a portion of one day in looking over the Hermitage again, although without the slightest r...

It was settled that Everet Mapleson was to accompany Bob Whittaker, the miner, to the mines of New Mexico, and two days after the conversation related in the previous chapter fo...

“Who can he be? How strangely he acts,” Gladys said, as she gazed after the retreating form. “One would almost believe he has some personal connection with your history, he was...

Geoffrey started to his feet as if electrified, as these unexpected words fell upon his ears, and found himself face to face with a man of perhaps fifty years, his face seamed a...

When the man had reached the part of his story recorded in the preceding chapter, he was greatly agitated for several moments, as if the memory of that dreadful time was even no...

“Where do you intend to go from here, Jack?” Geoffrey asked at length, breaking a silence of several minutes, during which both had been busy with various thoughts and emotions.

The sun had long since gone down, and darkness was rapidly settling over the country, as Geoffrey pursued his way, grateful indeed that he had such good news to take back to Jac...

Reaching the public house where he had left Jack, Geoffrey quietly drew Margery into the small parlor, where he made her lay aside her bonnet and cloak, put her into a comfortab...

She stood musing for a few moments, then opening her pocket-book—an elegant affair of Russia leather with clasps of gold—she took from it a card to which she referred.

He now wore, too, a full beard, which was also very gray, although not as white as his hair, while the gold-bowed spectacles, which had become a constant necessity, added to the...

He was glad to seek shelter in the nearest public house, which proved to be an adobe, and was kept by a goodnatured Spaniard and his wife, both of whom could speak English passa...

At that moment a servant appeared at the door and was about to enter upon some trifling errand. Seeing the eager, intent look upon the faces of both men, she quietly withdrew, u...

“Well, it makes quite a handsome little fortune, when we take into consideration the fact that it has been accumulating all these years,” he said, as he pushed toward his son th...

The portfolio was not locked, and within it Everet discovered numerous letters, all of which were addressed to “Miss Annie Dale.” Most of them were in ladies’ handwriting, and a...

Gladys and Geoffrey saw but comparatively little of each other, except during the evening, for Geoffrey went early to the office in New York every morning, and did not return un...

Gladys’ first impulse, upon beholding her lover, was to spring toward him, denounce the man who had so insulted her and him, and demand to be conduced from his presence.

Every passing moment made her feel more sensibly the sacredness of the vows that she was about to take upon herself, and the responsibilities she was so soon to assume.

Gladys lay so long in her swoon that not only her friends but the physician also became greatly alarmed lest she should never rally; the shock which had caused this suspension o...

“My dear boy!” cried Mr. Huntress, under his breath, as he stepped out into the hall beside Geoffrey, cautiously closing the door after him, and then seizing him warmly by both...

“_Stop!_” commanded Geoffrey, sternly; “do not utter words which you may have bitter cause to regret later. This broken emblem, which I thought so valueless when it came into my...

“Ah!” he said, humbly, “you will forgive me, I hope, when I explain why I avoided you at that time. But this meeting has unnerved me. I find myself unable to either think or spe...

August Huntress appeared like a man suddenly deprived of his senses, and stood spell-bound, gazing with a look of awe upon the prostrate woman before him, whom he instantly reco...

“Annie and I were very happy,” Colonel Mapleson went on, after a momentary pause, “during the year that followed—happy in spite of a little cloud that had arisen so soon after o...

August Huntress’ heart was stirred with compassion for the beautiful and imperious woman, for he realized full well the trial that lay before her, and could understand how humil...

“Yes,” Mrs. Mapleson continued, “I had persistently refrained from telling my husband my secret, and Nellie alone knew it. At first I only meant to reserve it until he should co...

“Surely, Estelle, your lot has been a hard one,” Colonel Mapleson gravely remarked, after an oppressive silence; “your sufferings have been keener than mine, and I can only wond...

“Geoffrey Huntress, as he has hitherto been known,” he said, “_is my son_, honorably entitled to my name, and an equal share with yourself of all I possess—a son whom I long mou...