CHAPTER LIX.

WEDDED TO HER CHOICE.

"'Oh, darling', she said, and the whispered words In a dreamy cadence fall, 'Can I help but choose thee who art the best And the noblest among them all * * * And since in thine eyes I shyly read That thy thoughts hold a place for me-- I bring thee a love, and a heart, and a life, And consecrate all to thee!'"

They drew up their chairs to the glowing kitchen fire, smoked, drank, and even played a game of cards, for now that the final moment had arrived, the villain's nerve began to fail him, and he began to realize his crime in all its enormity.

And while he lingered there, dreading the consummation of the crowning act of his villainy, along the road he had traveled another sleigh was speeding toward the farm--a double sleigh--and in it were seated Harry Hawthorne, Detective Norris, and two stalwart policemen detailed on special duty for this occasion.

Fast flew the gallant horses under the gently urging hand of the driver, until they were in sight, then Norris exclaimed:

"There's the old house now. And, see!--a sleigh at the gate! Perhaps Standish is there now, the villain! We will be extremely lucky if we catch him on the spot!"

At the same moment, Standish tossed off a bumper of wine, exclaiming:

"Here's to the bride, the beautiful heiress! Come, let's get the ceremony over!"

The three conspirators filed up stairs and into the room where Geraldine, more dead than alive, crouched in her chair in terror of their coming.

Standish, whose spirits were much elated by generous potations of wine, crossed over to her, crying, gayly:

"Give us a kiss, pretty one! I've come to marry you at last! Here's the preacher--justice, I mean. He can tie the knot just as well. Hello, Jane! if you're the bridesmaid, get her up on her feet by my side, will you?"

The justice planted himself in readiness to perform the ceremony, but Geraldine would not permit any one to drag her up from her seat.

She fought off their hands with a wonderful strength, born of desperation, and shriek after shriek, loud, agonized, ear-piercing, burst from her pale lips.

Perhaps it was the sound of those defiant shrieks that drowned the sound of bells as the second sleigh dashed up to the gate, and the men tumbled out pell-mell into the lane.

But the winter wind bore to their ears the sound of Geraldine's awful cries, and their feet seemed winged, as, headed by Hawthorne, they rushed up the lane and threw themselves altogether against the locked door.

It yielded and fell in with their united weight, tumbling all together upon the kitchen floor.

But each sprang to his feet and followed the sound of those frantic shrieks up a rickety stair-way to another locked door.

"Now all together again, lads--push!" shouted Hawthorne, and under the strong onslaught the second door yielded, the lock fell off, and they were on the scene of action.

And, oh, what a scene!

Clifford Standish and the old woman had dragged Geraldine from her chair, despite her desperate shrieks and struggles, and were holding her up between them, while the half-drunken justice mumbled over the words of the marriage service.

The conspirators, thus taken by surprise, dropped their victim and turned to fly, but the clubs of the agile policemen quickly strewed the floor with three groaning wretches.

As for Hawthorne, he thought only of Geraldine. She flew to him, and he clasped her in his arms, crying:

"Oh, my love, my love! I have come to save you!"

It was a tender meeting, but its pathos was quite lost on Norris and the policemen, who were busy putting handcuffs on the three prisoners, whose dose of clubs had reduced them to a dazed condition that made them easy to conquer.

The surprise had been a complete one, and extremely successful--so much so that all three of the conspirators were taken away as prisoners by the jubilant Norris and the two policemen.

And, to dispose of the subject at once, we may add that all three were committed to jail, had a speedy trial, and were convicted of kidnaping and conspiracy. An indignant judge and jury awarded them the severest sentence under the law, and they were sent to prison for a long term of years during which their energies were expended in labor for the State of Illinois.

* * * * *

It would be too great a task to describe the joy of the Fitzgerald household that evening when Harry Hawthorne restored Geraldine to her home, or their grief and indignation when they learned the terrible persecutions she had suffered.

Mrs. Fitzgerald's gratitude to Harry Hawthorne was boundless.

She scarcely remembered the existence of the English nobleman, whose title she had so ardently desired for Geraldine.

She realized how true was Hawthorne's affection when she saw him weep the bitterest tears over the cruel bruises that for several days empurpled the poor girl's face and hands--marks of the brutal blows she had been given by Jane Crabtree while trying to force her consent to marry Clifford Standish.

"He loves her with the devotion of a noble heart, and I will not stand between them, even though he is only a poor fireman. Besides, he really saved her life from those murderous wretches, and it belongs to him," she thought, generously.

So, when he came to her a few days later, asking her for the second time for her approval of his suit for Geraldine's hand, she accepted him with pleasure for her son-in-law.

And then she said, with a smile:

"But I hope you will not carry my dear girl away from me when you are married. This house is large enough for us all."

Thinking that he was poor, she wished to make the future as easy for him as possible.

But Hawthorne answered:

"I thank you for your generosity, but I have a home in England, and a widowed mother awaiting me."

"I do not understand," she said, wonderingly.

Just then Geraldine and Cissy came in, with the two children, who were enjoying the freedom of having no governess at present.

Mrs. Fitzgerald called Geraldine to her side, kissed her beautiful brow, and said:

"I have just given you away, my darling, to your worthy lover."

Geraldine blushed deeply, as Hawthorne drew her to his side and said:

"Dearest, I have just been telling your dear mother that our home must be in England when we are married. Indeed, I have a letter of introduction from my own mother to yours, which I must now deliver."

He bowed gracefully to Mrs. Fitzgerald, who opened the letter with a mystified air.

Directly she looked up, exclaiming:

"But this is very puzzling. The letter is from my English cousin, Lady Putnam, to introduce her son, Lord Leland Harry Putnam."

"I am he, Mrs. Fitzgerald," the young man said, with another low bow, but it took many minutes of explanation to convince her of the truth, and then she said, beamingly:

"But why did you deceive us?"

"Can you not guess? I wished to test Geraldine's love, and to win your regard as simple Harry Hawthorne, the poor fireman. I have succeeded, and now I am perfectly happy."

So were they all, if their radiant faces were an index of their feelings, and Lord Putnam made Geraldine blush very brightly when he added:

"My mother and sister told me to tell you that they will come to America to our wedding, and they hope it will be soon, as Amy especially is anxious to see this country."

When he brought Ralph Washburn and Leroy Hill to call the next day, they sounded the praises of beautiful Lady Amy so persistently that Geraldine was in love with her new sister before she ever saw her, and she wondered which one of the handsome young lovers would win the charming beauty.

She persuaded Cissy to be married on the same day as herself and Cameron Clemens, although very impatient for the marriage, consented to the postponement to please the two fair brides.

"Won't it be just too lovely to be married on the same day, Cissy, and cross the ocean together on our bridal tour and spend our honeymoons at Castle Raneleigh? We must write and tell the Stansburys and Odells, and send them invitations," cried pretty Geraldine, who was so happy in her love that she wanted all her old friends to rejoice with her when she was wedded to her heart's dear choice.

The happy day is set for June, dear reader, and I am invited to the double wedding.

(THE END.)

A. CONAN DOYLE.

It were superfluous to say more in regard to the achievements of this great story writer than to allude to the perfect clamor of critical congratulation which greets every new production of his pen. The six stories which the publishers have just put forth in the most approved style, with an elegant illustration on the cover of each, are perhaps the most powerful of his popular works.

_The White Company._

"This is a romance of the days of chivalry in Merrie England. For vivid description, trenchant wit and historical glamour we have read nothing to equal it since Ivanhoe."

_The Firm of Girdlestone._

"A startlingly realistic novel of the world of business in the metropolis of the universe, London. It is a fascinating book."

_Micah Clarke._

"In this volume, A. Conan Doyle transports us to quite a different period of England's history. The tale is placed in the time of the Cavaliers and Roundheads. The author is equally at home here as he was in the delightful story of The White Company."

_Beyond the City._

"A simple recital of tragedy and mystery in English family life. Quite unlike the author's average story of warlike deeds and brave hearts, Beyond the City nevertheless possesses the true magnetism which obliges complete perusal once the opening chapter is read."

_A Study in Scarlet._

"In this weird book the reader first meets that most fascinating and incomprehensible character, Sherlock Holmes, the detective. One had heard of him so much before, it is like renewing an old and loved acquaintance."

_At the Sign of the Four._

"Here we behold again the wonderful deductive work of Sherlock Holmes in the tracing of crimes and criminals. Beyond question, he is the greatest detective creation of any time or language. The story is simply irresistible."

All the above works are bound uniform and printed on heavy white paper. Price, 25 cents.

_For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free, on receipt of price, by the publishers_,

STREET & SMITH, New York.

A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND.

BY G. WALDO BROWNE.

PRESS OPINIONS.

_Brooklyn Eagle_: A fresh love story.

_Boston Journal_: A thrilling narrative founded on Pickett's last charge at Gettysburg.

_New York Recorder_: A tale of the most dramatic event of the war. Well worth reading.

_Saturday Mail_: A fascinating story.

_Brooklyn Standard-Union_: A stirring novel.

_Indianapolis Sentinel_: Pleasant reading to those interested in the events of war times, which are faithfully depicted.

_Bookseller, Stationer, and Newsdealer_: "A Daughter of Maryland" is a story to quicken the blood and awaken the pity of all who read it. It vividly portrays the distress in families, some of whom espoused the cause of the North and some the South.

_American Volunteer_: Very interesting. A realistic narrative.

_Sioux City Journal_: "A Daughter of Maryland," illustrated, is entertaining reading.

_New York World_: "A Daughter of Maryland" is a war novel crowded with incident and adventure, and the outlines historically accurate.

"A Daughter of Maryland" is a charming love story, telling as it does with a thrilling interest and at times a tender pathos, a tale of true love whose rough and rugged course was so often turned by the vicissitudes of war, and "moving accidents by flood and field." The reader will move in sympathy with the participants of this romantic tale, through all their trials, and gladly share the sorrows and the joys of the heroes, both men and women, whose love was tried by the fire of war.

A DAUGHTER OF MARYLAND is No. 68 of "Clover Series," for sale by all Booksellers and Newsdealers, or sent, post-paid, to any address, on receipt of price, 25 cents, by the publishers,

STREET & SMITH, 25-31 Rose Street, New York.

The Mission of Poubalov.

BY FREDERICK R. BURTON.

_A new novel of intense interest. Bound in handsome paper covers in the Criterion Series, =50 Cents=. In elegant cloth, =$1.00=._

_CONSULT THE CRITICS._

The NEW YORK SUN says:

"Frederick R. Burton has supplied us with a cleverly constructed and interesting story in 'The Mission of Poubalov.' ... In regard to Mr. Burton's Russian police agent, we hasten to say that he has commended himself to us as both reasonable and interesting. As we remember, he does not once put himself to the conventional trouble of assuming a disguise, and yet he gets on remarkably well. Just as curiously, his business in New York is not to administer the vengeance of the Czar, but to do a kindly and charitable deed. The ordinary reader will be at no pains to discover and appreciate certain plain points about this story. It is a story with a plot, and the narrative is conscientiously and cleverly accomplished. Mr. Burton understands perfectly that very valuable principle of the storyteller's art whereby the curiosity of the reader is quickly aroused, duly maintained, and finally gratified. His police agent is a vigorous figure, and his heroine enjoys the distinction of being able to face some other aspect than that of lachrymose despair. She is an excellent heroine, a good talker and a sensible, clever person, and we cordially congratulate Mr. Burton upon her presence in his book. So we do congratulate him upon a generally capable and interesting story."

From THE BOSTON HERALD.

"The style of the story is not unlike that of the 'Mr. Barnes of New York' series, and the handling of mystery very nearly approaches Anna Katharine Green's dexterity.

Ingenious in plot, exciting in incident, and sensational enough even for warm summer afternoons, the volume teems with interest. The characters stand boldly forward in a drama that moves breathlessly along without a break to mar its smoothness, or to interrupt the clews relating to the sudden disappearance of a lover upon his wedding day, within an hour of the ceremony. Aside from this, the story is a singular instance of the constancy and faith of a woman who is worth loving. She spends her energy in trying to discover her lover, not in tears over his apparent desertion. Real power in a detective story is shown in keeping the mystery veiled until the end, and this Mr. Burton has done."

From THE CHICAGO DAILY NEWS.

"His story is of the sensational style--sensational in a clean and wholesome way--and proves the author has surmounted the first difficulties which usually attack the man who attempts to write a 'detective story.' There are no hitches or flagging of interest in spots, the plot is coherent and sufficiently intricate to cause a reader to sit up late to finish the tale, and the finale--that bunker at which ignominiously tumble most sensational writers--is logical and not to be quarreled with. Nothing puts a reader in such bad humor with his author as to be let down flat after an exciting chase. Mr. Burton sends one off on a sky rocket, perfectly satisfied.

Poubalov, who in the title arouses recollections of Gilbert Parker's or Mary Hartwell Catherwood's field of work, is that melodramatic character, a polished, impregnable, invincible, all-powerful, diabolical, Russian secret-service official.... Mr. Burton, if he improves, will rank with the best writers of exciting tales."

From THE YONKERS STATESMAN.

"One of the most readable and entertaining novels that we have read in some time is 'The Mission of Poubalov,' by Frederick R. Burton.... Mr. Burton seems rapidly to be making a name for himself in the literary world as a story-writer of much more than the average ability, and in this book he has constructed a plot which so fascinates the reader that one is loath to drop the volume until he has reached the page that bears 'The End;' then comes the feeling of satisfaction that he has read a good story, well told, abounding in interest, full of life and action, and having not a few startling surprises."

From THE ST. LOUIS STAR.

"This is a story of intricate plot and incessant action. It is safe to say that one who reads the first chapter will read the second, and from that to the third, and so to the end of the book will be a progression on the part of the reader that cannot well be avoided. The interest never flags. Poubalov himself is a powerful and fascinating character study; Miss Hillman is hardly less so, though necessarily the American girl is not so picturesque as the Russian spy; and the tragic force with which the weakness of the unhappy little tailor, Litizki, is set forth, adds immensely to the grip this story takes upon the reader's sympathies."

From THE SOMERVILLE CITIZEN, Somerville, Mass.

"Sensational reading is not always smooth reading and graceful writing is seldom sensational; but when a story is not only sensational, but strong in treatment and at the same time graceful in style, the reader derives rare pleasure from it and the author scores an unusual success. 'The Mission of Poubalov' is by Frederick R. Burton. It appeals particularly to the Bostonian, as the account is laid in that city. It is the superior of any popular novel treating of Boston society we have yet seen. It is a detective story without a detective, a love story without sentiment, yet teeming with subtlety and romance. The great majority of readers will try to finish the book at a sitting."

From THE BOSTON DAILY GLOBE.

"Next to an east wind when the mercury is dallying with the main truck, the most refreshing thing is a well-written, cunningly constructed fiction, a tale that makes friends with whoever picks it up. Such stories, to be sure, are rare, but once in a while, as with incoming waves, one will appear that looms high above its flat-chested mates, and, like the high roller, there is generally something to it. In 'The Mission of Poubalov,' Mr. Frederick R. Burton, who, while engaged in newspaper work, had an opportunity to study in real life characters necessary for the building up of an engaging fiction, has written a capital story of love, intrigue and adventure that grips the attention like a vise. It is an American story with a Russian flavor. The scene is Boston, and Mr. Burton plays his characters around the West and South ends of the city with the skill of a master at chess. The central figure, a Russian political exile, is introduced in his West end lodgings in preparation for his wedding, and very early in the book all the characters are moving briskly. An agent of the czar, who is by no means as bad as his countrymen have sketched him, plays a most intricate and interesting role. His real motive is deftly concealed from the reader until the lost bridegroom, who disappears in the first chapter, is found. Mr. Burton's heroine is a brave, determined, never-say-die young woman whose faith in her lover could not be shaken. She plays the part of detective in her own way which, coupled with the efforts of the apparent villain who was really trying to help her, heightens the interest of this very excellent story."

_For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage paid, on receipt of price, by the publishers_,

STREET & SMITH, New York.

Three Sterling Novels

By the celebrated author of "As In a Looking Glass,"

F. C. PHILIPS.

No male author of the present day has shown such a keen and sympathetic appreciation of that wonderful mystery, a woman's heart, as F. C. Philips. Indeed, the question has often been asked whether this name is not merely a veil concealing the identity of a clever woman.

_Margaret Byng._

_Printed on fine paper and bound in illuminated cover._

_Price, - - 25 Cents._

The heroine of this tale is undoubtedly one of the strongest creations in fiction. Her adventures in the gaming-halls of Monte Carlo, her subsequent connection with the mystery of a murder committed in a railway carriage and the solution of the same, combine to make a narrative of startling intensity.

_A Lucky Young Woman._

_Bound uniform with the above, with handsome pictured cover._

_Price, - - 25 Cents._

An admirable portrait of certain phases of English high life. The book reads from cover to cover with crispness and sincerity. It is one of those stories whose close we regret ever to have reached.

_Little Mrs. Murray._

_Bound uniform with the above, adorned with a handsome pictured cover._

_Price, - - 25 Cents._

The charming autobiographical form of this story has much in common with the author's first success, "As In a Looking Glass." But one follows the career of Little Mrs. Murray with much greater avidity because she is an eminently attractive character. Her brief term on the stage might serve as a lesson for those who think life on the boards is as bright as the glow of footlights; and later, her remarkable experience as matron in a mad house brings about a sudden and quite unlooked for _denouement_.

_Any or all of the above volumes can be procured from the booksellers and newsdealers, or will be sent, postage paid, on receipt of price, by the publishers_,

_STREET & SMITH, NEW YORK._

THE COUNTY FAIR.

BY NEIL BURGESS.

It is a spirited romance of town and country, and a faithful reproduction of the drama, with the same unique characters, the same graphic scenes, but with the narrative more artistically rounded and completed than was possible in the brief limits of a dramatic representation. This touching story effectively demonstrates that it is possible to produce a novel which is at once wholesome and interesting in every part, without the introduction of an impure thought or suggestion. Read the following

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS;

Mr. Neil Burgess has rewritten his play, "The County Fair," in story-form. It rounds out a narrative which is comparatively but sketched in the play. It only needs the first sentence to set going the memory and imagination of those who have seen the latter, and whet the appetite for the rest of this lively conception of a live dramatist.--_Brooklyn Daily Eagle_.

As "The County Fair" threatens to remain in New York for a long time, the general public out of town may be glad to learn that the playwright has put the piece into print to the form of a story. A tale based upon a play may sometimes lack certain literary qualities, but it never is the sort of thing over which any one can fall asleep. Fortunately, "The County Fair" on the stage and in print is by the same author, so there can be no reason for fearing that the book misses any of the points of the drama which has been so successful.--_N. Y. Herald_.

The idea of turning successful plays into novels seems to be getting popular. The latest book of this description is a story reproducing the action and incidents of Neil Burgess' play, "The County Fair." The tale, which is a romance based on scenes of home life and domestic joys and sorrows, follows closely the lines of the drama in story and plot.--_Chicago Daily News_.

Mr. Burgess' amusing play, "The County Fair," has been received with such favor that he has worked it over and expanded it into a novel of more than 200 pages. It will be enjoyed even by those who have never seen the play and still more by those who have.--_Cincinnati Times-Star_.

This touching story effectively demonstrates that it is possible to produce a novel which is at once wholesome and interesting in every part, without the introduction of an impure thought or suggestion.--_Albany Press_.

Street & Smith have issued "The County Fair." This is a faithful reproduction of the drama of that name, and is an affecting and vivid story of domestic life, joy, and sorrow, and rural scenes.--_San Francisco Call_.

This romance is written from the play of this name, and is full of touching incidents.--_Evansville Journal_.

It is founded on the popular play of the same name, in which Neil Burgess, who is also the author of the story, has achieved the dramatic success of the season.--_Fall River Herald_.

=The County Fair= is No. 7 of "Drama Series," for sale by all Newsdealers, or will be sent, on receipt of price, 25 cents, to any address, postpaid, by =STREET & SMITH, 25-31 Rose St., New York=.

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The Flag Series.

What novels of Sir Walter Scott are to Britons, the romances of Dumas to the French, such are the stories of the Flag Series to Americans. Who among us does not revere our noble flag and the sainted memory of the men who fought and fell in its sacred folds? And these men were as ourselves; albeit cast upon days of more heroic mould. They had virtues, vices, foibles and traits that endear, even as we of to-day. They had wives and sweethearts who prayed for them in the battle hour, and who listened to their serenades in the brief-snatched intervals of wooing. Their lives are our history, and it is as necessary to know the history of one's country as the catechism of one's faith. The stories of the Flag Series are part and parcel of this history.

14--True to the Flag. By J. Perkins Tracy.

13--Won by the Sword. By J. Perkins Tracy.

12--Life of Gen. Phil H. Sheridan. By W. H. Van Orden.

11--The Blockade Runner. By J. Perkins Tracy.

10--Life of Gen. W. T. Sherman. By W. H. Van Orden.

9--The Heart of Virginia. By J. Perkins Tracy.

8--Life of Gen. U. S. Grant. By W. H. Van Orden.

7--The War Reporter. By Warren Edwards.

6--The Colonel's Wife. By Warren Edwards.

5--Under Fire. By T. P. James.

4--The Dispatch Bearer. By Warren Edwards.

3--A Fair Pioneer. By J. M. Merrill.

2--A Soldier Lover. By Edward S. Brooks.

1--The Yankee Champion. By Sylvanus Cobb, Jr.

_Bound in Heavy Paper, 25 Cents._

Elegantly embellished with magnificently colored covers, executed with the greatest skill by unexcelled artists. Well bound, well printed--in short, this series is a gem of the first water.

For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free, on receipt of price, by the publishers,

STREET & SMITH, NEW YORK.

BELLE-ROSE,

_A Romance of the Cloak and Sword_

BY AMÉDÉE ACHARD.

_An Original Translation from the French, and for the First Time Done into English._

SOME PRESS COMMENTS.

"'Belle-Rose' is the tinted title of a 'Romance of the Cloak and Sword.' It is brisk in style, crisp in dialogue, and intensely colorful. * * * 'Belle-Rose' will be belle-read if a good, quick story has any charms for the fair."--_Philadelphia Call_.

"Emile Faguet speaks of the 'Belle-Rose' of Amédée Achard as superior to 'Le Capitaine Fracasse,' by Théophile Gautier. The purest love of woman, the fidelity of man, the sacredness of friendship, intrigues of the court, jealousies and revenge, a delightful touch of humor or pathos coming to the relief at some tragic climax, give to the story a fascination for the reader."--_Brooklyn Eagle_.

"The charm that is always to be found in the works of the best French writers--quick, terse description, bright dialogue, rapidly shifting scenes and incidents, leading up to intense climaxes--is well sustained in the story of 'Belle-Rose.'"--_Boston Times_.

"'Belle-Rose' is a romance of love and war in the middle of the 17th Century. It is true to the life of those troublous times, when the soldier was such from youth to old age, resting only between battles to make love. The translation is very good, indeed."--_Post-Intelligencer_.

"The story is full of love and passion, jealousy and revenge, the buffets and rewards of war, with flashes of humor, and just those touches of nature that make the whole world kin."--_Nashville American_.

Among the works of fiction there are few which partake of the character of an historical romance, and when one is found that does it is appreciated. Such an one is 'Belle-Rose,' by Amédée Achard. The author has the knack of giving the details of a scene, or describing a character in so few words that they might be likened unto pen sketches, and he carries the reader along with something of the impetuous dash and fiery ardor that his hero is so full of. The translation is very good."--_St. Louis Star_.

"Amédée Achard's romance of old France, 'Belle-Rose,' is a story of incessant movement, warfare, intrigue, and all the elements which go to the composition of an ingenious tale of love and adventure. The translation is admirable."--_Buffalo Courier_.

"This story, the scenes of which are laid near Paris during the latter part of the 17th Century, is one of those romances about the life of a soldier during that bloody age, which seems to prove a great attraction to all classes of readers. Fierce fighting, hair-breadth escapes, court intrigues, are all blended with love-making, rescuing beauty in distress, and description of the customs of the people in that age."--_Baltimore American_.

"'Belle-Rose' is a brilliant story, by Amédée Achard, one of the most effective of French romance writers. It is a story of love and war, introducing famous historical characters of the period, and will be read with deep interest."--_Minneapolis Journal_.

=BELLE-ROSE= is =No. 9= of "Paris Series," for sale by all Booksellers or Newsdealers, or sent postpaid to any address on receipt of price, 25 cents, by the publishers, =STREET & SMITH, 25-31 Rose Street, New York=.

SHENANDOAH.

A STORY OF SHERIDAN'S GREAT RIDE.

BY

J.P. TRACY.

PRESS OPINIONS.

_New York World_: "Shenandoah" is a story full of incidents and adventure, and very accurate historically.

_Minneapolis Tribune_: Bright and interesting in plot.

_Brooklyn Standard-Union_: "Shenandoah" is a spirited tale, and the dramatic descriptions of the battles of Winchester and Cedar Creek will be of stirring interest. The book has much of sterling merit.

_Chicago Inter-Ocean_: "Shenandoah" is the story of Sheridan's famous ride, and the author, Mr. J. P. Tracy, shows a decided ability for martial romance. It is illustrated, and written in a spirited style and much exact information is given of the Shenandoah campaign and of the battles of Winchester and Cedar Creek.

_American Volunteer_: "Shenandoah" is thrilling in plot, abounds in beautiful descriptions, and is faithful in details of Sheridan's great ride from Winchester. It should be very interesting, the vicissitudes of war and the history and romance are finely woven together. An exciting story.

_Philadelphia Item_: "Shenandoah" is a stirring tale of the civil war, which has for its most exciting incident Sheridan's wild ride from Winchester. "Shenandoah" is a very interesting story. Interwoven with the history of military genius and descriptions of life in the field is a charming tale of love, in which the reader will become absorbed.

_Saturday Mail_: A thrilling story of Sheridan's famous ride, by J. P. Tracy, replete with dramatic incident and teeming with good things.

_Salem Register_: A most interesting love story is combined with one of the most famous incidents of the late war. A fascinating, romantic story, neatly illustrated.

"Shenandoah" is a story that will hold the reader's interest from first to last. It is a fascinating romance that has a dash and spirit to it that carries one along with its heroes, the captain and the drummer-boy, through adventures and "hair-breadth escapes," that will give one delightful little gasps of excitement, and the tale of love that is woven in it, shines like delicate silken strands tracing some quaint figure in a rougher fabric.

SHENANDOAH is No. 67 of "Clover Series." For sale by all Booksellers and Newsdealers, or sent, postpaid, to any address, on receipt of price, 25 cents, by the publishers,

STREET & SMITH, 25-31 Rose Street, New York.

A Modern Classic.

The rise and decline of the kings of the pen are much like those of kings of the sword. Some gain Fame's proudest pinnacle swiftly, only to lose it as promptly; but the rise of ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON was as meteoric as his position has remained assured. Cut off in the prime of his days, the works of his few years of labor, which brought him into glory at a bound, still stand the test of the keenest criticism and hold their own as classics of English and models of the story teller's art.

Kidnapped.

_Bound in handsomely pictured covers, printed on fine paper._

=Price, 25 Cents.=

"This is no furniture for the scholar's library, but a book for the winter evening school-room, when the tasks are over and the hour for bed draws near; and honest Alan, who was a grim old fire-eater in his day, has in this new avatar no more desperate purpose than to steal some young gentleman's attention from his Ovid, carry him awhile into the Highlands and the last century, and pack him to bed with some engaging images to mingle with his dreams."--_R. L. S._

The Master of Ballantrae.

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"Here is a tale which extends over many years and travels into many countries. By a peculiar fitness of circumstance the writer began, continued it and concluded it among distant and divers scenes. Above all, he was much upon the sea. The character and fortune of the fraternal enemies, the hall and shrubbery of Durrisdeer, the problem of MacKellar's homespun and how to shape it for superior flights: these were his company on deck in many star-reflecting harbors, ran often in his mind at sea to the tune of slatting canvas, and were dismissed (something of the suddenest) on the approach of squalls."--_From the Author's Dedicatory Letter_.

_For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free, on receipt of price, by the publishers_,

_STREET & SMITH, New York._

She's All the World to Me.

BY HALL CAINE.

A volume as daintily made as the story it contains. Paper and binding of superior quality, with an artistic color-illustration on the cover, of the most startlingly dramatic scene in the book. Price, 25 cents.

"This is the story of how a woman's love triumphed over neglect and wrong, of how the unrequited passion in the great heart of a boy trod its devious paths in the way to death, until it stood alone with its burden of sin before God and the pitiless deep.... It is true as Truth, and what it owes to him who writes it now with feelings deeper than he can say, is less than it asks of all by whom it is read in sympathy and simple faith."--_The Author_.

A Son of Hagar.

BY HALL CAINE.

_Bound uniform with the above. Price, 25 Cents._

"For me there has been a pathetic, and, I think, purifying interest in looking into the soul of this man and seeing it corrode beneath the touch of a powerful temptation until at the last, when it seems to be spent, it rises again in strength and shows that the human heart has no depths in which it is lost."--_Preface of the Author_.

The Shadow of a Crime.

BY HALL CAINE.

_Bound uniform with the above. Price, 25 Cents._

"The central incident of this novel is that most extraordinary of all punishments known to English criminal law, the _peine forte et dure_. The story is not, however, in any sense historical. A sketchy background of stirring history is introduced solely in order to heighten the personal danger of a brave man. The interest is domestic, and, perhaps, in some degree psychological. Around a pathetic piece of old jurisprudence I have gathered a mass of Cumbrian folk-lore and folk-talk with which I have been familiar from earliest youth."--_Hall Caine_.

* * * * *

Besides the foregoing, the publishers beg to announce that they have now ready two late works by the same author, in all probability the most remarkable that he has thus far given to the world.

THE DEEMSTER. | THE BONDMAN. | A Romance of the Isle of Man. | A New Saga.

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For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free on receipt of price, by the publishers,

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... _THE NOVELS OF_ ...

Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller.

_Bound in elegantly illustrated covers, Printed on fine paper. Price, 25 cents._

This superb new edition of Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller's famous stories consists of the choicest this much admired authoress has written. Her works show a remarkable versatility, treating in turn of life in the highest circles of society and of the "simple annals of the poor." No lover of wholesome and entertaining fiction can afford to leave them unread.

_List of the Volumes Now Ready._

Brunette and Blonde. Rosamond. The Senator's Bride. Little Coquette Bonnie. A Little Southern Beauty. A Crushed Lily. Sweet Violet. Pretty Geraldine. Lillian, My Lillian. Bonnie Dora. An Old Man's Darling. The Bride of the Tomb. Queenie's Terrible Secret. A Dreadful Temptation. Dora Tenney.

* * * * *

All of these stories are copyrighted and bear the imprint of our firm only. For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free, on receipt of price, by the publishers,

STREET & SMITH, NEW YORK.

BERTHA M. CLAY.

The successor to this world-famous novelist has not yet appeared; and from the present outlook it will be long ere a worthy rival of the author of Dora Thorne will be discovered on the literary horizon. Her pen-pictures of the cream of the British nobility have never been equalled; her ability to weave a plot, full of tenderness, mystery and passion, remains unrivalled. It is a positive relief to recur to these old friends--healthy, warm-hearted women, handsome, aristocratic men, who lived, loved and won or lost, according to their fate, after the deluge of nauseabond, neurotic modern fiction that has been inundating our reading tables for the past two or three years.

Many of the novels here listed are copyrighted and can be read only under our imprint.

The Duke's Secret Wife in Name Only A Fiery Ordeal Fair, but Faithless Another Man's Wife Between Two Hearts 'Twixt Love and Hate A Woman's Temptation Beyond Pardon Put Asunder Between Two Loves Under a Shadow The Earl's Atonement Repented at Leisure Weaker than a Woman Dora Thorne A Golden Heart A Mad Love A Heart's Bitterness A Heart's Idol In Love's Crucible Marjorie Deane Gladys Greye Another Woman's Husband Violet Lisle The Squire's Darling Wedded and Parted The Story of the Wedding Ring Evelyn's Folly Love Works Wonders A Bitter Atonement Lady Damer's Secret Lady Hutton's Ward Her Martyrdom The Belle of Lynn Prince Charlie's Daughter Which Loved Him Best? A Broken Wedding-Ring A True Magdalen For Another's Sin Her Second Love A Struggle for a Ring The Shadow of a Sin A Woman's War Claribel's Love Story An Ideal Love From Out the Gloom Thorns and Orange Blossoms Thrown on the World Lord Lynne's Choice Sunshine and Roses Lord Lisle's Daughter A Thorn in Her Heart His Wife's Judgment

For sale by all booksellers and newsdealers, or sent, postage free on receipt of price, by the publishers,

STREET & SMITH, New York.

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For years Novels and Magazines have been sold at prices ranging from 25 to 50 Cents. Improved machinery has decreased the cost of production, and the Ten Cent Magazine has become an established fact. * * * Now the Eagle Library is offered to the public as the original first quality novel at

_Ten Cents_ * *

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The Eagle Library is published by

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* * * * * *

Transcriber's note:

This story was originally serialized in the _New York Weekly_ from January 26, 1895, to May 4, 1895.

A table of contents was added.

Punctuation in series lists was standardized.

Retained questionable spelling in dialogue (e.g. "wern't").

Retained some inconsistent spelling (e.g. "halooed" vs. "hallooed").

Retained consistent use of "staid" where "stayed" would be expected.

Retained some inconsistent punctuation (e.g. "love-story" vs. "love story").

Page 2, corrected "Flemming" to "Fleming" in "May Agnes Fleming."

Page 17, adjusted/removed quotes on second and third lines of poem.

Page 44, corrected '?' to ?" after "At what theatre."

Page 45, changed "shabbibly" to "shabbily."

Page 46, moved apostrophe before question mark in "perfectly magnif'?"

Page 51, added missing quote after "being an actress."

Page 54, added missing quote after "right before folks."

Page 57, changed "cold an unsocial" to "cold and unsocial."

Page 58, removed unnecessary comma after "ask her to the dance" and added missing period after "accept an invitation."

Page 61, changed "herslf" to "herself."

Page 63, changed "cruely" to "cruelly."

Page 64, changed "throught he" to "through the."

Page 72, added missing question mark to "post them yourself?"

Page 74, changed "it's" to "its" in "its never-to-be-forgotten bliss!"

Page 77, changed "beautful" to "beautiful."

Page 82, changed "runaway" to "run away."

Page 94, changed double to single quote at end of first line of poem.

Page 95, fixed punctuation for "Oh, Robert, is it you?"

Page 96, changed "beforeheand" to "beforehand."

Page 102, changed "faleshoods" to "falsehoods."

Page 110, changed "vailed" to "veiled."

Page 112, changed "deterrmined" to "determined" and "formery" to "formerly."

Page 114, added missing semi-colon after "She's only human."

Page 118, changed "on longer" to "no longer."

Page 121, added missing end quote to poem.

Page 126, changed "petutantly" to "petulantly."

Page 149, changed "charimng" to "charming."

Page 156, changed "me may meet" to "we may meet."

Page 157, adjusted nested quotes in last line of poem.

Page 169, added missing close quote to poem.

Page 198, changed "puprose" to "purpose."

Page 203, added missing quote after "all that time."

Page 205, added missing close single quote to end of poem and changed "indured" to "inured."

Maine Central Railroad ad, changed "wierd" to "weird."