Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer

Jessie Graham [Pseud.] Flower

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• Publié par: edda
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer, by Jessie Graham Flower This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer Author: Jessie Graham Flower Release Date: January 28, 2007 [EBook #20471] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRACE HARLOWE'S GOLDEN SUMMER *** Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer By JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M. Author of The Grace Harlowe High School Girls Series, The Grace Harlowe College Girls Series, etc. PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY C OPYRIGHT, 1917 Grace's Embroidery Dropped From Her Hands. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. A SONG OF GOLDEN SUMMER CHAPTER II. THE H OUSE BEHIND THE WORLD CHAPTER III. FOR AULD LANG SYNE CHAPTER IV. "TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE" CHAPTER V. FLYING IN THE FACE OF SUPERSTITION CHAPTER VI. THE SHADOW CHAPTER VII. THE VEILED PROPHETESS OF D ESTINY CHAPTER VIII. U NVEILING THE PROPHETESS CHAPTER IX. THE MEANING OF SEMPER FIDELIS CHAPTER X. THE SHADOW D EEPENS CHAPTER XI. POSTPONING H APPINESS CHAPTER XII. THE BETTER PART CHAPTER XIII. AN INNOCENT MEDDLER CHAPTER XIV. THE BEGINNING OF THE END CHAPTER XV. MERELY A LOOKER-ON CHAPTER XVI. J. ELFREDA'S MASTER STROKE CHAPTER XVII. FATE CHAPTER XVIII. A GLEAM OF H OPE CHAPTER XIX. THE LETTER CHAPTER XX. THE LAST C HANCE CHAPTER XXI. THE C ALL OF THE ELF'S H ORN CHAPTER XXII. OUT OF THE VALLEY CHAPTER XXIII. THE STRANGE STORY CHAPTER XXIV. THE N OON OF GOLDEN SUMMER Other Books Published by HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Grace's Embroidery Dropped From Her Hands. Devoted Love Shone in Her Clear Gray Eyes. "Here You Are, Weary Wanderer," She Said Gayly. "When You Have Found Tom, Give Him This Letter." Grace Harlowe's Golden Summer CHAPTER I A SONG OF GOLDEN SUMMER "Now, David, you know that I know that you don't know what I know. Therefore, if I know that you don't know what I know you don't know, it's very plain to be seen that either you or I know very little. Now, which of us is a know-nothing? Don't be afraid to confess. Remember, we are your friends." Hippy Wingate beamed benevolently upon his victim, bland expectation written on his plump face. "No real friend of mine would ever take such cowardly advantage of the English language," was David Nesbit's scathing retort. "I'll leave it to Grace if I'm not right." "There, Grace. At last you have an opportunity to strike for the right. I believe in striking a valiant blow for the right——" "So do I," cut in Reddy Brooks decisively. "There is no time like the present. There couldn't be a better place. Away out here in this sequestered spot no one will hear your frenzied yells for help." Reddy rose determinedly from the steps of the old Omnibus House and made a nimble spring toward the loquacious prattler. "Never touched me," was wafted defiantly back, as Hippy Wingate skilfully eluded Reddy's avenging hand and disappeared around the protecting corner of the one-time hostelry. The old Omnibus House had ever been his refuge when put to flight by his long-suffering companions. "You might have known it," shrugged Nora Wingate with an indifference which marked long association with the verbose refugee. "In about three minutes you'll hear a frantic voice calling on me for protection. Don't say a word, any of you, but just listen." A sudden silence, broken only by a soft chuckle from the abused David, descended on the seven young people occupying the worn stone steps. "No-ra!" From the rear of the old house a plaintive voice sent up this anguished plea for succor. "What did I tell you?" Nora's elaborate air of indifference vanished in a dimpling smile that was reflected on the faces of the group. No one said a word; neither did Nora rise to the noble duty of rescuer. "All alone, all alone! By the wayside she has left me, And no other's love I'll be; For to-night I am deserted; Nora has forgotten me!" intoned a mournful voice, flagrantly off the key. "For to-night you are a nuisance, you mean," was Reddy Brooks' shouted correction. "I'll rescue you." "Oh, my!" came Hippy's horrified accents, as Reddy Brooks leaped to his feet and dived toward the sheltering shadow that concealed the self-made outcast. "Isn't it a lovely evening, David? Have you noticed it?" A fat, beaming face was cautiously thrust forth round a corner opposite to that from which the call for help had so recently emanated. A plump body still more cautiously followed the face. It was evident that Hippy considered David the lesser of two evils. "May I sit by you, Anne? I have always had a great deal of faith in you." Hippy became ingratiating. "I'm sorry I can't say as much for certain other persons whose names I courteously refrain from bringing into the discussion." Without waiting for the requested permission, Hippy crowded himself onto the small space which Anne, seated at one end of the top step, obligingly made for him, and calmly awaited the return of his pursuer. "Oh, what's the use!" jibed the disgruntled avenger, when, strolling back to the steps, he beheld the nimble object of his pursuit waiting for him with a wide grin. "Thus one is always brought to recognize the futility of revenge," murmured Hippy with sad gentleness. "Let us agree to forget the bitter past, Reddy, and turn our faces toward the glorious future. I might also add that it doesn't pay to take up another's grievances. After all I didn't actually accuse David of being a know-nothing. I merely asked him about it. However, I take it all back. David may know a great deal more than appears on the surface." "I decline to rise to the bait," laughed David. "I came out here to enjoy myself; not to squabble. It's our last evening together until we all gather home again to see Grace and Tom take the highway of matrimony. Let's make the most of it." Those who have faithfully followed Grace Harlowe through the eventful phases of her high school and college life are equally well acquainted with the other seven members of the Eight Originals. In "GRACE HARLOWE'S PLEBE YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL," "GRACE HARLOWE'S SOPHOMORE YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL ," "GRACE HARLOWE'S JUNIOR Y AT H EAR IGH S CHOOL ," and "GRACE H ARLOWE'S S ENIOR Y EAR AT H IGH SCHOOL," were recorded the countless interesting sayings and doings of these eight highly congenial friends. Later, when Grace had been graduated from Oakdale High School to continue her education at Overton College, accompanied by her friends, Anne Pierson and Miriam Nesbit, the devoted little band had remained unswerving in their allegiance to one another. Once she had become a freshman at Overton College, Grace's equable disposition and love of fair play had attracted equally loyal allegiance to her standard. In "GRACE H ARLOWE'S FIRST YEAR AT OVERTON C OLLEGE," "GRACE HARLOWE'S SECOND Y AT O EAR VERTON C OLLEGE ," "GRACE H ARLOWE'S T HIRD Y EAR AT O VERTON C OLLEGE," "GRACE H ARLOWE'S FURTH Y O EAR A O T VERTON C OLLEGE ," "GRACE H ARLOWE'S RETURN TO OVERTON CAMPUS " and "GRACE HARLOWE'S PROBLEM ," will be found a minute record of the principal happenings which made her college years memorable. Absorbed in what she had firmly believed to be her destined work, Grace had long and obstinately shut love from her life, only to find at last that even her beloved work could not forever crowd it out. Seeing clearly, after months of doubt, she had cheerfully resigned her position as manager of Harlowe House to prepare for the more important position in life which early September was to bring her. "It doesn't seem possible that we've had the blessed chance to be together for two whole weeks." Grace's eyes had grown dreamy. "I can't really believe that I've been back in Oakdale that long. It seems not more than two evenings ago that we held a reunion at our Fairy Godmother's and—" She paused, a little flush rising to her cheeks. "And you and Tom told us the good news," supplemented Nora mischievously. "I hadn't intended to say that, but never mind," laughed Grace. "It ceased to be a secret on that night. While I am on the subject I might as well add that until yesterday we couldn't make up our minds regarding our wedding day. But it's all settled now. Every one of you must be sure to be with us on the evening of September tenth." "'Must' is the word," broke in Tom Gray, his eyes resting fondly on the slender, radiant-faced girl beside him. "We can't start on the great adventure without the blessing of this happy band." "Rest assured, Thomas, we'll be there," averred Hippy. "Having comported myself with dignity at my own and several other weddings, I shall hail yours with the greatest of joy." "Which means that I shall be obliged to keep a watchful eye on you every moment," translated Nora, her blue eyes twinkling. "I'll help you, Nora," volunteered Reddy. "I haven't yet forgiven your wayward husband for the unkind remarks he made about my hair on my wedding day." "I don't remember them," retorted Hippy, unabashed. "I've made so many remarks at so many different times about those same flaming, crimson locks that it would take a long while to sort out the dates. But there's nothing like trying. Let me see. The first occasion on which I chanced to note——" "Now see what you've done." David Nesbit fixed the unfortunate Reddy with a severe eye. "I see," was Reddy's grim comment. Picking up the idle mandolin that he had hastily deposited on Jessica's lap when he made his vengeful dash upon Hippy, he strummed it lightly. "Why lug a mandolin along if no one intends to sing?" he asked pointedly, ignoring Hippy's disrespectful reminiscences. "Oh, very well." Promptly foregoing the will to gather data concerning Reddy's too-of