[Illustration: Cover of Dainty's Cruel Rivals by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller]
DAINTY'S CRUEL RIVALS OR THE FATAL BIRTHDAY
BY MRS. ALEX. McVEIGH MILLER
HART SERIES NO. 88
COPYRIGHT 1898 BY GEORGE MUNRO'S SONS
Published by THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK COMPANY, Cleveland, Ohio, U. S. A.
INDEX
CHAPTER PAGE I "A Sweet Girl Graduate" 3 II "The Prettiest Girl in the Room" 13 III The Happiest Day She Had Ever Known 19 IV The Old Monk 22 V "Only a Dream" 26 VI Love's Rosy Dawn 33 VII "The Trail of the Serpent" 38 VIII The Ellsworth Honor 42 IX "All That's Bright Must Fade" 48 X "The Grim Fates" 56 XI Love's Presentiments 64 XII A Maddened Lover 69 XIII Sad Forebodings 75 XIV Dainty Would Never Forget That Day 81 XV Black Mammy's Story 87 XVI The Ghost Alarm 91 XVII The Night Before the Wedding 97 XVIII The Wedding Morn 101 XIX A Madman's Deed 105 XX The End of the Day 110 XXI Would Heaven Turn Away From Her Wild Appeal 116 XXII Unmasked 120 XXIII Ah! The Pity of It! 126 XXIV The Darkest Hour 130 XXV Among Strangers 137 XXVI The Mother's Woe 142 XXVII It Seemed Like Some Beautiful Dream 146 XXVIII More Bitter Than Death 150 XXIX As We Kiss the Dead 156 XXX A Terrible Deed 163 XXXI Lost! Lost! Lost! 168 XXXII It Was the Overflowing Drop 172 XXXIII A New Home 178 XXXIV Thrown on the World 181 XXXV Grand Company 186 XXXVI "Only to See You, My Darling" 190 XXXVII A Wonderful Discovery 193 XXXVIII Good News 201 XXXIX "For All Eternity" 205 XL Conclusion 210
DAINTY'S CRUEL RIVALS
CHAPTER I.
"A SWEET GIRL GRADUATE."
"Her eyes Would match the southern skies When southern skies are bluest; Her heart Will always, take its part Where southern hearts are truest.
"Such youth, With all its charms, forsooth. Alas! too well I know it!-- Will claim A song of love and fame Sung by some southern poet."
"It's a perfect godsend, this invitation!" cried Olive Peyton, with unwonted rapture in her cold voice.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Dainty's Cruel Rivals by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller
- 2: And that Dainty must dress plainly
- 3: While Ela Craye was twenty two
- 4: With astonishment LOVELACE ELLSWORTH
- 5: Lovelace Ellsworth read it with a somewhat malicious smile
- 6: Olive and Ela said I had nothing fit to wear at Ellsworth
- 7: Ellsworth invited the two girls into her boudoir
- 8: She can not charm Love Ellsworth
- 9: Olive and Ela sighed with relief
- 10: Leaving her alone with Sheila Kelly
- 11: She fancied that Ela shuddered
- 12: Dainty sprang past the midnight visitant
- 13: And Ela will remain with her the rest of the night
- 14: Then Dainty resumed I retired to my room
- 15: Meaning to seek refuge with Olive and Ela in their rooms
- 16: Love Ellsworth is nothing to me
- 17: Who hated Dainty with jealous hate
- 18: Lest Olive and Ela should say I was too easily won
- 19: I believe you are an arrant coward
- 20: That is all nonsense about an elaborate trousseau
- 21: Do you think that an Ellsworth a born Ellsworth
- 22: Dainty smoothed out the sheets and glanced at them calmly
- 23: Adding This Vernon Ashley was Ela Craye's lover
- 24: Slept heavily on and heard nothing
- 25: How dare you tell such falsehoods on Ela
- 26: Hoping that Miss Craye will relent
- 27: Olive and Ela pretended to ridicule this unique millinery
- 28: Where did you get all that tulle
- 29: Gibingly Whether you believe or not
- 30: When she intended to declare her identity as the gypsy
- 31: Carelessly I must go and find Ela
- 32: Ela would have married her lover
- 33: Have you not ruthlessly murdered my love and faith
- 34: Instantly Ela clung wildly to his arm
- 35: Some wif sassy black eyes like deir pappy
- 36: Kase I don' mean ter tek hit at all
- 37: An' dat sassy wif deir red suits and yaller caps
- 38: While Ela Craye was not behind either in her resentment
- 39: From the actions of the young men who came to Ellsworth
- 40: An' made him drap you ter sabe heself
- 41: An' he face all gashly white like a corp umme
- 42: But de owdacious vilyun clapped me a lick onter my haid
- 43: Doctor Platt was most indignant
- 44: Shaken black mammy had been sent home to rest
- 45: The former had persuaded Olive and Ela to act as bridemaids
- 46: With Lovelace Ellsworth as the grand Prince Charming
- 47: Never had there been a fairer morn for a birthday bridal
- 48: But Dainty was nowhere to be seen
- 49: And as soon as I heard that Dainty had eloped with another
- 50: Neither Olive nor Ela will ever be bride of mine
- 51: Felt a burning thrill of jealousy of her cousin Ela
- 52: Without seeing Ela Craye at all
- 53: Despite his entreaties to see Miss Craye
- 54: Mocking laugh dimpled the girl's lips
- 55: ' This was how Dainty pictured it to herself
- 56: Faltered Dainty in surprise and bewilderment
- 57: Sheila Kelly shrugged her shoulders
- 58: A dungeon beneath the ruined wing of Ellsworth
- 59: Dainty will soon die of her imprisonment
- 60: Then followed the attempted murder of Ellsworth
- 61: Ellsworth was terribly frightened
- 62: Ellsworth stooped and placed her hand on the white breast
- 63: By her side a bottle of laudanum
- 64: And swelling the little creek to a brawling stream
- 65: 'tis a sight to make that soft Sairy Ann cry her eyes out
- 66: Who had so vigorously persecuted Dainty
- 67: How it goaded the poor mother's heart
- 68: And no more hopes of a darter now
- 69: Do you know a place called Ellsworth
- 70: Still a subtle yearning drew her to the home of her beloved
- 71: And looked at the intruder blankly
- 72: Ellsworth had been shot and was dying
- 73: Ellsworth sent her away because the young ladies wished it
- 74: Depends the comfort of Lovelace Ellsworth
- 75: The real mistress of Ellsworth
- 76: He suddenly saw the cousins Olive and Ela
- 77: No escape seemed possible for Dainty
- 78: There was the man who believed himself already dead
- 79: And scores of others with hobbies
- 80: Here's your old neighbor and school mate
- 81: And made Dainty welcome in his simple home
- 82: Dainty dragged herself slowly along the snowy street
- 83: I'll call on Ailsa Scott to night
- 84: Ailsa Scott wanted her to see a doctor
- 85: Dainty always keeping out of the way
- 86: Mammy undertook to do for the rest
- 87: Their cabin on the Ellsworth estate
- 88: While he groaned I swow you had troubles fit to kill you
- 89: Ellsworth giving them a lavish allowance
- 90: And afterward by Doctor Platt himself
- 91: Ellsworth had had so many triumphs
- 92: Doctor Platt listened aghast to these startling disclosures
- 93: Ailsa hunted up the back numbers of the newspapers
- 94: So now I shall write to this Fidelio with my good news
- 95: And take her home to Ellsworth
- 96: Loving monotone her favorite nursery lullaby Byo
- 97: When Love Ellsworth found his happiness again
- 98: Lovelace Ellsworth alone remained standing