BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT.
BYMRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.
AUTHOR OF "BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE," "FASHION AND FAMINE," "MABEL'S MISTAKE," "THE OLD COUNTESS," "RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY," "THE REIGNING BELLE," "LORD HOPE'S CHOICE," "MARRIED IN HASTE," "WIVES AND WIDOWS," "MARY DERWENT," "THE SOLDIER'S ORPHANS," "THE REJECTED WIFE," "THE OLD HOMESTEAD," "A NOBLE WOMAN," "THE CURSE OF GOLD," "THE GOLD BRICK," "DOUBLY FALSE," "PALACES AND PRISONS," "THE HEIRESS," "SILENT STRUGGLES," "WIFE'S SECRET." Genius completes itself when God has given His own sweet heart flowers to the human soul.— The gentle voice, the smile that speaks of Heaven, Those human sympathies whose soft control Blends gentleness with power, all these combined, Make perfect grandeur in the human mind. Bereft of goodness, gifts that seem divine Are ashes cast upon a fireless shrine.
PHILADELPHIA:
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
306 CHESTNUT STREET.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS' WORKS.
Each work is complete in one volume, 12mo.
- BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT.
- BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE; or, Bought With A Price.
- LORD HOPE'S CHOICE; or, More Secrets Than One.
- THE OLD COUNTESS. Sequel to Lord Hope's Choice.
- THE HEIRESS; or, The Gipsy's Legacy.
- A NOBLE WOMAN; or, A Gulf Between Them.
- PALACES AND PRISONS; or, The Prisoner of the Bastile.
- WIVES AND WIDOWS; or, The Broken Life.
- RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY; or, Married By Mistake.
- FASHION AND FAMINE.
- THE CURSE OF GOLD; or, The Bound Girl and Wife's Trials.
- MABEL'S MISTAKE; or, The Lost Jewels.
- SILENT STRUGGLES; or, Barbara Stafford.
- THE WIFE'S SECRET; or, Gillian.
- THE REJECTED WIFE; or, The Ruling Passion.
- THE OLD HOMESTEAD; or, The Pet From The Poor House.
- DOUBLY FALSE; or, Alike and Not Alike.
- THE REIGNING BELLE.
- MARRIED IN HASTE.
- THE SOLDIER'S ORPHANS.
- MARY DERWENT.
- THE GOLD BRICK.
Price of each, $1.75 in Cloth; or $1.50 in Paper Cover.
Above books are for sale by all Booksellers. Copies of any one, or all of the above books, will be sent to any one, to any place, postage pre-paid, on receipt of their price by the Publishers,
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS, 306 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
TO
MY BROTHER,
THE HON. JOHN H. WINTERBOTHAM,
OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA,
THE PLAYMATE OF MY CHILDHOOD, THE FAITHFUL FRIEND OF MY
RIPER YEARS,
AND NOW,
AS THE EVENING OF LIFE IS DRAWING UPON US BOTH,
FAR DEARER TO ME THAN EVER,
I MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE THIS VOLUME.
ANN S. STEPHENS.
ST. CLOUD HOTEL, NEW YORK, April 28, 1875.CONTENTS.
- I.—THE OLD WOODEN BRIDGE. 25
- II.—GRATITUDE. 36
- III.—AFTER THE STORM. 42
- IV.—THE COUNTRY TAVERN. 52
- V.—THE DANGEROUS CONFIDANT. 58
- VI.—BACK TO HER WORK. 63
- VII.—THE MAN OF DESTINY. 69
- VIII.—A BITTER CONTEST. 80
- IX.—BEYOND ENDURANCE. 88
- X.—LOATHING HER VICTORY. 91
- XI.—THE BIRD AND THE SERPENT. 95
- XII.—THE STAGE-COACH. 101
- XIII.—THE LETTER WRITTEN. 106
- XIV.—THE SUDDEN ENLIGHTENMENT. 109
- XV.—LYDIA AND BEN. 114
- XVI.—LOVE. 119
- XVII.—BURYING BEN. 122
- XVIII.—WALDON. 134
- XIX.—WHY DON'T HE COME? 137
- XX.—PARTING ON THE WHARF. 142
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- XXI.—THE FIRST LETTER. 147
- XXII.—AFTER-SUPPER CONVERSATION. 151
- XXIII.—FAINTING FITS. 160
- XXIV.—THE FRUIT FESTIVAL. 167
- XXV.—HUMBLE FRIENDS. 172
- XXVI.—IN THE CANOE. 177
- XXVII.—MEETING ON THE PRECIPICE. 182
- XXVIII.—VITAL QUESTIONS. 188
- XXIX.—STRICKEN DOWN. 194
- XXX.—GATHERING SCANDAL. 200
- XXXI.—BERTHA'S FIRST BALL. 204
- XXXII.—UNDER THE WILLOW. 212
- XXXIII.—THE PIOUS FRAUD. 221
- XXXIV.—HE TOLD HER THAT HE LOVED HER. 229
- XXXV.—AN OLD WOMAN'S PASSION. 239
- XXXVI.—THE REVELATION. 246
- XXXVII.—SOFTENING INFLUENCES. 254
- XXXVIII.—LOVE'S DEFEAT. 259
- XXXIX.—WAS SHE DEAD? 265
- XL.—CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 268
- XLI.—CAST UPON THE WATERS. 274
- XLII.—THE OLD LOVE. 278
- XLIII.—MIDNIGHT IN MRS. FORBES' LIBRARY. 281
- XLIV.—BURNED LETTERS. 287
- XLV.—BERTHA AND FLETCHER. 295
- XLVI.—A DOUBLE EXPLANATION. 301
- XLVII.—AMONG THE FLOWERS. 308
- XLVIII.—GOING AWAY. 312
- XLIX.—LYDIA'S FIRST LETTER. 317
- L.—THE TOLLING BELL. 322
- LI.—THE FIREFLY AND KATYDID. 327
- LII.—DOWN BY THE SPRING. 332
- LIII.—THE CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS. 339
- LIV.—THE MOTHER'S STRUGGLE. 346
- LV.—DID HE LOVE HER? 350
- LVI.—MRS. CANFIELD'S SECRET. 354
- LVII.—THE HEART OF STONE. 361
- LVIII.—SEARCHING A HEART. 369
- LIX.—THE HOUR OF PARTING. 374
- LX.—AT THE OLD HOMESTEAD. 378
- LXI.—A GLOOMY HOUSEHOLD. 382
- LXII.—DESPAIRING PRAYERS. 386
- LXIII.—THE MOTHER'S LAST SACRIFICE. 391
- LXIV.—ALL ALONE WITH DEATH. 396
- LXV.—THE NEW LOVE. 404
- LXVI.—THE FUNERAL, AND BERTHA'S LETTER. 413
- LXVII.—THE ANSWER AT LAST. 417
- LXVIII.—MRS. WILSON FORBES HAS A VISITOR. 421
- LXIX.—DIAMOND ISLAND. 429
- LXX.—BERTHA AND WALDON MEET AGAIN. 434
- LXXI.—THE LOST DREAM. 441
- LXXII.—A YOUNG GIRL'S CONFIDENCES. 445
- LXXIII.—THE STORMY DINNER. 452
- LXXIV.—ON THE LOG BRIDGE. 461
- LXXV.—JUST A LITTLE APOLOGY. 467
- LXXVI.—THE RESCUED LETTER. 471
- LXXVII.—THE WEDDING AT WILLOW BEND. 475
- LXXVIII.—BERTHA HEARS OF THE CHALLENGE. 481
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- LXXIX.—OUT IN THE STORM. 484
- LXXX.—IN THE BRIDAL CHAMBER. 489
- LXXXI.—THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DUEL. 495
- LXXXII.—USELESS STRUGGLES. 499
- LXXXIII.—UPON THE DUELLING GROUND. 504
- LXXXIV.—WATER LILIES. 509
- LXXXV.—HIMSELF AGAIN. 517
- LXXXVI.—THAT LETTER AGAIN. 521
- LXXXVII.—ANOTHER BLOW. 528
- LXXXVIII.—THE TORN NEWSPAPER. 534
- LXXXIX.—THE EMPTY PISTOL-CASE. 539
- XC.—THE SERVANTS' FESTIVAL. 542
- XCI.—THE LETTER. 546
- XCII.—THREE WEDDINGS. 551