E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Barbara Tozier,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(/)
BY
AUTHOR OF
“The Divine Fire”
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK AND LONDON
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
MCMVIII
Copyright, 1907, by Harper & Brothers.
All rights reserved.
Published March, 1908.
“‘I saw a ship a-sailing, a-sailing on the sea’”—Nursery Rhyme.
It was market-day in Queningford.Aggie Purcell was wondering whetherMr. Hurst would look in that afternoonat the Laurels as he had lookedin on other market-days. Supposinghe did, and supposing Mr. Gatty wereto look in, too, why then, Aggie said,it would be rather awkward. Butwhether awkward for herself, or forMr. Gatty, or Mr. Hurst, or for all threeof them together, Aggie was unable to2explain to her own satisfaction or hermother’s.
In Queningford there were not manysuitors for a young lady to choose from,but it was understood that, such asthere were, Aggie Purcell would haveher pick of them. The other youngladies were happy enough if theycould get her leavings. Miss Purcellof the Laurels was by common consentthe prettiest, the best-dressed, andthe best-mannered of them all. To besure, she c