The Project Gutenberg eBook, Jacob's Ladder, by E. Phillips Oppenheim,
Illustrated by F. Vaux Wilson
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Title: Jacob's Ladder
Author: E. Phillips Oppenheim
Release Date: June 7, 2010 [eBook #32732]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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JACOB'S LADDER
by
E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM
With Frontispiece by F. Vaux Wilson
Boston
Little, Brown, and Company
1921
Copyright, 1921,
By Little, Brown, and Company.
All rights reserved
Published February, 1921
The Colonial Press
C. H. Simonds Co., Boston, U. S. A.
[Illustration: "I AM OBLIGED TO YOU ALL FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY
COMPANY FOR SO LONG." FRONTISPIECE. _See page 17._]
JACOB'S LADDER
PROLOGUE
Seated at breakfast on that memorable July morning, Jacob Pratt
presented all the appearance of a disconsolate man. His little country
sitting-room was as neat and tidy as the capable hands of the
inimitable Mrs. Harris could make it. His coffee was hot and his eggs
were perfectly boiled. Through the open windows stretched a little
vista of the many rows of standard roses which had been the joy of his
life. Yet blank misery dwelt in the soul of this erstwhile cheerful
little man, and the spirit of degradation hung like a gloomy pall over
his thoughts and being. Only the day before he had filed his petition
in bankruptcy.
The usual morning programme was carried out, only, alas
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