The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Cost, by David Graham Phillips

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Title: The Cost

Author: David Graham Phillips

Posting Date: September 27, 2008 [EBook #478]
Release Date: March, 1996

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE COST ***

Produced by Charles Keller. HTML version by Al Haines.

THE COST

By

DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I A FATHER INVITES DISASTER
II OLIVIA TO THE RESCUE
III AND SCARBOROUGH
IV A DUMONT TRIUMPH
V FOUR FRIENDS
VI "LIKE HIS FATHER"
VII PAULINE AWAKENS
VIII THE DECISION
IX A THOROUGHBRED RUNS AWAY
X MRS. JOHN DUMONT
XI YOUNG AMERICA
XII AFTER EIGHT YEARS
XIII "MY SISTER IN LAW, GLADYS"
XIV STRAINING AT THE ANCHORS
XV GRADUATED PEARLS
XVI CHOICE AMONG EVILS
XVII TWO AND THE BARRIER
XVIII ON THE FARM
XIX PAULINE GOES INTO POLITICS
XX A MAN IN HIS MIGHT
XXI A COYOTE AT BAY
XXII STORMS IN THE WEST
XXIII A SEA SURPRISE
XXIV DUMONT BETRAYS DUMONT
XXV THE FALLEN KING
XXVI A DESPERATE RALLY
XXVII THE OTHER MAN'S MIGHT
XXVIII AFTER THE LONG WINTER

THE COST

I.

A FATHER INVITES DISASTER

Pauline Gardiner joined us on the day that we, the Second Reader class,
moved from the basement to the top story of the old Central Public
School. Her mother brought her and, leaving, looked round at us,
meeting for an instant each pair of curious eyes with friendly appeal.

We knew well the enchanted house where she lived--stately, retreated
far into large grounds in Jefferson Street; a high brick wall all
round, and on top of the wall broken glass set in cement. Behind that
impassable barrier which so teased our young audacity were flower-beds
and "shrub" bushes, whose blossoms were wonderfully sweet if held a
while in the closed hand; grape arbors and shade and fruit trees,
haunted by bees; winding walks strewn fresh each spring with tan-bark
that has such a clean, strong odor, especially just after a rain, and
that is at once firm and soft beneath the feet. And in the midst s