The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Three Black Pennys, by Joseph Hergesheimer

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Title: The Three Black Pennys
A Novel

Author: Joseph Hergesheimer

Release Date: February 21, 2005 [EBook #15135]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE THREE BLACK PENNYS

THE THREE BLACK PENNYS

A NOVEL

JOSEPH HERGESHEIMER

GROSSET & DUNLAP

PUBLISHERS

_By Arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf_

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY

ALFRED A. KNOPF

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

_A DEDICATION_

_Dear John Hemphill_

_This is a record and act of memory
of you at Dower House--of June
nights on the porch, with the foliage
of the willow tree powdered against
the stars; the white-panelled hearth
of the yellow room in smouldering
winter dusks; dinner with the candles
wavering in tepid April airs; and
the blue envelopment of late September
noons. A quiet reach like the old
grey house and green fields, the little
valleys filled with trees and placid
town beyond the hill, where the calendar
of our days and companionship is
set._

_Joseph Hergesheimer_

CONTENTS

I THE FURNACE

II THE FORGE

III THE METAL

I THE FURNACE

I

A twilight like blue dust sifted into the shallow fold of the thickly
wooded hills. It was early October, but a crisping frost had already
stamped the maple trees with gold, the Spanish oaks were hung with
patches of wine red, the sumach was brilliant in the darkening
underbrush. A pattern of wild geese, flying low and unconcerned above
the hills, wavered against the serene, ashen evening. Howat Penny,
standing in the comparative clearing of a road, decided that the
shifting, regular flight would not come close enough for a shot. He
dropped the butt of his gun to the ground. Then he raised it again,
examining the hammer; the flint was loose, unsatisfactory. There was a
probability that it would miss firing.

He had no intention of hunting the geese. With the drooping of day his
keenness