PREFACE BY IRVIN S. COBB v

BY DAISY ASHFORD

AUTHOR'S FOREWORD xxi

A SHORT STORY OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE 15

THE TRUE HISTORY OF LESLIE WOODCOCK 27

WHERE LOVE LIES DEEPEST 67

THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER 105

BY ANGELA ASHFORD

THE JEALOUS GOVERNES, OR THE GRANTED WISH 303

A SHORT STORY OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE

CHAPTER 1

LOVE

The house in which Mr. and Mrs. Molvern lived was one of the usual kind,
with its red painted door and small garden looking out on a very dreamy
park. The bed-room windows which all looked out on the front, had half
dirty white curtains in them, above which could be seen dark red silk
sashes of the same dirtiness.

Mr. Molvern was a red haired quick tempered gentleman, with very small
grey eyes and a clever looking pink face. He would always wear brown
suits, but as everybody said he looked much better in black. Mrs.
Molvern was quite on the contrary. She had indeed a quiet temper, with a
pale delicate looking face with large brown eyes that looked at people
with great interest, and her fair hair glistened in the sun. She
usually wore half dirty white dresses, and in going out she wore a dark
blue velvet jacket with black fur and a brown hat with red poppies. She
never wore gloves except on Sundays and then she wore yellow cotton
ones.

At the present time they had a young gentleman staying with them, who
lived in the neighbourhood. He was sitting in his room waiting for the
town clock to strike four, because when it did he had to go out and meet
his truelove, whose name was Edith Plush. His own name was Thomas
Henrick, but he was known as Burke in that family. At last hearing the
hour strike, he snatched up a felt hat, and putting it on his greasy
head started off to meet his truelove.

When he reached Mionge Lane he met his pretty truelove skipping along
most lady-like and primly. She was dressed in a light blue dress with a
white sash tied at the side in two knots. Her long fair hair hung down
her back tied with a pink ribbon, and her fringe was fluttering in the
breeze. Behind her fringe she wore a wreath of green ivy. In one hand
she carried a leghorn hat with red and blue ribbon, and in the other a
silken bag filled with a thr