The Project Gutenberg eBook, Purple Springs, by Nellie L. McClung

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Title: Purple Springs

Author: Nellie L. McClung

Release Date: November 23, 2003 [eBook #10221]

Language: English

Chatacter set encoding: US-ASCII

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURPLE SPRINGS***

E-text prepared by Brendan Lane, Josephine Paolucci, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

PURPLE SPRINGS

BY

NELLIE L. McCLUNG

1921

CONTENTS

I. THE DAY BEFORE
II. THE DAY
III. THE HOUSE OF CLAY
IV. TANGLED THREADS
V. WHERE MRS. CROCKS THREW THE SWITCH
VI. RED ROSES
VII. THE INNOCENT DISTURBER
VIII. THE POWER OF INK
IX. THE DOCTOR'S DECISION
X. THE WOMAN WITH A SORE THOUGHT
XI. ENGAGED
XII. THE MACHINE
XIII. THE STORM
XIV. THE SEVENTH WAVE
XV. THE COMING OF SPRING
XVI. PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF CLAY
XVII. PETER'S REPORT
XVIII. THE WOMAN OF PURPLE SPRINGS
XIX. THE END OF A LONELY ROAD
XX. ANNIE GRAY'S STORY
XXI. THE OPENING OF THE WAY
XXII. THE PLAY
XXIII. COMPENSATION
XXIV. HOME AGAIN
XXV. THERE IS NOTHING TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

CHAPTER I

THE DAY BEFORE

It was the last day of February, the extra day, dead still, and biting
cold, with thick, lead-colored skies shading down to inky blue at the
western horizon. In the ravine below John Watson's house trees cracked
ominously in the frost, and not even a rabbit was stirring. The hens
had not come out, though an open door had extended an invitation, and
the tamworths had burrowed deeper into the stack of oat straw. The
cattle had taken refuge in the big shed, and even old Nap, in spite of
his thick Coat, had whimpered at the door to be let in.

Looking out of the western window, Pearl Watson, with a faint wrinkle
between her eyebrows, admitted to herself that it was not a cheerful
day. And Pearl had her own reasons for wanting fine weather, for
tomorrow was the first of March, and the day to which she had been
looking forward for three years to make a momentous decision.

The thought of this day had gone with her in the three years that had
passed,