The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Man in Lonely Land, by Kate Langley Bosher

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Title: The Man in Lonely Land

Author: Kate Langley Bosher

Release Date: July 20, 2004 [eBook #12971]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN IN LONELY LAND***

E-text prepared by Al Haines

THE MAN IN LONELY LAND

by

KATE LANGLEY BOSHER

Author of "Mary Cary" and "Miss Gibbie Gault"

MCMXII

TO MY BROTHER

EDWARD PORTIUS LANGLEY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. GENERAL
II. THE REQUEST
III. SCIENTIFICS
IV. DOROTHEA AND MR. LAINE
V. THE LOSS OF HIS BEST FRIEND
VI. A LETTER FROM DOROTHEA
VII. AN AFTERNOON CALL
VIII. THE RECEPTION
IX. DOROTHEA ASKS QUESTIONS
X. A DISCOVERY
XI. A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
XII. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
XIII. MR. LAINE GOES SHOPPING ALONE
XIV. AN INFORMAL VISIT
XV. THE MAN WHO DID NOT KNOW
XVI. A CHANGE OF PLANS
XVII. A VISIT TO VIRGINIA
XVIII. ELMWOOD
XIX. CHRISTMAS
XX. CLAUDIA
XXI. A VISIT FROM DOROTHEA
XXII. SPRINGTIME

I

GENERAL

Mr. Winthrop Laine threw his gloves on the table, his overcoat on a
chair, put his hat on the desk, and then looked down at his shoes.

"Soaking wet," he said, as if to them. "I swear this weather would
ruin a Tapley temper! For two weeks rain and sleet and snow and
steam heat to come home to. Hello, General! How are the legs
tonight, old man?" Stooping, he patted softly the big, beautiful
collie which was trying to welcome him, and gently he lifted the
dog's head and looked in the patient eyes.

"No better? Not even a little bit? I'd take half if I could,
General, more than half. It's hard luck, but it's worse not to know
what to do for you." He turned his head from the beseeching eyes.
"For the love of heaven don't look at me like that, General, don't
make it--" His breath was drawn in sharply; then, as the dog made
effort to bark, to raise his right paw in greeting as of old, he put
it down carefully, rang the bell, walked over to the window, and for
a moment looked out on the street below.

Th