Chapter I: Front Matter

A FOREST HEARTH

A Forest Hearth

A ROMANCE OF INDIANA IN THE THIRTIES

BY

CHARLES MAJOR

AUTHOR OF "DOROTHY VERNON OF HADDON HALL," "THE BEARS OF BLUE RIVER,"
"WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER," ETC.

_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLYDE O. DELAND_

New York

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., LTD.

1903

_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1903,

BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up, electrotyped, and published October, 1903.

Norwood Press

J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.

Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

PAGE

I. ON THE HEART OF THE HEARTH 11

II. THE BACHELOR HEART 27

III. THE SYCAMORE DIVAN 45

IV. THE DEBUTANTE 61

V. UNDER THE ELM CANOPY 87

VI. THE FIGHT BY THE RIVER SIDE 107

VII. THE TRIAL 133

VIII. A CHRISTMAS HEARTH LOG 153

IX. DIC LENDS MONEY GRATIS 179

X. THE TOURNAMENT 203

XI. A KISS AND A DUEL 225

XII. THE LOVE POWDER 259

XIII. THE DIMPLER 281

XIV. WISE MISS TOUSY 303

XV. THE CHRISTMAS GIFT 329

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"He produced a small gold watch with the word 'Rita'
engraved upon the case" _Frontispiece_

"She changed it many times" 31

"She flung at the worthy shepherd the opprobrious words, 'You
fool'" 81

"'I've come to get my kiss,' said Doug" 121

"Covering her face with her hands, she began to weep" 191

"'Kill him, Dic; kill him as you would a wolf'" 255

"Miss Tousy softly kissed her and said, ... 'There, don't cry,
sweet one'" 315

"'Here,' replied the girl" 349

ON THE HEART OF THE HEARTH

A Forest Hearth