Chapter I: Front Matter

</pre>

Produced by Roberta Staehlin, David Garcia, Matthew Wheaton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

NORSTON'S REST.

BY

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.

AUTHOR of "BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT," "FASHION AND FAMINE," "MABEL'S
MISTAKE," "THE OLD COUNTESS," "RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY," "THE
REIGNING BELLE," "LORD HOPE'S CHOICE," "MARRIED IN HASTE," "THE
SOLDIER'S ORPHANS," "WIVES AND WIDOWS; OR, THE BROKEN LIFE,"
"MARY DERWENT," "THE OLD HOMESTEAD," "A NOBLE WOMAN," "THE CURSE
OF GOLD," "THE GOLD BRICK," "DOUBLY FALSE," "PALACES AND
PRISONS," "THE HEIRESS," "SILENT STRUGGLES," "REJECTED WIFE,"
"BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE," "WIFE'S SECRET."

_Why did he love her? Ask the passing breeze
Why it has left the lilies in their bloom--
The great white blossoms of magnolia trees,
And jasmine flowers, that kindle up the gloom
Of Southern woods, where the vast live oak grows,
And mocking birds sing love notes to the rose.
Ask why it turned from these and lowly flew
To kiss the purple violets in their dew._

_Yes, ask the breezes;--love is like to them
In the free poising of his restless wing.
Sometimes he searches for a priceless gem,
But often takes a pebble from the spring.
To his veiled eyes the humble pebble shines
Bright as a jewel from Golconda's mines.
Expect no answer why love chooses so--
His reasons are as vague as winds that blow._

PHILADELPHIA;
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
306 CHESTNUT STREET.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS' WORKS.

Each work is complete in one volume, 12mo.

_NORSTON'S REST._
_BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT._
_BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE; or, Bought With A Price._
_LORD HOPE'S CHOICE; or, More Secrets Than One._
_THE OLD COUNTESS. Sequel to Lord Hope's Choice._
_A NOBLE WOMAN; or, A Gulf Between Them._
_PALACES AND PRISONS; or, The Prisoner of the Bastile._
_WIVES AND WIDOWS; or, The Broken Life._
_RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY; or, Married By Mistake._
_FASHION AND FAMINE._
_THE CURSE OF GOLD; or, The Bound Girl and Wife's Trials._
_MABEL'S MISTAKE; or, The Lost Jewels._
_SILENT STRUGGLES; or, Barbara Stafford._
_THE WIFE'S SECRET; or, Gillian._
_THE HEIRESS; or, The Gipsy's Legacy._
_THE REJECTED WIFE; or, The Ruling Passion._
_THE OLD HOMESTEAD; or, The Pet From the Poor House._
_DOUBLY FALSE; or, Alike and Not Alike._
_THE REIGNING BELLE._
_MARRIED IN HASTE._
_THE SOLDIER'S ORPHANS._
_MARY DERWENT._
_THE GOLD BRICK._

Price of each, $1.75 in Cloth; or $1.50 in Paper Cover.

Above books are for sale by all Booksellers. Copies of any one
or all of the above books, will be sent to any one, to any place,
postage pre-paid, on receipt of their price by the Publishers,
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
306 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

TO
MRS. GEN. WILLIAM LESLIE CAZNEAU,
OF
KEITH HALL, JAMAICA, W. I.

ONE OF
THE OLDEST AND DEAREST FRIENDS THAT I HAVE,
THIS BOOK
IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

ANN S. STEPHENS.

NEW YORK , _May 31, 1877_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER
I. GATHERING OF THE HUNT
II. THE HILL-SIDE HOUSE
III. WAITING AND WATCHING
IV. THE SON'S RETURN
V. CONFESSING HIS LOVE
VI. CONFESSIONS OF LOVE
VII. JUDITH
VIII. WAITING FOR HIM
IX. THE NEXT NEIGHBOR
X. JEALOUS PASSIONS
XI. PROTEST AND APPEAL
XII. THE HEART STRUGGLE
XIII. ONE RASH STEP
XIV. ON THE WAY HOME
XV. THE LADY ROSE
XVI. ALONE IN THE COTTAGE
XVII. A STORMY ENCOUNTER
XVIII. AN ENCOUNTER
XIX. FATHER AND DAUGHTER
XX. THE TWO THAT LOVED HIM
XXI. BOTH HUSBAND AND FATHER
XXII. WAS IT LIFE OR DEATH?
XXIII. BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH
XXIV. A FATHER'S MISGIVING
XXV. THE BIRD AND THE SERPENT
XXVI. TRUE AS STEEL
XXVII. A CRUEL DESERTION
XXVIII. THE WIFE'S VISIT
XXIX. BY MY MOTHER IN HEAVEN
XXX. THE BARMAID OF THE TWO RAVENS
XXXI. THE OLD LAKE HOUSE
XXXII. THE NEW LEASE
XXXIII. SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH
XXXIV. THE SICK MAN WRITES A LETTER
XXXV. WITH THE HOUSEKEEPER
XXXVI. UNDER THE IVY
XXXVII. A STORM AT THE TWO RAVENS
XXXVIII. A PRESENT FROM THE FAIR
XXXIX. A WILD-FLOWER OFFERING
XL. SEEKING A PLACE
XLI. THE FATHER'S SICK-ROOM
XLII. PROFFERED SERVICES
XLIII. THE LOST LETTER
XLIV. THE HOUSEKEEPER'S VISIT
XLV. EXCELLENT ADVICE
XLVI. THE SERPENT IN HER PATH
XLVII. NIGHT ON THE BALCONY
XLVIII. WATCHING HER RIVAL
XLIX. BROODING THOUGHTS
L. YOUNG HURST AND LADY ROSE
LI. THE GODMOTHER'S MISTAKE
LII. SITTING AT THE WINDOW
LIII. DEATH
LIV. THE GARDENER'S FUNERAL
LV. SEARCHING A HOUSE
LVI. A MOTHER'S HOPEFULNESS
LVII. WAITING AT THE LAKE HOUSE
LVIII. SIR NOEL'S VISITOR
LIX. PLEADING FOR DELAY
LX. LOVE AND HATE
LXI. HUNTED DOWN
LXII. STORMS AND LADY ROSE
LXIII. THE PRICE OF A LIFE
LXIV. JUDITH'S RETURN
LXV. ON THE PRECIPICE
LXVI. SIR NOEL AND RUTH
LXVII. SHOWING THE WAY
LXVIII. FORSAKING HER HOME
LXIX. THE SOUL'S DANGER
LXX. ON THE TRAIN
LXXI. THE SPIDER'S WEB
LXXII. THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
LXXIII. SEARCHING THE LAKE HOUSE
LXXIV. COMING HOME

NORSTON'S REST.