Chapter I: Front Matter

RUTH ERSKINE'S SON

BY
PANSY

AUTHOR OF "RUTH ERSKINE'S CROSSES"; "ESTER RIED'S
NAMESAKE"; "ESTER RIED YET SPEAKING"; "ESTER
RIED"; "DORIS FARRAND'S VOCATION"; "DAVID
RANSOM'S WATCH"; ETC., ETC.

_ILLUSTRATED BY LOUISE CLARK_

BOSTON
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.

PANSY
TRADE-MARK
Registered in U. S. Patent Office.

Published, August, 1907.

COPYRIGHT, 1906,
BY LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.

_All Rights Reserved._

RUTH ERSKINE'S SON.

Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. WHIMS 1

II. "NEVER MIND, MOMMIE" 15

III. MAMIE PARKER 29

IV. WOULD SHE "DO"? 42

V. THE OLD CAT! 55

VI. IDEAL CONDITIONS 69

VII. "MOTHERS ARE QUEER!" 82

VIII. A SPOILED MOTHER 96

IX. SENTIMENT AND SACRIFICE 110

X. "SENTIMENTAL" PEOPLE 124

XI. "PLANS FOR A PURPOSE" 137

XII. ACCIDENT OR DESIGN? 151

XIII. WAS IRENE RIGHT? 164

XIV. THE GENERAL MANAGER 176

XV. LOOKING BACKWARD 189

XVI. FOR MAYBELLE'S SAKE 203

XVII. BUILT ON THE SAND 216

XVIII. JUSTICE OR MERCY? 229

XIX. ALONE 242

XX. THEY HATED MYSTERY 254

XXI. "A STUDY" 268

XXII. A LOYAL HEART 280

XXIII. PUZZLING QUESTIONS 293

XXIV. AN ALLY 306

XXV. A CRISIS 319

XXVI. A STRANGE CHANGE 331

XXVII. A RETROGRADE MOVEMENT 344

XXVIII. "SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED" 358

XXIX. RENUNCIATION 371

XXX. "TWO, AND TWO, AND TWO" 383

ILLUSTRATIONS

"ERSKINE," SHE SAID EAGERLY, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" (PAGE 91)
_Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE
"WE WILL GIVE THEM ALL THE SLIP, MY DEAR" 62

"MY MOTHER ISN'T OLD, IRENE" 166

"I AM SORRY THAT I HATED YOU" 354

RUTH ERSKINE'S SON