Chapter I: Front Matter

THE GREAT ACCIDENT

THE GREAT ACCIDENT

BY
BEN AMES WILLIAMS

Author of “The Sea Bride,” “All the Brothers
Were Valiant,” etc.

New York
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1920

_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1919,
BY THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1920,
BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1920.

TO
MOTHER

CONTENTS

BOOK I

THE GREAT ACCIDENT

CHAPTER PAGE

I HARDISTON 3

II AMOS CARETALL 7

III WINT CHASE 16

IV JACK ROUTT 22

V COUNCIL OF WAR 27

VI WINTHROP CHASE, SENIOR 36

VII V. R. KITE 45

VIII THE RALLY 50

IX HETTY MORFEE 56

X THE ELECTION 60

XI THE NOTIFICATION 69

BOOK II

I MULDOON 81

II JOAN 90

III THE STRATEGY OF AMOS 100

IV INTERLUDE 112

V ALLIANCE 119

VI THE WHISTLE BLOWS 127

BOOK III

INTO HARNESS

I ON HIS OWN FEET 135

II JOAN TO WINT 146

III ROUTT TO KITE 154

IV WINT TO JOAN 164

V WINT GOES HOME 170

VI A WORD AS TO HETTY 176

VII ORDERS FOR RADABAUGH 186

BOOK IV

LINE OF BATTLE

I MARSHAL JIM RADABAUGH 197

II THE BREWING STORM 207

III A HARD DAY FOR KITE 213

IV CHASE CHANGES SIDES 222

V THE TRIUMVIRATE 229

VI EVERY MAN HAS HIS PRICE 233

VII ANOTHER WORD AS TO HETTY 243

VIII AGNES TAKES A HAND 247

IX A WORD FROM JOAN 256

X THE STREET CARNIVAL 262

XI FIRST BLOOD 267

XII POOR HETTY 275

XIII THE MERCY OF THE COURT 281

BOOK V

DEFEAT

I SUNNY SKIES 291

II A FRIENDLY RIVALRY 298

III POLITICS 308

IV A CLOUD ON THE MOON 315

V A LOST ALLY 325

VI KITE TAKES A HAND 334

VII A FEW WORDS TO THE WISE 343

VIII POOR HETTY AGAIN 353

BOOK VI

VICTORY

I THE WEAVER HOUSE AGAIN 367

II A BRIGHTER CHAPTER 375

III HETTY HAS HER DAY 384

IV WINT’S RALLY 393

V SEEING JOAN HOME 404