The Masked Bridal Read online

  Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Suzanne Shell, and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  Transcriber's Note:

  The Table of Contents is not part of the original book.

  THE MASKED

  BRIDAL

  _By_ MRS. GEORGIE SHELDON

  AUTHOR OF

  "Edrie's Legacy," "Max," "Faithful Shirley," "Marguerites Heritage," "A True Aristocrat," etc.

  A. L. BURT COMPANY

  PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

  Copyright 1894, 1895, 1900

  BY STREET & SMITH

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  Contents

  Page PROLOGUE. 3 I TWO UNEXPECTED VISITORS. 5 II A STANCH FRIEND MAKES A VAIN APPEAL. 11 III THE YOUNG LAWYER EXPERIENCES TWO EXTRAORDINARY SURPRISES. 16 IV A MYSTERY EXPLAINED. 20 V A MOTHER'S LAST REQUEST. 26 VI A HERITAGE OF SHAME. 30 VII TWO NEW ACQUAINTANCES. 36 VIII THE VENOM OF JEALOUSY. 43 IX THE HOUSEKEEPER AT WYOMING. 50 X "THE GIRL IS DOOMED! SHE HAS SEALED HER OWN FATE!" 58 XI "NOW MY VINDICATION AND TRIUMPH WILL BE COMPLETE!" 65 XII THE MASKED BRIDAL. 71 XIII THE DASTARDLY PLOT IS REVEALED. 79 XIV "YOUR FAITHLESSNESS TURNED ME INTO A DEMON." 88 XV "OH, GOD! I KNEW IT! YOU ARE ISABEL!" 95 XVI "YOU SHALL NEVER WANT FOR A FRIEND." 104 XVII "WOULD YOU DARE BE FALSE TO ME, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?" 111 XVIII "I SHALL NEVER FORGIVE EITHER OF YOU FOR YOUR SIN AGAINST ME." 119 XIX "I WILL NEVER BREAK BREAD WITH YOU, AT ANY TABLE." 128 XX EDITH RESOLVES TO MEET HER ENEMIES WITH THEIR OWN WEAPONS. 137 XXI A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER PAYS EDITH AN UNEXPECTED VISIT. 146 XXII "I WILL RISE ABOVE MY SIN AND SHAME!" 154 XXIII A SURPRISE AT THE GRAND CENTRAL STATION. 164 XXIV A SAD STORY DISCLOSED TO AN EAGER LISTENER. 173 XXV A NEW CHARACTER IS INTRODUCED. 181 XXVI AN EXCITING INTERVIEW AND AN APPALLING DISCOVERY. 189 XXVII MRS. GODDARD BECOMES AN EAVESDROPPER. 199 XXVIII ISABEL STEWART ASTOUNDS MR. GODDARD. 208 XXIX "OUR WAYS PART HERE, NEVER TO CROSS AGAIN." 217 XXX "I HATE YOU WITH ALL THE STRENGTH OF MY ITALIAN BLOOD." 226 XXXI RECORDS SOME STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS. 234 XXXII "YOU WILL VACATE THESE PREMISES AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE." 242 XXXIII MR. BRYANT MEETS WITH UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTIES. 250 XXXIV AN UNEXPECTED MEETING RESULTS IN A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY. 259 XXV "THAT MAN MY FATHER!" 268 XXXVI FURTHER EXPLANATIONS BETWEEN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. 276 XXXVII "MY DARLING, YOU ARE FREE!" 285XXXVIII AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER. 292 XXXIX CONCLUSION. 298

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