AT THE SIGN OF THE FOX

AT THE SIGN OF
THE FOX

A Romance

BY
BARBARA

AUTHOR OF “THE GARDEN OF A COMMUTER’S WIFE,”
“PEOPLE OF THE WHIRLPOOL,” AND
“THE WOMAN ERRANT”

NEW YORK
HURST & CO.
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1905,
By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published July, 1905.
Reprinted August, September, December, 1905;
March, 1912.

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

This Book is for the Brave

PRATE NOT TO ME OF WEAKLINGS, WHO

LAMENT THIS LIFE AND NOUGHT ACHIEVE,

I HYMN THE VAST AND VALIANT CREW

OF THOSE WHO HAVE SCANT TIME TO GRIEVE,

FIRM SET THEIR FORTUNES TO RETRIEVE,

THEY SING FOR LUCK A LUSTY STAVE,

THE WORLD’S STANCH WORKERS, BY YOUR LEAVE—

THIS IS THE BALLADE OF THE BRAVE!

—RICHARD BURTON.

CONTENTS

CHAPTERPAGE
I.The River Kingdom[1]
II.A Belated First Cause[13]
III.The Decision of Miss Keith[25]
IV.Interlude[37]
V.A Picture[49]
VI.The Lawtons[64]
VII.The Day After[84]
VIII.Transition[101]
IX.The Return[125]
X.Tatters transfers Himself[144]
XI.Bread[170]
XII.Revelation[195]
XIII.At the Sign of the Fox[219]
XIV.The Unexpected Happens[243]
XV.A Masque of Spring[263]
XVI.The Way the Wind Blew[282]
XVII.Locks and Keys[302]
XVIII.The Return of Memory[324]
XIX.Setters of Snares[342]
XX.Fire of Leaves[362]

THE PEOPLE

Brooke LawtonA Young Woman of To-day, who sees Things as they might be.
Adam LawtonHer Father, a Country-bred New Yorker of Affairs.
Pamela LawtonHer Mother, a Brooke of Virginia.
Adam the CubHer Brother, at the Difficult Age of Sixteen.
Keith WestAdam Lawton’s Maternal Cousin, who stayed at Home.
Lucy DeanBrooke’s Friend, who sees Things as they are.
Mrs. Enoch FentonA Cheerful Cripple.
Silent SteadSportsman and Misanthrope.
Marte LorenzIdealist and Artist.
Tom BrownellEngaged in climbing the Ladder of Journalism from the Bottom Rung.
Henry MaartenA Farm Hand working on Shares.
Dr. Richard RussellOf Oaklands, Friend of Stead and the Lawtons, and Confidant-general of the County.
The PiemanA Travelling Optimist.
TattersA Person, though disguised as an Old Collie Dog.

The Usual Critic’s Chorus, composed of Citizens, Villagers, Male and Female, Commonplace, Eccentric, or Otherwise.

Time

The Present Century.

Place

Manhattan and the Hill Country of the Moosatuk.