[CHAPTER I. ON THE THRESHOLD OF HER FATE.]
[CHAPTER II. A FRIEND IN NEED.]
[CHAPTER III. A GALLANT RESCUE.]
[CHAPTER IV. "TWO SOULS WITH BUT A SINGLE THOUGHT."]
[CHAPTER V. RIVALS AND FOES.]
[CHAPTER VI. FORTUNE, THAT FICKLE GODDESS, FAVORS STANDISH.]
[CHAPTER VII. THE POWER OF LOVE.]
[CHAPTER VIII. "A GIRL HAS A RIGHT TO CHANGE HER MIND."]
[CHAPTER IX. THE ACTOR MAKES HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.]
[CHAPTER X. A CRUEL DISAPPOINTMENT.]
[CHAPTER XI. A CRUSHING SORROW.]
[CHAPTER XII. THE LETTER THAT NEVER CAME.]
[CHAPTER XIII. TORTURED TO MADNESS.]
[CHAPTER XIV. A THEATRE PARTY.]
[CHAPTER XV. GERALDINE WOULD NEVER FORGET ALDERSON.]
[CHAPTER XVI. "CALL PRIDE TO YOUR AID, GERALDINE."]
[CHAPTER XVII. AT THE END OF THE PLAY.]
[CHAPTER XVIII. REUNION.]
[CHAPTER XIX. MUTUAL LOVE.]
[CHAPTER XX. "LOVE IS THE BEST OF ALL."]
[CHAPTER XXI. "OH, GERALDINE, I'LL HAVE TO TELL YOU MY GUARDED SECRET!"]
[CHAPTER XXII. "THAT WOMAN SHALL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!"]
[CHAPTER XXIII. CISSY'S SECRET.]
[CHAPTER XXIV. IN THE POWER OF A FIEND.]
[CHAPTER XXV. UNDER SUSPICION.]
[CHAPTER XXVI. TOO LATE! TOO LATE.]
[CHAPTER XXVII. HAWTHORNE CLUNG TO HOPE, IN SPITE OF HIS TROUBLE.]
[CHAPTER XXVIII. THAT WORD WAS LIKE A DAGGER IN HER HEART.]
[CHAPTER XXIX. A LEAF OUT OF HIS OWN BOOK.]
[CHAPTER XXX. A STARTLING DECLARATION.]
[CHAPTER XXXI. FROM WANT TO WEALTH.]
[CHAPTER XXXII. "YOU WILL SOON FORGET YOUR POOR LOVER IN THE NEW SPHERE THAT YOU WILL FILL."]
[CHAPTER XXXIII. CLIFFORD STANDISH TRIES TO CREATE A GRAND IMPRESSION.]
[CHAPTER XXXIV. ENEMIES AT BAY.]
[CHAPTER XXXV. GERALDINE'S CHOICE.]
[CHAPTER XXXVI. GERALDINE'S DEFIANCE.]
[CHAPTER XXXVII. "A WOMAN'S HONOR IS INVOLVED, AND MY SILENCE IS ITS ONLY SAFEGUARD."]
[CHAPTER XXXVIII. "STOP THE CARRIAGE!"]
[CHAPTER XXXIX. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR TRUE LOVE TO FORGET.]
[CHAPTER XL. "IT IS LIKE SUICIDE!"]
[CHAPTER XLI. GERALDINE'S SUSPENSE.]
[CHAPTER XLII. "YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I HATE TO RAKE UP THE ASHES OF THE PAST."]
[CHAPTER XLIII. CISSY'S PATHETIC LOVE STORY.]
[CHAPTER XLIV. "HOW CAN I REPAY THEIR BOUNTY WITH SUCH TREACHERY?"]
[CHAPTER XLV. "IF I WERE A KING I WOULD RAISE HER TO MY THRONE!"]
[CHAPTER XLVI. "I WILL TEST MY DARLING'S LOVE."]
[CHAPTER XLVII. LADY AMY'S LOVERS.]
[CHAPTER XLVIII. EVERY WOMANLY IMPULSE IN HER NATURE CRIED OUT AGAINST SUCH A CRUEL WRONG.]
[CHAPTER XLIX. ONLY PRIDE.]
[CHAPTER L. "LOVE MAKES FOOLS OF US ALL!"]
[CHAPTER LI. STARTLING NEWS.]
[CHAPTER LII. FOR CISSY'S SAKE.]
[CHAPTER LIII. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HER!"]
[CHAPTER LIV. "WILL YOU BID ME GODSPEED."]
[CHAPTER LV. DETECTED.]
[CHAPTER LVI. A REPENTANT SINNER.]
[CHAPTER LVII. A NIGHTMARE DREAM.]
[CHAPTER LVIII. SENTENCE OF DEATH.]
[CHAPTER LIX. WEDDED TO HER CHOICE.]
[CHAPTER I.]
ON THE THRESHOLD OF HER FATE.
"If I could have my dearest wish fulfilled,
And take my choice of all earth's treasures, too,
Or choose from Heaven whatsoe'er I willed,
I'd ask for you!
"No one I'd envy, either high or low,
No king in castle old or palace new;
I'd hold Calconda's mines less rich than I
If I had you!"
"There is more charm for my true, loving heart,
In everything you think, or say, or do,
Then all the joys that Heaven could e'er impart,
Because it's you!"
She stood behind the counter in H. O'Neill's splendid dry-goods emporium on Sixth avenue—only one of his army of salesgirls, yet not a belle of the famous society Four Hundred could eclipse her in beauty—pretty Geraldine, with her great, starry, brown eyes lighting up a bewitching face, with a skin like a rose-leaf, and a low, white brow, crowned by an aureole of curly hair, in whose waves the sunshine was tangled so that it could not get free. Her round, white throat rose proudly from a simple, nun-like gown of fine black serge, unadorned save by the beauty of the form it fitted with easy grace.
She would have graced a queen's drawing-room, this lovely girl with her starry eyes and demure dimples, but untoward fate had placed her behind a glove counter in New York.