



Produced by Roberta Staehlin, David Garcia, Matthew Wheaton
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
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Libraries.)









    NORSTON'S REST.

    BY

    MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.


    AUTHOR of "BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT," "FASHION AND FAMINE," "MABEL'S
    MISTAKE," "THE OLD COUNTESS," "RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY," "THE
    REIGNING BELLE," "LORD HOPE'S CHOICE," "MARRIED IN HASTE," "THE
    SOLDIER'S ORPHANS," "WIVES AND WIDOWS; OR, THE BROKEN LIFE,"
    "MARY DERWENT," "THE OLD HOMESTEAD," "A NOBLE WOMAN," "THE CURSE
    OF GOLD," "THE GOLD BRICK," "DOUBLY FALSE," "PALACES AND
    PRISONS," "THE HEIRESS," "SILENT STRUGGLES," "REJECTED WIFE,"
    "BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE," "WIFE'S SECRET."


        _Why did he love her? Ask the passing breeze
          Why it has left the lilies in their bloom--
        The great white blossoms of magnolia trees,
          And jasmine flowers, that kindle up the gloom
        Of Southern woods, where the vast live oak grows,
        And mocking birds sing love notes to the rose.
        Ask why it turned from these and lowly flew
        To kiss the purple violets in their dew._

        _Yes, ask the breezes;--love is like to them
          In the free poising of his restless wing.
        Sometimes he searches for a priceless gem,
          But often takes a pebble from the spring.
        To his veiled eyes the humble pebble shines
        Bright as a jewel from Golconda's mines.
        Expect no answer why love chooses so--
        His reasons are as vague as winds that blow._


    PHILADELPHIA;
    T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
    306 CHESTNUT STREET.


    Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by
    T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
    In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.


    MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS' WORKS.

    Each work is complete in one volume, 12mo.

    _NORSTON'S REST._
    _BERTHA'S ENGAGEMENT._
    _BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE; or, Bought With A Price._
    _LORD HOPE'S CHOICE; or, More Secrets Than One._
    _THE OLD COUNTESS. Sequel to Lord Hope's Choice._
    _A NOBLE WOMAN; or, A Gulf Between Them._
    _PALACES AND PRISONS; or, The Prisoner of the Bastile._
    _WIVES AND WIDOWS; or, The Broken Life._
    _RUBY GRAY'S STRATEGY; or, Married By Mistake._
    _FASHION AND FAMINE._
    _THE CURSE OF GOLD; or, The Bound Girl and Wife's Trials._
    _MABEL'S MISTAKE; or, The Lost Jewels._
    _SILENT STRUGGLES; or, Barbara Stafford._
    _THE WIFE'S SECRET; or, Gillian._
    _THE HEIRESS; or, The Gipsy's Legacy._
    _THE REJECTED WIFE; or, The Ruling Passion._
    _THE OLD HOMESTEAD; or, The Pet From the Poor House._
    _DOUBLY FALSE; or, Alike and Not Alike._
    _THE REIGNING BELLE._
    _MARRIED IN HASTE._
    _THE SOLDIER'S ORPHANS._
    _MARY DERWENT._
    _THE GOLD BRICK._

    Price of each, $1.75 in Cloth; or $1.50 in Paper Cover.

    Above books are for sale by all Booksellers. Copies of any one
    or all of the above books, will be sent to any one, to any place,
    postage pre-paid, on receipt of their price by the Publishers,
    T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
    306 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA.


    TO
    MRS. GEN. WILLIAM LESLIE CAZNEAU,
    OF
    KEITH HALL, JAMAICA, W. I.

    ONE OF
    THE OLDEST AND DEAREST FRIENDS THAT I HAVE,
    THIS BOOK
    IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.

    ANN S. STEPHENS.

    NEW YORK, _May 31, 1877_.




CONTENTS.


    CHAPTER
          I. GATHERING OF THE HUNT
         II. THE HILL-SIDE HOUSE
        III. WAITING AND WATCHING
         IV. THE SON'S RETURN
          V. CONFESSING HIS LOVE
         VI. CONFESSIONS OF LOVE
        VII. JUDITH
       VIII. WAITING FOR HIM
         IX. THE NEXT NEIGHBOR
          X. JEALOUS PASSIONS
         XI. PROTEST AND APPEAL
        XII.