



Produced by Al Haines.


[Illustration: WITH THE UTMOST GENTLENESS HE LAID HIS HAND AGAIN UPON
HERS.  "ARE YOU AFRAID TO SAY IT?" HE SAID. Drawn by E. L. Crompton.
(_See page_ 98)]




                                  The
                            Hundredth Chance


                                   BY

                             ETHEL M. DELL

                               AUTHOR OF
                        THE LAMP IN THE DESERT,
                           THE SWINDLER, ETC.


                            FRONTISPIECE BY
                             EDNA CROMPTON



                                NEW YORK
                            GROSSET & DUNLAP
                               PUBLISHERS

                  Made in the United States of America




                            COPYRIGHT. 1917
                                   BY
                             ETHEL M. DELL



                          The Way of an Eagle
                         The Knave of Diamonds
                          The Rocks of Valpre
                              The Swindler
                         The Keeper of the Door
                              Bars of Iron
                               Rosa Mundi
                          The Hundredth Chance
                           The Safety Curtain
                               Greatheart
                         The Lamp in the Desert
                             The Tidal Wave
                          The Top of the World
                           The Obstacle Race


      This edition is issued under arrangement with the publishers
                G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON



                   The Knickerbocker Press, New York




                          I Dedicate This Book
                                   to
                             My Old Friend
                                W. S. H.
             In Affectionate Remembrance of Many Kindnesses




    "The plowman shall overtake the reaper,
    And the treader of grapes him that soweth seed."
      Obadiah 9-13.




                                CONTENTS

                                _PART 1_

                               THE START

I.--Beggars
II.--The Idol
III.--The New Acquaintance
IV.--The Accepted Suitor
V.--In the Dark
VI.--The Unwilling Guest
VII.--The Magician
VIII.--The Offer
IX.--The Real Man
X.--The Head of the Family
XI.--The Declaration of War
XII.--The Reckoning
XIII.--The Only Port
XIV.--The Way of Escape
XV.--The Closed Door
XVI.--The Champion
XVII.--The Wedding Morning
XVIII.--The Wedding Night
XIX.--The Day After
XX.--A Friend of the Family
XXI.--The Old Life
XXII.--The Faithful Widower
XXIII.--The Narrowing Circle
XXIV.--Brothers
XXV.--Misadventure
XXVI.--The Word Unspoken
XXVII.--The Token
XXVIII.--The Visitor
XXIX.--Her Other Self
XXX.--The Rising Current
XXXI.--Light Relief
XXXII.--The Only Solution
XXXIII.--The Furnace
XXXIV.--The Sacrifice
XXXV.--The Offer of Freedom
XXXVI.--The Bond


                               _PART II_

                                THE RACE

I.--Husks
II.--The Poison Plant
III.--Confidences
IV.--The Letter
V.--Rebellion
VI.--The Problem
VII.--The Land of Moonshine
VIII.--The Warning
IX.--The Invitation
X.--The Mistake
XI.--The Reason
XII.--Refuge
XIII.--The Lamp before the Altar
XIV.--The Open Door
XV.--The Downward Path
XVI.--The Revelation
XVII.--The Last Chance
XVIII.--The Whirlpool
XIX.--The Outer Darkness
XX.--Deliverance
XXI.--The Poison Fruit
XXII.--The Loser
XXIII.--The Storm Wind
XXIV.--The Great Burden
XXV.--The Blow
XXVI.--The Deed of Gift
XXVII.--The Impossible
XXVIII.--The First of the Vultures
XXIX.--The Dutiful Wife
XXX.--The Lane of Fire
XXXI.--The New Boss
XXXII.--Old Scores
Epilogue: The Finish




                          The Hundredth Chance



                                 PART I

                               THE START


                               CHAPTER I

                                BEGGARS


"My dear Maud, I hope I am not lacking in proper pride.  But it is an
accepted--though painful--fact that beggars cannot be choosers."

Lady Brian spoke with plaintive emphasis the while she drew an elaborate
initial in the sand at her feet with the point of her parasol.

"I cannot live in want," she said, after a thoughtful moment or two.
"Besides, there is poor little Bunny to be considered."  Another
thoughtful pause; then: "What did you say, dear?"

Lady Brian's daughter made an abrupt movement without taking her eyes
off the clear-cut horizon; beautiful eyes of darkest, deepest blue under
straight black brows that gave them a somewhat forbidding look.  There
was nothing remarkable about the rest of her face.  It was thin and
sallow and at the moment rather drawn, not a contented face, and yet
possessing a quality indefinable that made it sad rather than bitter.
Her smile was not very frequent, but when it came it transfigured her
utterly. No one ever pictured that smile of hers beforehand.  It came so
brilliantly, so suddenly, like a burst of sunshine over a brown and
desolate landscape, making so vast a difference that all who saw it for
the first time marvelled at the unexpected glow.

But it was very far from her face just now.  In fact she looked as if
she could never smile again as she said: