



Produced by Colin Bell, Michael, Rare Books & Manuscripts
Collection of The Ohio State University Libraries, and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net





Zula

BY H. ESSELSTYN LINDLEY

  BROADWAY PUBLISHING COMPANY
  835 BROADWAY  :  :  NEW YORK


  Copyright, 1905
  by
  H. ESSELSTYN LINDLEY

  All Rights Reserved




TO THE HON. S. W. BURROUGHS AND GEO. W. MOORE OF DETROIT, MICH. AND TO
MY ESTEEMED FRIEND MR. W. A. ESSELSTYN OF NEW YORK IS THIS VOLUME MOST
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER                                                         PAGE
       I. The Arrest.                                                1
      II. June's Pity.                                              10
     III. The Chastisement.                                         19
      IV. The Escape.                                               29
       V. Zula's Friend.                                            35
      VI. Silvery Waves.                                            39
     VII. The Disaster.                                             48
    VIII. Cruel Crisp.                                              53
      IX. Free Again.                                               65
       X. Scott's Valet.                                            70
      XI. Scott's Wife.                                             78
     XII. A Cloud.                                                  86
    XIII. A Bold Plot.                                              94
     XIV. Bright Hopes.                                            103
      XV. Rejected.                                                115
     XVI. A Shadowed Home.                                         122
    XVII. The Removal.                                             128
   XVIII. The Interview.                                           132
     XIX. A Fatal Step.                                            138
      XX. Mr. Le Moyne of Paris.                                   144
     XXI. Paul and Scott.                                          147
    XXII. Looking for a Place.                                     152
   XXIII. June's Reason--Letter From Paul.                         162
    XXIV. A Scene on the Water.                                    176
     XXV. The Elopement.                                           184
    XXVI. The Old House at Roxbury.                                194
   XXVII. Insane Bessie.                                           199
  XXVIII. Bessie's Visit.                                          208
    XXIX. The Fortune Teller.                                      216
     XXX. Bessie's Sad Story.                                      227
    XXXI. Repenting at Leisure.                                    235
   XXXII. A Bitter Atonement.                                      248
  XXXIII. Still at Work.                                           262
   XXXIV. A Game of Hearts.                                        268
    XXXV. A Sad Event.                                             278
   XXXVI. Solving the Problem.                                     292
  XXXVII. General Explanation.                                     312




CHAPTER I.

THE ARREST.


"Oh, you little wretch! What are you about? You dreadfully sinful
little creature. Police, police!"

The speaker, a richly dressed woman, was just entering the spacious
dining-room, as she caught sight of a dusky little form in the act of
taking a set of silver spoons from the heavy gold-lined holder. The
child raised a pair of coal-black eyes to the lady's face as she
turned to pass out of the dining-room door, which had been left open
to let in the cool June breeze; but as she was about to cross the
threshold she was seized by the strong hands of a policeman, who had
answered Mrs. Wilmer's call, and the silver was scattered in a dozen
different directions.

"Did you ever see such a bold little creature in all your life? Who
would have thought she would dare come in here, right in broad
daylight, and steal my spoons off the table? Why, it's awful!"

"It's lucky you caught her at it," said the officer, "for she is as
quick as a deer, and saucy enough, no doubt, but never mind, we'll put
the little jade where she won't steal anything again for a day or two,
at least." He took her roughly by the shoulder in the attempt to lead
her away.

"Oh, don't be too hard on her, mother," said a young man who had
followed her into the room, "perhaps she did not know just how wicked
it was."

His fine eyes looked pityingly on the child, who could not have been
more than ten years of age.

"Oh, nonsense, sir, that is too old a story. She is old enough to have
some sense, the young gypsy. I have seen too many of these young
burglars to be fooled by 'em. It won't do to encourage 'em."

"I'll give you a 'V' if you will let her go."

"Why, Scott," said Mrs. Wilmer, "are you crazy? Indeed you must do
nothing of the kind."

"By no means," said the policeman. "She mustn't be let go to do the
same thing without a lesson to teach her what it means."

The child turned her large black eyes full upon the face of the young
man. Every feature of his face was indelibly stamped upon her memory
in that one searching glance.

"Come, don't be looking back so eagerly," said the officer, "you won't
find anything more that you can get your little brown hands on; you
can't steal the gentleman's diamond pin if you do look so sharp at
it."

The black eyes flashed indignantly and the long purple-black braid
which hung down her back shook as she raised her eyes to the
officer's face, giving her head a proud toss, and with the sauciest
pucker of the small red mouth and a scornful ring in her voice, she
said:

"I didn't know he had a diamond pin. I was only looking at his face;
it looks so kind, I'm sure I couldn't steal that, but yours don't look
kind. I guess you like to punish little girls; you look like a great
cross bear."

"Take care, I'll let you know what I am. I don't have any notion of
being kind to such little imps as you are. There's a way to take care
of little burglars."

"I ain't a burglar. I'm just as good as you are, if I am poor. I'd
rather steal than be so ugly to little girls."

They had now reached the sidewalk, where they were met by June Wilmer,
a young girl of just ten years of age, who was about to enter the
gate. She was rightly named, for she looked like a fresh June rose,
with the pink flush on her cheeks, and her blue eyes full of innocent
mirth, but the expression changed to one of pity as she looked at the
little girl who was being led away like a dumb animal.

"Why, what is the matter?" she asked, "what have you done to be taken
away by a policeman, you poor little girl?"

"She was trying