Beth Norvell

Beth Norvell

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Title: Beth Norvell A Romance of the West
Author: Randall Parrish

Release Date: January 24, 2006 [eBook #17598]
Language: English
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NORVELL***
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BETH NORVELL
A Romance of the West
by
RANDALL PARRISH
Author of "When Wilderness Was King," "My Lady of the North,"
"Bob Hampton of Placer," Etc.
With Frontispiece in Color by N. C. Wyeth

[Frontispiece: The woman never changed her posture, never seemed to
realize the approach of dawn; but Winston roused up, lifting his head to
gaze wearily forward.]

A. L. Burt Company Publishers -------- New York Copyright A. C.
McClurg & Co. 1907 Entered at Stationers' Hall, London All Rights
Reserved Published September 21, 1907 Second Edition October 5,
1907 Third Edition, October 10, 1907 Fourth Edition, December 2,
1907 Fifth Edition, December 12, 1907

CONTENTS
I A CHANCE MEETING II OUT WITH A ROAD COMPANY III A
BREAKING OF ICE IV A NEW DEAL OF THE CARDS V IN OPEN
REBELLION VI THE "LITTLE YANKEE" MINE VII A
DISMISSAL VIII "HE MEANS FIGHT" IX THE FORCE OF
CIRCUMSTANCES X A NEW ALLIANCE XI
HALF-CONFIDENCES XII THE COVER OF DARKNESS XIII

TWO WOMEN XIV UNDERGROUND XV THE PROOF OF CRIME
XVI A RETURN TO THE DAY XVII A COUNCIL OF WAR XVIII
THE CONFESSION XIX THE POINT OF VIEW XX THE GAME OF
FOILS XXI UNDER ARREST XXII THE INTERVENTION OF
SWANSON XXIII A NEW VOLUNTEER XXIV AN AVOWAL OF
LOVE XXV THE PROOF OF LOVE XXVI BENEATH THE
DARKNESS XXVII THE SHADOW OF CRIME XXVIII ACROSS
THE DESERT TO THE END XXIX THE SUMMIT OF SUCCESS
XXX THE MISSION OF A LETTER

BETH NORVELL
A TALE OF THE WEST
CHAPTER I
A CHANCE MEETING
There were nine altogether in the party registering. This number
included the manager, who, both on and off the stage, quite
successfully impersonated the villain--a rather heavy-jawed,
middle-aged fellow, of foreign appearance, with coarse, gruff voice;
three representatives of the gentler sex; a child of eight, exact species
unknown, wrapped up like a mummy; and four males. Beyond doubt
the most notable member of the troupe was the comedian "star," Mr. T.
Macready Lane, whose well-known cognomen must even now awaken
happy histrionic memories throughout the western circuit. The long
night's ride from their previous stand, involving as it did two changes
of trains, had proven exceedingly wearisome; and the young woman in
the rather natty blue toque, the collar of her long gray coat turned up in
partial concealment of her face, was so utterly fatigued that she refused
to wait for a belated breakfast, and insisted upon being at once directed
to her room. There was a substantial bolt decorating the inside of the
door, but, rendered careless by sheer exhaustion of both mind and body,
she forgot everything except her desire for immediate rest, dropped her
wraps upon the only chair visible, and flung herself, fully dressed, upon

the bed. Her cheek had barely pressed the hard pillow before she was
sleeping like a tired child.
It must have been an hour later when Winston drove in from Flat Rock,
shook the powdery snow from off his long fur overcoat, his cheeks still
tingling from the sharp wind, and, with fingers yet stiffened by cold,
wrote his name carelessly across the lower line of the dilapidated hotel
register.
"Can you let me have the same room, Tom?" he questioned familiarly
of the man ornamenting the high stool behind the desk.
The latter, busy with some figures, nodded carelessly, and the last
arrival promptly picked up his valise from the floor and began climbing
the stairs, whistling softly. He was a long-limbed, broad-chested young
fellow, with clean-shaven face, and a pair of dark-gray eyes that looked
straight ahead of him; and he ran up the somewhat steep steps as
though finding such exercise a pleasure. Rounding the upper railing, he
stopped abruptly before Number Twenty-seven, flung open the door,
took a single step within, and came to a sudden pause, his careless
whistling suspended in breathless surprise. With that single glance the
complete picture became indelibly photographed upon his
memory,--the narrow, sparsely furnished room with roughly plastered
walls; the small, cheap mirror; the faded-green window