Mary Louise in the Country

Mary Louise in the Country
by
L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van
Dyne)

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mary Louise in the Country
by L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van Dyne) This eBook is for the use of
anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project
Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.net
Title: Mary Louise in the Country
Author: L. Frank Baum (AKA Edith Van Dyne)
Illustrator: J. Allen St. John
Release Date: August 3, 2007 [EBook #22225]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARY
LOUISE IN THE COUNTRY ***

Produced by Michael Gray ([email protected])

MARY LOUISE IN THE COUNTRY
By Edith Van Dyne Author of "Aunt Jane's Nieces Series"
Frontispiece by J. Allen St. John The Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago
Copyright, 1916 by The Reilly & Britton Co.

Mary Louise in the Country

CONTENTS
I THE ARRIVAL II THE KENTON PLACE III THE FOLKS ACROSS
THE RIVER IV GETTING ACQUAINTED V MARY LOUISE BECOMS
A PEACEMAKER VI THE AFTERNOON TEA VII MARY LOUISE
CALLS FOR HELP VIII THE RED-HEADED GIRL IX JOSIE
INVESTIGATES X INGUA IS CONFIDENTIAL XI THE FATE OF
NED JOSELYN XII THEORIES ARE DANGEROUS XIII BLUFF AND
REBUFF XIV MIDNIGHT VIGILS XV "OLD SHADOWTAIL" XVI
INGUA'S NEW DRESS XVII A CLEW AT LAST XVIII DOUBTS AND
SUSPICIONS XIX GOOD MONEY FOR BAD XX AN UNEXPECTED
APPEARANCE XXI A CASE OF NERVES XXII INGUA'S MOTHER
XXIII PECULIAR PEOPLE XXIV FACING DANGER XXV FATHER
AND DAUGHTER XXVI THE PLOT XXVII NAN'S TRIUMPH XXVIII
PLANNING THE FUTURE

Mary Louise in the Country
CHAPTER I
THE ARRIVAL

"Is this the station, Gran'pa Jim?" inquired a young girl, as the train
began to slow up.
"I think so, Mary Louise," replied the handsome old gentleman
addressed.
"It does look very promising, does it?" she continued, glancing eagerly
out of the window.
"The station? No, my dear; but the station isn't Cragg's Crossing, you
know; it is merely the nearest railway point to our new home."
The conductor opened their drawing-room door.
"The next stop is Chargrove, Colonel," he said.
"Thank you."
The porter came for their hand baggage and a moment later the long
train stopped and the vestibule steps were let down.
If you will refer to the time-table of the D. R. & G. Railway you will
find that the station of Chargrove is marked with a character dagger
([Picture: Character dagger]), meaning that trains stop there only to let
off passengers or, when properly signaled, to let them on. Mary Louise,
during the journey, had noted this fact with misgivings that were by no
means relieved when she stepped from the sumptuous train and found
before her merely a shed-like structure, open on all sides, that served as
station-house.
Colonel Hathaway and his granddaughter stood silently upon the
platform of this shed, their luggage beside them, and watched their
trunks tumbled out of the baggage car ahead and the train start, gather
speed, and go rumbling on its way. Then the girl looked around her to
discover that the primitive station was really the only barren spot in the
landscape.
For this was no Western prairie country, but one of the oldest settled

and most prosperous sections of a great state that had been one of the
original thirteen to be represented by a star on our national banner.
Chargrove might not be much of a railway station, as it was only eleven
miles from a big city, but the country around it was exceedingly
beautiful. Great oaks and maples stood here and there, some in groups
and some in stately solitude; the land was well fenced and carefully
cultivated; roads--smooth or rutty--led in every direction; flocks and
herds were abundant; half hidden by hills or splendid groves peeped the
roofs of comfortable farmhouses that evidenced the general prosperity
of the community.
"Uncle Eben is late, isn't he, Gran'pa Jim?" asked the girl, as her eyes
wandered over the pretty, peaceful scene.
Colonel Hathaway consulted his watch.
"Our train was exactly on time," he remarked, "which is more than can
be said for old Eben. But I think, Mary Louise, I now see an
automobile coming along the road. If I am right, we have not long to
wait."
He proved to be right, for presently a small touring car came bumping
across the tracks and halted at the end of the platform on which they
stood. It was driven by an old colored man whose hair was snow white
but who sprang from his seat with the agility of a boy when Mary
Louise rushed forward with words of greeting.
"My, Uncle Ebe, but it's