The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Happy Venture, by Edith Ballinger Price

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Title: The Happy Venture

Author: Edith Ballinger Price

Release Date: February 21, 2004 [EBook #11216]
[Date last updated: January 8, 2005]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAPPY VENTURE ***

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THE HAPPY VENTURE

BY

EDITH BALLINGER PRICE

AUTHOR OF "BLUE MAGIC,"
"US AND THE BOTTLEMAN,"
"SILVER SHOAL LIGHT," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY

THE AUTHOR

Published in 1920, 1921, by The Century Co.

CONTENTS

I TALES IN THE RAIN
II HAVOC
III UP STAKES
IV THE FINE OLD FARMHOUSE
V THE WHEELS BEGIN TO TURN
VI THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HEDGE
VII A-MAYING
VIII WORK
IX FAME COMES COURTING
X VENTURES AND ADVENTURES
XI THE NINE GIFTS
XII "ROSES IN THE MOONLIGHT"
XIII "THE SEA IS A TYRANT"
XIV THE CELESTINE PLAYS HER PART
XV MARTIN!
XVI ANOTHER HOME-COMING

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"Now can you see it? _Now_?"
The Maestro sat down beside Kirk
The slack length of it flew suddenly aboard
"Phil--Phil!" Kirk was saying then

THE HAPPY VENTURE

CHAPTER I

[Illustration: "Now can you see it? _Now?_"]

TALES IN THE RAIN

"'How should I your true love know,
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon...'"

It was the fourth time that Felicia, at the piano, had begun the old
song. Kenelm uncurled his long legs, and sat up straight on the
window-seat.

"Why on earth so everlasting gloomy, Phil?" he said. "Isn't the rain bad
enough, without that dirge?"

"The sky's 'be-weeping' him, just the way it says," said Felicia. She
made one complete revolution on the piano-stool, and brought her strong
fingers down on the opening notes of another verse.

"'He is dead and gone, ladie,
He is dead and--'"

Kenelm sat down again in the window-seat.
He knew that Felicia was anxious about their
mother, and he himself shared her anxiety.
The queer code of fraternal secrecy made him
refrain from showing any sign of this to his
sister, however. He yawned a little, and said,
rather brusquely