The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Man Between, by Amelia E. Barr

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Title: The Man Between

Author: Amelia E. Barr

Posting Date: July 31, 2008 [EBook #787]
Release Date: January, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN BETWEEN ***

Produced by Charles Keller

THE MAN BETWEEN

An International Romance

By Amelia E. Barr

PART FIRST -- O LOVE WILL VENTURE IN!

THE MAN BETWEEN

CHAPTER I

THE thing that I know least about is my beginning. For it is possible
to introduce Ethel Rawdon in so many picturesque ways that the choice
is embarrassing, and forces me to the conclusion that the actual
circumstances, though commonplace, may be the most suitable. Certainly
the events that shape our lives are seldom ushered in with pomp or
ceremony; they steal upon us unannounced, and begin their work without
giving any premonition of their importance.

Consequently Ethel had no idea when she returned home one night from
a rather stupid entertainment that she was about to open a new and
important chapter of her life. Hitherto that life had been one of the
sweetest and simplest character--the lessons and sports of childhood
and girlhood had claimed her nineteen years; and Ethel was just at that
wonderful age when, the brook and the river having met, she was feeling
the first swell of those irresistible tides which would carry her day by
day to the haven of all days.

It was Saturday night in the January of 1900, verging toward twelve
o'clock. When she entered her room, she saw that one of the windows was
open, and she stood a moment or two at it, looking across the straight
miles of white lights, in whose illumined shadows thousands of sleepers
were holding their lives in pause.

"It is not New York at all," she whispered, "it is some magical city
that I have seen, but have never trod. It will vanish about six o'clock
in the morning, and there will be only common streets, full of common
people. Of course," and here she closed the window and leisurely removed
her opera cloak, "of course, this is only dreaming, but to dream waking,
or to dream sleeping, is very pleasant. I