A GENTLE PIONEER HISTORICAL BOOKS BY AMY E. BLANCHARD. =A GIRL OF ’76.= A STORY OF THE EARLY PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. Illustrated. 331 pages. Cloth. $1.50. =A REVOLUTIONARY MAID.= A STORY OF THE MIDDLE PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. Illustrated. 321 pages. Cloth. $1.50. =A DAUGHTER OF FREEDOM.= A STORY OF THE LATTER PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. Illustrated. 312 pages. Cloth. $1.50. * * * * * =A HEROINE OF 1812.= A MARYLAND ROMANCE. Illustrated. 335 pages. Cloth. $1.50. =A LOYAL LASS.= A STORY OF THE NIAGARA CAMPAIGN OF 1814. Illustrated. 319 pages. Cloth. $1.50. _IN THE “PIONEER SERIES.”_ =A GENTLE PIONEER.= BEING THE STORY OF THE EARLY DAYS IN THE NEW WEST. Illustrated. 336 pages. Cloth. $1.50. =BONNY LESLEY OF THE BORDER.= A STORY. Illustrated. 331 pages. Cloth. $1.50. =A FRONTIER KNIGHT.= A STORY OF EARLY TEXAN BORDER-LIFE. Illustrated. 339 pages. Cloth. $1.50. [Illustration: SHE STOLE HER ARM AROUND HER FATHER’S NECK.] A GENTLE PIONEER _BEING THE STORY OF THE EARLY DAYS IN THE NEW WEST_ BY AMY E. BLANCHARD ILLUSTRATED BY IDA WAUGH [Illustration] W. A. WILDE COMPANY BOSTON AND CHICAGO _Copyright, 1903_, BY W. A. WILDE COMPANY. _All rights reserved._ A GENTLE PIONEER. Published in July. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. EMIGRANTS 9 II. THE HOUSEWARMING 24 III. A SEARCH 43 IV. THE UNEXPECTED 58 V. POLLY 73 VI. JEANIE’S SECRET 89 VII. THE INTRUDER 105 VIII. ARCHIE’S PLAN 121 IX. WHAT THE FRESHET BROUGHT 139 X. HONEY 155 XI. AT THE END OF THE VISIT 170 XII. MOTHER 187 XIII. PLOTTING 205 XIV. JEANIE’S WEDDING-DAY 223 XV. WHO HAD THE WILL 241 XVI. A SUPPER AT PARKER WILLETT’S 256 XVII. IN ABSENCE 271 XVIII. THE OVERTHROW OF HUMPHREY 287 XIX. DR. FLINT 304 XX. HER HEART’S DESIRE 321 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE “She stole her arm around her father’s neck” _Frontispiece_ 2 “Agnes slipped off to a corner where Jeanie found her” 37 “She drew aside the curtain from the little window” 108 “Very sweet did the girlish voices sound” 180 “Parker watched her for a few minutes, not attempting to help” 263 A GENTLE PIONEER CHAPTER I EMIGRANTS