E-text prepared by D A Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 59594-h.htm or 59594-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59594/pg59594-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/59594/59594-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/bettysvirginiach00seawiala BETTY'S VIRGINIA CHRISTMAS by MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL Author of "The Sprightly Romance of Marsac," "Papa Bouchard," "The Jugglers," "Little Jarvis," etc. With Illustrations in Color by Henry J. Soulen And Decorations by Edward Stratton Holloway Philadelphia & London J. B. Lippincott Company 1914 BETTY'S VIRGINIA CHRISTMAS THIRD EDITION [Illustration: NOW BETTY KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO DESCEND THE STAIRS INTO THE DANCING HALL _Page 48_] COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, 1914 PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A. TO BETTY RANDOL A TALL SISTER OF THE LILIES THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. CAPTIVATING BETTY 9 II. A YOUNG SOLDIER 19 III. THROUGH A DORMER WINDOW 31 IV. KETTLE 38 V. CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR 46 VI. KETTLE AND OTHER THINGS 64 VII. FORTESCUE AND ROSES AND BIRDSEYE 71 VIII. THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 83 IX. LOVE AND THE CHASE 89 X. THE FLYING FEET OF THE DANCERS 96 XI. THE DREAM OF LOVE 105 XII. KETTLE ACTS HIS OWN ILIAD 110 XIII. IT WAS THE SPRINGTIME 119 XIV. PROBLEMS 130 XV. THE BROKEN DREAM 138 XVI. PRIDE PAYS THE PRICE 150 XVII. THE HAND OF DESTINY 166 XVIII. "DOAN' YOU CRY, MISS BETTY!" 173 XIX. CALM WEATHER 179 XX. TWILIGHT 185 XXI. RECOMPENCE 189 XXII. GLORIA 198 XXIII. SUNSHINE 206 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE NOW BETTY KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO DESCEND THE STAIRS INTO THE DANCING HALL _Frontispiece_ HER GRACEFUL FIGURE MAKING TO FORTESCUE THE PRETTIEST PICTURE HE HAD EVER SEEN 87 THE SCENT LAY ACROSS THE OPEN FIELDS AND STRAGGLING WOODLANDS 93