Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON BLACKSHEEP! BLACKSHEEP! LADY LARKSPUR THE MADNESS OF MAY THE VALLEY OF DEMOCRACY CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: Her "Very glad, I'm sure," was uttered with reservations] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BLACKSHEEP! BLACKSHEEP! BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON ILLUSTRATED BY LESLIE L. BENSON NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1920 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maybe, in spite of their tameless days Of outcast liberty, They're sick at heart for the homely ways Where their gathered brothers be. Meanwhile, "Blacksheep! Blacksheep!" we cry, Safe in the inner fold; And maybe they hear, and wonder why, And marvel, out in the cold. --RICHARD BURTON. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ILLUSTRATIONS Her "Very glad, I'm sure," was uttered with reservations _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE At the crack of the gun the fugitive stopped short 32 "It's all right about you, Governor, but the kid had better shake the tree" 112 "We must be in a hurry or that woman will catch you" 234 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BLACKSHEEP! BLACKSHEEP! CHAPTER ONE I Mrs. Howard Featherstone spent much time thinking up things for her brother Archibald Bennett to do, and as Archie was the ideal bachelor brother, always remembering the children's birthdays and turning up dutifully for Christmas dinners, he accepted her commissions in the most amiable spirit and his services were unfailingly satisfactory. He knew perfectly well that most of the jobs she imposed upon him had been politely but firmly declined by her busy husband, but this made no difference to Archie, who had all the time in the world, and infinite patience, and he rather enjoyed tracing express packages and matching ribbons. "The agent who's been looking up a summer house for us says this is an unusual opportunity, as there are few places to let at Bailey Harbor and this one is unexpectedly on the market. The owner is obliged to leave just after settling in it, so it's all in perfect condition and if it meets our needs we can go right up. Howard's simply swamped with work--he's conducting some sort of investigation with night meetings and that sort of thing--and we'd all appreciate it if you could run up there for us."