Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. COUSIN MAUDE. by Mary J. Holmes To Morris W. Smith, of New Orleans, This story of life among the Northern Hills is respectfully dedicated by his friend The Author CONTENTS CHAPTER I. DR. KENNEDY II. THE JOURNEY III. THE NEW HOME IV. LITTLE LOUIS V. MRS. JANET BLODGETT VI. THE MOTHER VII. PAST AND PRESENT VIII. JAMES AND J.C. IX. THE MILKMAN'S HEIRESS X. THE ENGAGEMENT, REAL AND PROSPECTIVE XI. MAUD GLENDOWER XII. HOW THE ENGAGEMENTS PROSPERED XIII. HAMPTON XIV. THE DARK HOUR XV. THE NEW MISTRESS AT LAUREL HILL XVI. THE BLIND GIRL XVII. NELLIE'S BRIDAL NIGHT XVIII. COUSIN MAUDE XIX. A SECOND BRIDAL XX. THE SEXTON XXI. HOME AGAIN CHAPTER I. DR. KENNEDY. "If you please, marm, the man from York State is comin' afoot. Too stingy to ride, I'll warrant," and Janet, the housekeeper, disappeared from the parlor, just as the sound of the gate was heard, and an unusually fine-looking middle-aged man was seen coming up the box-lined walk which led to the cottage door. The person thus addressed was a lady, whose face, though young and handsome, wore a look which told of early sorrow. Matilda Remington had been a happy, loving wife, but the old churchyard in Vernon contained a grass-grown grave, where rested the noble heart which had won her girlish love. And she was a widow now, a fair-haired, blue-eyed widow, and the stranger who had so excited Janet's wrath by walking from the depot, a distance of three miles, would claim her as his bride ere the morrow's sun was midway in the heavens. How the engagement happened she could not exactly tell, but happened it had, and she was pledged to leave the vine-wreathed cottage which Harry had built for her, and go with one of whom she knew comparatively little.