Produced by Al Haines. *[Frontispiece: "THE YOUNG CLERGYMAN CLIMBED CAREFULLY BUT QUICKLY DOWN TO THEM" (missing from book)]* MONICA’S CHOICE BY FLORA E. BERRY AUTHOR OF "NETA LYALL," "IN SMALL CORNERS," ETC. _WITH SIX ILLUSTRATIONS_ London S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO. 8 & 9, PATERNOSTER ROW 1904 *CONTENTS* CHAP. I. "I WISH CONRAD HAD NEVER LEFT HER WITH ME" II. "SUCH A *DEAR* LITTLE MONKEY!" III. "I’M MOVED UP!" IV. "I WISH YOU’D BE FRIENDS WITH ME" V. "I WANT YOU A MINUTE" VI. "HE WEREN’T CALLED ’SEIZE-’ER,’ FOR NOTHIN’" VII. "THIS IS MONICA BEAUCHAMP, MOTHER" VIII. "MIND YOU ARE NOT LATE!" IX. "HAVE A RIDE, MONICA?" X. "I LIKE FUSSIN’ OVER PEOPLE" XI. "A NICE ENOUGH LITTLE DOG, AS DOGS GO" XII. "A HUNGRY FEELING IN MY BRAIN" XIII. "A NICE SCRAPE SHE’LL GET INTO!" XIV. "SUNDAY AGAIN ALREADY!" XV. "OH, MONICA, DON’T!" XVI. "DO BE CAREFUL, GIRLS" XVII. "DON’T PERSUADE ME NOT TO, ANY MORE" XVIII. "I EXPECT IT WILL BE RATHER SLOW AND--POKEY!" XIX. "YOU TELL THEM, LOIS; I COULDN’T" XX. "KEEP IT UP, IT ANSWERS VERY WELL" XXI. "I GUESS I’LL JUST WATCH *YOU* A BIT" XXII. "I CANNOT SPARE YOU, MONICA!" XXIII. "IT’S ALL SURPRISES, NOWADAYS" XXIV. "I THINK MY MONICA DESERVES THE V.C." XXV. "THE CHILD HAS CHOSEN WELL" *LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS* "THE YOUNG CLERGYMAN CLIMBED CAREFULLY BUT QUICKLY DOWN TO THEM" (missing from book) . . . _Frontispiece_ "’YOU HIT HER EXPRESSION TO A T!’" "’AH, YOU MAY LAUGH; MEBBE ’TIS NOTHIN’ BUT SPORT TO YOUNG LEDDIES LIKE YOU’" "’OH, MISS FRANKLYN, I AM SO AWFULLY SORRY!’" "’OH, ROGER! HOW IS SHE?’ WHISPERED OLIVE" "MONICA GAZED IN UTTER ASTONISHMENT" *MONICA’S CHOICE.* *CHAPTER I.* *"I WISH CONRAD HAD NEVER LEFT HER WITH ME!"* "Tell Miss Monica I wish her to come to me _at once_, Barnes." The door closed silently after the retreating maid, and Mrs. Beauchamp sighed wearily. How often, lately, she had been obliged to send some such message to her wilful young granddaughter, and, how many more times would she have the same thing to do? Her aristocratic features wore a perturbed expression, as her slender fingers toyed mechanically with the many rings on her left hand; so great a responsibility was her only grandchild.