Transcriber’s Note. In this text version of “Signing the Contract”: words in italics are marked with _underscores_ words in small capitals are shown in UPPERCASE. Variant spelling has been retained, as has inconsistent hyphenation. Simple typographical errors have been corrected. The Table of Contents was added by the Transcriber. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. A WANDERER 7 II. RESCUED 19 III. ONE FOR LIFE 28 IV. A STRANGE REVELATION 35 V. BETROTHED 45 VI. THE SEARCH 52 VII. A WICKED SUGGESTION 58 VIII. MRS. ALDEN AN ABETTOR 66 IX. WHAT ESPY SAID ABOUT IT 74 X. FLOY’S RESOLVE 77 XI. LOVE AND PRIDE 82 XII. “LOST! LOST! LOST!” 87 XIII. FLOY’S QUEST 92 XIV. A RIFT IN THE CLOUD 95 XV. ALONE 103 XVI. INITIATED 112 XVII. HETTY TO THE RESCUE 120 XVIII. A CRUEL BLOW 128 XIX. A GREAT SURPRISE 138 XX. A SUDDEN SUMMONS 146 XXI. GHOSTS OF THE PAST 157 XXII. REMORSE 169 XXIII. OLD FRIENDS AND NEW 181 XXIV. GILDED MISERY 192 XXV. STITCH, STITCH, STITCH 197 XXVI. THE MADAME AT HER SOLICITOR’S 207 XXVII. THE LONG-LOST DEED 214 XXVIII. MESSRS. TREDICK & SERVER 222 XXIX. A THORNY ROSE 230 XXX. PANSY 234 XXXI. A WONDROUS CHANGE 241 XXXII. ETHEL AT HOME 248 XXXIII. A LETTER, A STORY, AND A PROMISE 255 XXXIV. THE MADAME’S CONFESSION 259 XXXV. A FLITTING 272 XXXVI. REUNITED 283 XXXVII. LOVE’S POSY 296 XXXVIII. “FOUND! FOUND! FOUND!” 307 XXXIX. THE MADAME’S QUEST IS ENDED 319 XL. THE CUP OVERFLOWS 326 XLI. AFTER THE RAIN, SUNLIGHT; AFTER THE STORM, A CALM. 331 SIGNING THE CONTRACT. AND WHAT IT COST. BY MARTHA FINLEY, AUTHOR OF THE “ELSIE BOOKS,” “WANTED--A PEDIGREE,” “MILDRED KEITH,” ETC., ETC. “The web of our life is of a manifold yarn, good and ill together.” SHAKESPEARE. NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. COPYRIGHT, 1879, BY DODD, MEAD & COMPANY. SIGNING THE CONTRACT. CHAPTER I. A WANDERER. “Lost! lost! lost!”