SPELLBINDERS MARGARET CULKIN BANNING SPELLBINDERS BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC. NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY THE METROPOLITAN PUBLICATIONS, INC. SPELLBINDERS. II PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO MY FATHER WILLIAM E. CULKIN WHO HAS TAUGHT ME OF POLITICS AND PHILOSOPHY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I AT THE BROWNLEYS’ 11 II FREDA 30 III ON THE STUMP 36 IV CITY MICE 45 V A HUSBAND 64 VI MARGARET 76 VII AN UGLY GLIMPSE 87 VIII ADVENTURE 97 IX WORK FOR FREDA 108 X THE CLEAN WIND 116 XI NEWSPAPER CUTS 126 XII GREGORY LECTURES 135 XIII LIFE ENTRUSTED 141 XIV WHAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED 152 XV THE CONVENTION 174 XVI MR. SABLE STARTS SOMETHING 188 XVII GAGE FINISHES IT 207 XVIII IN HOSPITAL 220 XIX MENTAL SURGERY 229 XX BARBARA BREAKS LOOSE 243 XXI WALTER’S SOLUTION 259 XXII THE MOURNERS 272 XXIII RESPITE 278 SPELLBINDERS CHAPTER I AT THE BRONWLEYS’ I Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall. “I’m quite excited,” she said. “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her. She really must come to stay with us, Gage.” “If you like. I’m not so keen.” “Afraid of strong-minded women?”