[Illustration: “That was his sleeping room when he lived here.” _Frontispiece._ _Page 36._ The Abandoned Farm. ] The Abandoned Farm and Connie’s Mistake By Mrs. Mary J. Holmes Author of “Tempest and Sunshine,” “Lena Rivers,” etc. [Illustration: logo] G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK THE ABANDONED FARM, Copyright, 1902 and 1905 CONNIE’S MISTAKE, Copyright, 1901 and 1905 BY MRS. MARY J. HOLMES (_Issued October, 1905_) The Abandoned Farm Connie’s Mistake CONTENTS PART I THE ABANDONED FARM CHAPTER PAGE I. ALEX. MARSH 9 II. ALEX.’S LETTERS 16 III. ALEX. AND THE PLEDGERS 23 IV. THE ABANDONED FARM 31 V. SHERRY 39 VI. THE INTERVIEW 48 VII. MAPLEHURST 57 VIII. THE ARRIVAL 65 IX. THE FIRST EVENING AT MAPLEHURST 75 X. THE CEDAR CHEST 87 XI. THE FANCY DANCE 97 XII. THE SOMNAMBULIST 112 XIII. FINDING THE WRONG 130 XIV. RIGHTING THE WRONG 141 PART II CONNIE’S MISTAKE I. THE 4 CORNERS 153 II. KENNETH AND HARRY 160 III. EXPECTING CONNIE 170 IV. CONNIE 179 V. CONNIE’S CHRISTMAS 187 VI. THE MORRISES 199 VII. GOOD-BYE 209 VIII. AFTER MANY YEARS 216 IX. THE HOUSE PARTY 224 X. AT INTERLAKEN 243 XI. CONNIE’S ARRIVAL 255 XII. CONNIE’S ILLNESS 260 XIII. CONNIE’S SECRET 270 XIV. MRS. HARRY MORRIS 278 XV. THE PHOTOGRAPH 286 XVI. KENNETH AND HARRY 293 XVII. LIFE AND DEATH 306 XVIII. WINDING UP 313