The Ball of Fire [Illustration: For an instant the brown eyes and the blue ones met] The Ball of Fire By George Randolph Chester and Lillian Chester [Illustration] Illustrated Hearst’s International Library Co. New York 1914 Copyright, 1914, by THE RED BOOK CORPORATION Copyright, 1914, by HEARST’S INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY CO., INC. _All Rights reserved, including the translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I NO PLACE FOR SENTIMENT 1 II “WHY?” 9 III THE CHANGE IN THE RECTOR’S EYES 22 IV TOO MANY MEN 35 V EDWARD E. ALLISON TAKES A VACATION 47 VI THE IMPULSIVE YOUNG MAN FROM HOME 59 VII THEY HAD ALREADY SPOILED HER! 70 VIII STILL PIECING OUT THE WORLD 80 IX THE MINE FOR THE GOLDEN ALTAR 88 X THE STORM CENTER OF MAGNETIC ATTRACTION 98 XI “GENTLEMEN, THERE IS YOUR EMPIRE!” 111 XII GAIL SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF VEDDER COURT 123 XIII THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 135 XIV THE FREE AND ENTIRELY UNCURBED 150 XV BUT WHY WAS SHE LONESOME? 158 XVI GAIL AT HOME 167 XVII SOMETHING HAPPENS TO GERALD FOSLAND 178 XVIII THE MESSAGE FROM NEW YORK 187 XIX THE RECTOR KNOWS 199 XX THE BREED OF GAIL 212 XXI THE PUBLIC IS AROUSED 221 XXII THE REV. SMITH BOYD PROTESTS 231 XXIII A SERIES OF GAIETIES 240 XXIV THE MAKER OF MAPS 250 XXV A QUESTION OF EUGENICS 262 XXVI AN EMPIRE AND AN EMPRESS 271 XXVII ALLISON’S PRIVATE AND PARTICULAR DEVIL 281 XXVIII LOVE 289 XXIX GAIL FIRST! 299 XXX THE FLUTTER OF A SHEET OF MUSIC 309 XXXI GAIL BREAKS A PROMISE 315 XXXII GERALD FOSLAND MAKES A SPEECH 325