Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE BOOK OF SUSAN _A Novel_ BY LEE WILSON DODD [Illustration] "_Though she track the wilds, Though she breast the crags, Choosing no path-- Her kirtle tears not, Her ankles gleam, Her sandals are silver._" NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 681 FIFTH AVENUE COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY _All Rights Reserved_ _First printing April, 1920_ _Second printing April, 1920_ _Third printing June, 1920_ _Fourth printing June, 1920_ _Fifth printing July, 1920_ _Sixth printing July, 1920_ _Seventh printing August, 1920_ _Eighth printing August, 1920_ _Ninth printing August, 1920_ _Tenth printing August, 1920_ _Eleventh printing August, 1920_ _Twelfth printing August, 1920_ Printed in the United States of America JOSEPHI FRATRIBUS NON QUOD VOLUI SED QUOD POTUI CONTENTS PAGE THE FIRST CHAPTER 1 THE SECOND CHAPTER 24 THE THIRD CHAPTER 62 THE FOURTH CHAPTER 131 THE FIFTH CHAPTER 153 THE SIXTH CHAPTER 221 THE LAST CHAPTER 238 THE BOOK OF SUSAN THE FIRST CHAPTER I IT happens that I twice saw Susan's mother, one of those soiled rags of humanity used by careless husbands for wiping their boots; but Susan does not remember her. John Stuart Mill studied Greek at three, and there is a Russian author who recalls being weaned as the first of his many bitter experiences. Either Susan's mental life did not waken so early or the record has faded. She remembers only the consolate husband, her father; remembers him only too well. The backs of his square, angry-looking hands were covered with an unpleasant growth of reddish bristles; his nostrils were hairy, too, and seemed formed by Nature solely for the purpose of snorting with wrath. It must not be held against Susan that she never loved her father; he was not created to inspire the softer emotions. Nor am I altogether certain just why he was created at all. Nevertheless, Robert Blake was in his soberer hours--say, from Tuesdays to Fridays--an expert mechanic, thoroughly conversant with the interior lack of economy of most makes of automobiles. He had charge of the repair department of the Eureka Garage, New Haven, where my not-too-robust touring car of those primitive days spent, during the spring of 1907, many weeks of interesting and expensive invalidism. I forget how many major operations it underwent.