Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) The BROKEN GATE _A NOVEL_ BY EMERSON HOUGH AUTHOR OF "THE MAN NEXT DOOR," "THE MAGNIFICENT ADVENTURE," "54 deg. 40' OR FIGHT," "THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE," ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY M. LEONE BRACKER D. APPLETON and COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY EMERSON HOUGH COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE PICTORIAL REVIEW COMPANY Printed in the United States of America TO ARTHUR T. VANCE FAITHFUL AND KINDLY COUNSELOR [Illustration: He felt her hands resting on his head as though in shelter.] CONTENTS I. THE HOMECOMING OF DIEUDONNE LANE II. AURORA LANE III. TWO MOTHERS IV. IN OPEN COURT V. CLOSED DOORS VI. THE DIVIDING LINE VII. AT MIDNIGHT VIII. THE EXTRAORDINARY HORACE BROOKS IX. THE OTHER WOMAN CONCERNED X. THE MURDER XI. IN THE NAME OF THE LAW XII. ANNE OGLESBY XIII. "AS YOU BELIEVE IN GOD!" XIV. AURORA AND ANNE XV. THE ANGELS AND MISS JULIA XVI. HORACE BROOKS, ATTORNEY AT LAW XVII. AT CHURCH XVIII. AT THE COUNTY JAIL XIX. THE MOB XX. THE IDIOT XXI. A TRUE BILL XXII. MISS JULIA XXIII. THE STATE _VS._ DIEUDONNE LANE XXIV. THE SACKCLOTH OF SPRING VALLEY XXV. BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS He felt her hands resting on his head as though in Shelter. "Your Honor," said he, "I presume I am the defendant in this case." "I was kissing you and saying good-by ... when Miss Julia came in----" "Anne! What made you come?" The BROKEN GATE CHAPTER I THE HOMECOMING OF DIEUDONNE LANE "Eejit! My son John! Whip ary man in Jackson County! Whoop! Come along! Who'll fight old Eph Adamson?" The populace of Spring Valley, largely assembled in the shade of the awnings which served as shelter against an ardent June sun, remained cold to the foregoing challenge. It had been repeated more than once by a stout, middle-aged man in shirt sleeves and a bent straw hat, who still turned a truculent gaze this side and that, taking in the straggling buildings which lined the public square--a quadrangle which had for its center the brick courthouse, surrounded by a plat of scorched and faded greensward. At his side walked a taller though younger man, grinning amiably. The audience remained indifferent, although the challenger now shifted his position to the next path leading out to a street entrance; and repeated this until he had quite traversed the square. Only, at the farther corner back of him, a woman paused as she entered the courthouse inclosure--paused and turned back as she caught sight of the challenger and heard his raucous summons, although evidently she had been hurrying upon some errand.