Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net The Comings of Cousin Ann The Comings of Cousin Ann By Emma Speed Sampson Author of "Mammy's White Folks" "Billy and the Major" "Miss Minerva's Baby" "The Shorn Lamb" [Illustration] Reilly & Lee Co. Chicago Printed in the United States of America Copyright, 1923 by The Reilly & Lee Co. All Rights Reserved The Comings of Cousin Ann CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I The Veterans of Ryeville 9 II Cousin Ann at Buck Hill 20 III Cousin Ann is Affronted 32 IV The Energy of Judith 44 V Uncle Billy's Diplomacy 58 VI A Question of Kinship 68 VII Judith Makes a Hit 77 VIII Cousin Ann Looks Backward 89 IX The Veterans' Big Secret 98 X Judith Scores Again 111 XI A Surprise for Cinderella 123 XII Jeff Gives a Pledge 136 XIII The Debut Party 144 XIV On With the Dance 156 XV Cinderella Revealed 165 XVI The Morning After 176 XVII Uncle Billy Makes a Call 185 XVIII A Cavalier O'erthrown 193 XIX Miss Ann Moves On 202 XX A Heart-Warming Welcome 212 XXI The Clan in Conclave 220 XXII A Great Transformation 228 XXIII The Lost Is Found 237 XXIV Blessings Begin to Flow 251 XXV Uncle Billy Smiles 262 The Comings of Cousin Ann CHAPTER I The Veterans of Ryeville Ryeville had rather prided itself on having the same population--about three thousand--for the last fifty years. That is the oldest inhabitants had, but the newer generation was for expansion in spite of tradition, and Ryeville awoke one morning, after the census taker had been busying himself, to find itself five thousand strong and still growing.