THE DAREDEVIL By MARIA THOMPSON DAVIESS Author of "The Melting of Molly," "Miss Selina Lue," "Over Paradise Ridge, etc." 1916 [Illustration] Frontispiece from Painting by E. Sophonisba Hergesheimer To Jessie Morson Grahame Who expects "the best" of me CONTENTS I SPARKLING WAVES OVER HIGH EXPLOSIVES II VIVE LA FRANCE! III THAT MR. G. SLADE OF DETROIT IV THE IMPOSSIBLE UNCLE ROBERT V "HERE'S MY BOY, GOVERNOR" VI "WE BOTH NEED YOU" VII THE GIRL BUNCH VIII IN THE DRESS OF MAGNIFICENCE IX "O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE--" X VITRIOL AND THE HOODOO XI BUSINESS AND PIE XII THE BEAUTIFUL MADAM WHITWORTH XIII BROTHERS BY BLOODSHED XIV TO BEAR MEN AND TO SAVE THEM XV "BEHOLD, I AM A SPY!" XVI "IMMEDIATELY I COME TO YOU!" XVII THE TALL TIMBERS OF OLD HARPETH XVIII THE CAMP HEAVEN XIX ALL IS LOST XX "YOU ARE--MYSELF!" CHAPTER I SPARKLING WAVES OVER HIGH EXPLOSIVES Was there ever a woman who did not very greatly desire for herself, at long moments, the doublet and hose of a man, perhaps also his sword, as well as his attitude in the viewing of life? I think not. To a very small number of those ladies of great curiosity it has been granted that they climb to those ramparts of the life of a man; but it was needful that they be stout of limb and sturdy of heart to sustain themselves upon that eminence and not be dashed below upon the rocks of a strange land. I, Roberta, Marquise de Grez and Bye, have obtained glimpses into a far country and this is what I bring on returning, not as a spy, but, shall I say, laden with spices and forbidden fruit? And for me it has been a very fine dash into the wilds of a land of strangeness, and I do not know that I have yet found myself completely returned unto my estate of a woman. I first began to realize that I was set out upon a great journey when I stood at the rail of the very large ship and watched it plow its way through the waves which they told us with their splendor hid cruel mines. I felt the future might be like unto those great waves, and it might be that it would break in sparkling crests over high explosives. I found them! I had seen a fear of those explosives of life come in my dying father's eyes, and here I stood at his command out on the ocean in quest of a woman's fate in a strange country.