[Illustration: “He has four thousand more we can have.” Frontispiece—Page 77. ] The Merivale Banks BY MARY J. HOLMES [Illustration: [Logo]] G. W. DILLINGHAM COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1900, 1903. BY MRS. MARY J. HOLMES. [_All rights reserved._] _The Merivale Banks._ _Issued September, 1903._ [Illustration: [Logo]] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The Banks 5 II. Herbert and Louie 16 III. Invitations for the Party 34 IV. The Morning of the Party 42 V. The Run 50 VI. Louie Comes to the Rescue 71 VII. The Judge 83 VIII. Louie and Fred 91 IX. The Party 104 X. On the Grey Piazza 121 XI. Keeping the Secret 132 XII. Mr. Grey 155 XIII. The Crash 177 XIV. Louie’s Courage 199 XV. The Session 215 XVI. Severing the Tie 223 XVII. The Shadow of Death 233 XVIII. Mr. Grey’s Story 248 XIX. The End and After 256 XX. On the Other Side 269 XXI. At the Savoy 281 XXII. In Paris 290 XXIII. Louie and Miss Percy 299 XXIV. At Home 309 The Merivale Banks CHAPTER I THE BANKS