Produced by 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.) [Illustration: A SWIFT, ERECT FIGURE STEPPED INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD _Page 101_] THE ORDEAL A MOUNTAIN ROMANCE OF TENNESSEE BY CHARLES EGBERT CRADDOCK AUTHOR OF "THE RAID OF THE GUERILLA," "THE PROPHET OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS," "THE FAIR MISSISSIPPIAN," ETC. WITH A FRONTISPIECE IN COLOR BY DOUGLAS DUER PHILADELPHIA & LONDON J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 1912 COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, 1912 PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A. Transcriber's Notes: This paragraph in Chapter II. is obviously a printer's error: Here they found a change of sentiment prevailing. Although failing in no observance of courtesy, Mrs. Briscoe had been a little less than complaisant toward the departed guest. This had been vaguely perceptible to Briscoe at the time, but now she gency constrained him. In addition, a Table of Contents has been created for the convenience of the reader. Contents I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. THE ORDEAL I.