THE TRACY DIAMONDS BY MRS. MARY J. HOLMES AUTHOR OF “TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE,” “’LENA RIVERS,” “THE ENGLISH ORPHANS,” “PAUL RALSTON,” “GRETCHEN,” ETC., ETC. [Illustration: logo] NEW YORK _G. W. Dillingham Co., Publishers_ MDCCCXCIX COPYRIGHT, 1898, 1899, BY MRS. MARY J. HOLMES, [_All rights reserved_.] _The Tracy Diamonds._ CONTENTS. PART ONE. CHAPTER PAGE I. The Prospect House 7 II. The Cause of the Battle 15 III. Uncle Zach and Craig Mason 24 IV. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton 32 V. The Tragedy 36 VI. Expected Guests 49 VII. The Tracys 57 VIII. Alice 67 IX. Waiting for T’other One 78 X. Alice and Jeff 83 XI. Alice and Craig 91 XII. A Coquette 98 XIII. On the North Piazza 105 XIV. The Diamonds 115 XV. The Drive 121 XVI. The Return Home 132 XVII. Progress 138 XVIII. Browning 144 XIX. What Time Told 157 XX. In the Haunted House 168 XXI. The Denouement 180 XXII. What Followed 189 XXIII. The Close of the Season 204 XXIV. Craig’s Visit 212 XXV. In the Red School House 216 XXVI. The Last Act of Part One 222