Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: _VIRGINIA DALE_] THE TRIUMPH OF VIRGINIA DALE BY JOHN FRANCIS, JR. WITH A FRONTISPIECE IN FULL COLOR FROM A PAINTING BY W. HASKELL COFFIN AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS FROM DRAWINGS BY JOHN GOSS BOSTON THE PAGE COMPANY MDCCCCXXI Copyright, 1921 By The Page Company All rights reserved Entered at Stationers' Hall, London First Impression, August, 1921 THE COLONIAL PRESS C. H. SIMONDS CO., BOSTON, U. S. A. DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER CONTENTS Chapter Page I HER MISSION IN LIFE 1 II THE MISSION BEGUN 17 III UNGIVEN ADVICE 29 IV THOSE DARKIES AGAIN 37 V ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN 45 VI IKE EXPLAINS 59 VII JOE PROVES INTERESTING 74 VIII ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY 97 IX HEZEKIAH HAS A SOLUTION 118 X AN AFTERNOON OFF 143 XI OLD HEARTS MADE YOUNG 161 XII MORE TROUBLE 183 XIII VIRGINIA HELPS AGAIN 195 XIV AN OUTING AND AN ACCIDENT 209 XV A MAN IN DISGRACE 236 XVI VIRGINIA MUST GO 262 XVII A FRIEND IN NEED 276 XVIII AUNT KATE LENDS A HAND 292 XIX OBADIAH "COMES-TO" 308 XX HIS JOURNEY'S END 330 XXI THE TRIUMPH 339 XXII NOBODY HOME, MR. DEVIL 353 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Virginia Dale (in full color) Frontispiece "This request appeared to require deep thought" 155 "'I must choose between your way and the way of my Mother'" 251 "'I think that I shall love it,' she said softly" 261 "'You are my sweetheart,' the brazen Helen told him" 297 THE TRIUMPH OF VIRGINIA DALE CHAPTER I HER MISSION IN LIFE