Chapter I: Front Matter

BERTHA’S ENGAGEMENT.

BY

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.

AUTHOR OF “BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE,” “FASHION AND FAMINE,” “MABEL’S
MISTAKE,” “THE OLD COUNTESS,” “RUBY GRAY’S STRATEGY,” “THE REIGNING
BELLS,” “LORD HOPE’S CHOICE,” “MARRIED IN HASTE,” “WIVES AND WIDOWS,”
“MARY DERWENT,” “THE SOLDIER’S ORPHANS,” “THE REJECTED WIFE,” “THE OLD
HOMESTEAD,” “A NOBLE WOMAN,” “THE CURSE OF GOLD,” “THE GOLD BRICK,”
“DOUBLY FALSE,” “PALACES AND PRISONS,” “THE HEIRESS,” “SILENT
STRUGGLES,” “WIFE’S SECRET.”

_Genius completes itself when God has given
His own sweet heart flowers to the human soul.—
The gentle voice, the smile that speaks of Heaven,
Those human sympathies whose soft control
Blends gentleness with power, all these combined,
Make perfect grandeur in the human mind.
Bereft of goodness, gifts that seem divine
Are ashes cast upon a fireless shrine._

PHILADELPHIA:
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
306 CHESTNUT STREET.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS’ WORKS.

Each work is complete in one volume, 12mo.

_BERTHA’S ENGAGEMENT._
_BELLEHOOD AND BONDAGE; or, Bought With A Price._
_LORD HOPE’S CHOICE; or, More Secrets Than One._
_THE OLD COUNTESS. Sequel to Lord Hope’s Choice._
_THE HEIRESS; or, The Gipsy’s Legacy._
_A NOBLE WOMAN; or, A Gulf Between Them._
_PALACES AND PRISONS; or, The Prisoner of the Bastile._
_WIVES AND WIDOWS; or, The Broken Life._
_RUBY GRAY’S STRATEGY; or, Married By Mistake._
_FASHION AND FAMINE._
_THE CURSE OF GOLD; or, The Bound Girl and Wife’s Trials._
_MABEL’S MISTAKE; or, The Lost Jewels._
_SILENT STRUGGLES; or, Barbara Stafford._
_THE WIFE’S SECRET; or, Gillian._
_THE REJECTED WIFE; or, The Ruling Passion._
_THE OLD HOMESTEAD; or, The Pet From The Poor House._
_DOUBLY FALSE; or, Alike and Not Alike._
_THE REIGNING BELLE._
_MARRIED IN HASTE._
_THE SOLDIER’S ORPHANS._
_MARY DERWENT._
_THE GOLD BRICK._

Price of each, $1.75 in Cloth; or $1.50 in Paper Cover.

Above books are for sale by all Booksellers. Copies of any one, or all of the above books, will be sent to any one, to any place, postage pre-paid, on receipt of their price by the Publishers,

T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
306 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

TO

MY BROTHER,

THE HON. JOHN H. WINTERBOTHAM,
OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA,

THE PLAYMATE OF MY CHILDHOOD, THE FAITHFUL FRIEND OF MY
RIPER YEARS,

AND NOW,

AS THE EVENING OF LIFE IS DRAWING UPON US BOTH,
FAR DEARER TO ME THAN EVER,

I MOST AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE THIS VOLUME.

ANN S. STEPHENS.

ST. CLOUD HOTEL, NEW YORK,
_April 28, 1875_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE
I.— THE OLD WOODEN BRIDGE 25
II.— GRATITUDE 36
III.— AFTER THE STORM 42
IV.— THE COUNTRY TAVERN 52
V.— THE DANGEROUS CONFIDANT 58
VI.— BACK TO HER WORK 63
VII.— THE MAN OF DESTINY 69
VIII.— A BITTER CONTEST 80
IX.— BEYOND ENDURANCE 88
X.— LOATHING HER VICTORY 91
XI.— THE BIRD AND THE SERPENT 95
XII.— THE STAGE-COACH 101
XIII.— THE LETTER WRITTEN 106
XIV.— THE SUDDEN ENLIGHTENMENT 109
XV.— LYDIA AND BEN 114
XVI.— LOVE 119
XVII.— BURYING BEN 122
XVIII.— WALDON 134
XIX.— WHY DON’T HE COME? 137
XX.— PARTING ON THE WHARF 142
XXI.— THE FIRST LETTER 147
XXII.— AFTER-SUPPER CONVERSATION 151
XXIII.— FAINTING FITS 160
XXIV.— THE FRUIT FESTIVAL 167
XXV.— HUMBLE FRIENDS 172
XXVI.— IN THE CANOE 177
XXVII.— MEETING ON THE PRECIPICE 182
XXVIII.— VITAL QUESTIONS 188
XXIX.— STRICKEN DOWN 194
XXX.— GATHERING SCANDAL 200
XXXI.— BERTHA’S FIRST BALL 204
XXXII.— UNDER THE WILLOW 212
XXXIII.— THE PIOUS FRAUD 221
XXXIV.— HE TOLD HER THAT HE LOVED HER 229
XXXV.— AN OLD WOMAN’S PASSION 239
XXXVI.— THE REVELATION 246
XXXVII.— SOFTENING INFLUENCES 254
XXXVIII.— LOVE’S DEFEAT 259
XXXIX.— WAS SHE DEAD? 265
XL.— CHRISTIAN CHARITY 268
XLI.— CAST UPON THE WATERS 274
XLII.— THE OLD LOVE 278
XLIII.— MIDNIGHT IN MRS. FORBES’ LIBRARY 281
XLIV.— BURNED LETTERS 287
XLV.— BERTHA AND FLETCHER 295
XLVI.— A DOUBLE EXPLANATION 301
XLVII.— AMONG THE FLOWERS 308
XLVIII.— GOING AWAY 312
XLIX.— LYDIA’S FIRST LETTER 317
L.— THE TOLLING BELL 322
LI.— THE FIREFLY AND KATYDID 327
LII.— DOWN BY THE SPRING 332
LIII.— THE CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS 339
LIV.— THE MOTHER’S STRUGGLE 346
LV.— DID HE LOVE HER? 350
LVI.— MRS. CANFIELD’S SECRET 354
LVII.— THE HEART OF STONE 361
LVIII.— SEARCHING A HEART 369
LIX.— THE HOUR OF PARTING 374
LX.— AT THE OLD HOMESTEAD 378
LXI.— A GLOOMY HOUSEHOLD 382
LXII.— DESPAIRING PRAYERS 386
LXIII.— THE MOTHER’S LAST SACRIFICE 391
LXIV.— ALL ALONE WITH DEATH 396
LXV.— THE NEW LOVE 404
LXVI.— THE FUNERAL, AND BERTHA’S LETTER 413
LXVII.— THE ANSWER AT LAST 417
LXVIII.— MRS. WILSON FORBES HAS A VISITOR 421
LXIX.— DIAMOND ISLAND 429
LXX.— BERTHA AND WALDON MEET AGAIN 434
LXXI.— THE LOST DREAM 441
LXXII.— A YOUNG GIRL’S CONFIDENCES 445
LXXIII.— THE STORMY DINNER 452
LXXIV.— ON THE LOG BRIDGE 461
LXXV.— JUST A LITTLE APOLOGY 467
LXXVI.— THE RESCUED LETTER 471
LXXVII.— THE WEDDING AT WILLOW BEND 475
LXXVIII.— BERTHA HEARS OF THE CHALLENGE 481
LXXIX.— OUT IN THE STORM 484
LXXX.— IN THE BRIDAL CHAMBER 489
LXXXI.— THE NIGHT BEFORE THE DUEL 495
LXXXII.— USELESS STRUGGLES 499
LXXXIII.— UPON THE DUELLING GROUND 504
LXXXIV.— WATER LILIES 509
LXXXV.— HIMSELF AGAIN 517
LXXXVI.— THAT LETTER AGAIN 521
LXXXVII.— ANOTHER BLOW 528
LXXXVIII.— THE TORN NEWSPAPER 534
LXXXIX.— THE EMPTY PISTOL-CASE 539
XC.— THE SERVANTS’ FESTIVAL 542
XCI.— THE LETTER 546
XCII.— THREE WEDDINGS 551

BERTHA’S ENGAGEMENT.