Civil War: His Sombre Rivals

CONTENTSCHAPTER I AN EMBODIMENT OF MAYCHAPTER II MERE FANCIESCHAPTER III THE VERDICT OF A SAGECHAPTER IV WARNING OR INCENTIVECHAPTER V IMPRESSIONSCHAPTER VI PHILOSOPHY AT FAULTCHAPTER VII WARREN HILLANDCHAPTER VIII SUPREME MOMENTSCHAPTER IX THE REVELATIONCHAPTER X THE KINSHIP OF SUFFERINGCHAPTER XI THE ORDEALCHAPTER XII FLIGHT TO NATURECHAPTER XIII THE FRIENDSCHAPTER XIV NOBLE DECEPTIONCHAPTER XV "I WISH HE HAD KNOWN"CHAPTER XVI THE CLOUD IN THE SOUTHCHAPTER XVII PREPARATIONCHAPTER XVIII THE CALL TO ARMSCHAPTER XIX THE BLOOD-RED SKYCHAPTER XX TWO BATTLESCHAPTER XXI THE LOGIC OF EVENTSCHAPTER XXII SELF-SENTENCEDCHAPTER XXIII AN EARLY DREAM FULFILLEDCHAPTER XXIV UNCHRONICLED CONFLICTSCHAPTER XXV A PRESENTIMENTCHAPTER XXVI AN IMPROVISED PICTURE GALLERYCHAPTER XXVII A DREAMCHAPTER XXVIII ITS FULFILMENTCHAPTER XXIX A SOUTHERN GIRLCHAPTER XXX GUERILLASCHAPTER XXXI JUST IN TIMECHAPTER XXXII A WOUNDED SPIRITCHAPTER XXXIII THE WHITE-HAIRED NURSECHAPTER XXXIV RITA'S BROTHERCHAPTER XXXV HIS SOMBRE RIVALSCHAPTER XXXVI ALL MATERIALISTSCHAPTER XXXVII THE EFFORT TO LIVECHAPTER XXXVIII GRAHAM'S LAST SACRIFICECHAPTER XXXIX MARRIED UNCONSCIOUSLYCHAPTER XL RITA ANDERSONCHAPTER XLI A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEMCHAPTER IAN EMBODIMENT OF MAY"Beyond that revolving light lies my home. And yet why should I use such a term when the best I can say is that a continent is my home? Home suggests a loved familiar nook in the great world. There is no such niche for me, nor can I recall any place around which my memory lingers with especial pleasure."In a gloomy and somewhat bitter mood, Alford Graham thus soliloquized as he paced the deck of an in-coming steamer. In explanation it may be briefly said that he had been orphaned early in life, and that the residences of his guardians had never been made homelike to him. While scarcely more than a child he had been placed at boarding-schools where the system and routine made the youth's life little better than that of a soldier in his barrack. Many boys would have grown hardy, aggressive, callous, and very possibly vicious from being thrown out on the world so early. Young Graham became reticent and to superficial observers shy. Those who cared to observe him closely, however, discovered that it was not diffidence, but indifference toward others that characterized his manner. In the most impressible period of his life he had received instruction, advice and discipline in abundance, but love and sympathy had been denied. Unconsciously his heart had become chilled, benumbed and overshadowed by his intellect. The actual world gave him little and seemed to promise less, and, as a result not at all unnatural, he became something of a recluse and bookworm even before he had left behind him the years of boyhood.Both comrades and teachers eventually learned that the retiring and solitary youth was not to be trifled with. He looked his instructor steadily in the eye when he recited, and while his manner was respectful, it was never deferential, nor could he be induced to yield a point, when believing himself in the right, to mere arbitrary assertion; and sometimes he brought confusion to his teacher by quoting in support of his own view some unimpeachable authority.....