A Man of Honor

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by the ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

TO MARION, MY WIFE.

[Illustration: "I'VE GOT YOU NOW."]

PREFACE.

I have long been curious to know whether or not I could write a pretty good story, and now that the publishers are about to send the usual press copies of this book to the critics I am in a fair way to have my curiosity on that point satisfied.

CONTENTS.

Chapter I.--Mr. Pagebrook gets up and Calls an Ancient Lawgiver 11

Chapter II.--Mr. Pagebrook is Invited to Breakfast 22

Chapter III.--Mr. Pagebrook Eats his Breakfast 26

Chapter IV.--Mr. Pagebrook Learns something about the Customs of the Country 35

Chapter V.--Mr. Pagebrook Makes Some Acquaintances 42

Chapter VI.--Mr. Pagebrook Makes a Good Impression 48

Chapter VII.--Mr. Pagebrook Learns Several Things 54

Chapter VIII.--Miss Sudie Makes an Apt Quotation 61

Chapter IX.--Mr. Pagebrook Meets an Acquaintance 65

Chapter X.--Chiefly Concerning "Foggy." 70

Chapter XI.--Mr. Pagebrook Rides 79

Chapter XII.--Mr. Pagebrook Dines with his Cousin Sarah Ann 84

Chapter XIII.--Concerning the Rivulets of Blue Blood 95

Chapter XIV.--Mr. Pagebrook Manages to be in at the Death 102

Chapter XV.--Some very Unreasonable Conduct 109

Chapter XVI.--What Occurred Next Morning 118

Chapter XVII.--In which Mr. Pagebrook Bids his Friends Good-by 123

Chapter XVIII.--Mr. Pagebrook Goes to Work 128

Chapter XIX.--A Short Chapter, not very interesting, perhaps, but of some Importance in the Story, as the Reader will probably discover after awhile 134

Chapter XX.--Cousin Sarah Ann Takes Robert's Part 138

Chapter XXI.--Miss Barksdale Expresses some Opinions 143

Chapter XXII.--Mr. Sharp Does His Duty 150

Chapter XXIII.--Mr. Pagebrook Takes a Lesson in the Law 158

Chapter XXIV.--Mr. Pagebrook Cuts himself loose from the Past and Plans a Future 163

Chapter XXV.--In which Miss Sudie Acts very Unreasonably 166

Chapter XXVI.--In which Miss Sudie Adopts the Socratic Method. 175

Chapter XXVII.--Mr. Pagebrook Accepts an Invitation to Lunch and another Invitation 181

Chapter XXVIII.--Major Pagebrook asserts himself 188

Chapter XXIX.--Mr. Barksdale, the Younger, Goes upon a Journey 198

Chapter XXX.--The younger Mr. Barksdale Asks to be put upon His Oath 204

Chapter XXXI.--Mr. William Barksdale Explains 208

Chapter XXXII.--Which Is also The Last 216

ILLUSTRATIONS.

"I've got You Now." Frontispiece.

Mr. Robert Pagebrook was "Blue." 13

"I fall at once into a Chronic State of Washing up Things." 57

"Foggy." 73

Cousin Sarah Ann 87

The Rivulets of Blue Blood 98

Miss Sudie declares herself "so glad." 116

"Let him Serve it at once, then." 156

"Very well, then." 194

"I'm as Proud and as Glad as a Boy with Red Morocco Tops to his Boots." 218

A MAN OF HONOR.

CHAPTER I.

Mr. Pagebrook gets up and calls an Ancient Lawgiver.

Mr. Robert Pagebrook was "blue." There was no denying the fact, and for the first time in his life he admitted it as he lay abed one September morning with his hands locked over the top of his head, while his shapely and muscular body was stretched at lazy length under a scanty covering of sheet. He was snappish too, as his faithful serving man had discovered upon knocking half an hour ago for entrance, and receiving a rather pointed and wholly unreasonable injunction to "go about his business," his sole business lying just then within the precincts of Mr. Robert Pagebrook's room, to which he was thus denied admittance. The old servant had obeyed to the best of his ability, going not about his business but away from it, wondering meanwhile what had come over the young gentleman, whom he had never found moody before.