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  HEART'S DESIRE

  The Story of a Contented Town, Certain Peculiar Citizens, and TwoFortunate Lovers

  A Novel by EMERSON HOUGH

  Author of _The Mississippi Bubble_, _The Law of the Land_, _The Girl atthe Half Way House_, etc

  [Frontispiece: "He looked up--to see _her_ standing at his door!"]

  New YorkGrosset & DunlapPublishersCopyright, 1903, 1904, 1905, BY THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.Copyright, 1903, BY OUT WEST COMPANY.Copyright, 1905, BY THE RIDGWAY-THAYER COMPANY.Copyright, 1905, BY EMERSON HOUGH.Copyright, 1905, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 1905. Reprinted November,1905: January, April, 1907; November, 1908.Norwood PressJ. B. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co.Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I

  THE LAND OF HEART'S DESIRE

  _This being in Part the Story of Curly, the Can of Oysters, and theGirl from Kansas_

  CHAPTER II

  THE DINNER AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This continuing the Relation of Curly, the Can of Oysters, and theGirl from Kansas; and introducing Others_

  CHAPTER III

  TRANSGRESSION AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Beginning the Cause Celebre which arose from Curly's killing the Pigof the Man from Kansas_

  CHAPTER IV

  THE LAW AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Continuing the Story of the Pig from Kansas, and the Deep Damnation ofhis Taking Off_

  CHAPTER V

  EDEN AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This being the Story of a Paradise; also showing the ExceedingLoneliness of Adam_

  CHAPTER VI

  EVE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _How the Said Eve arrived on the Same Stage with Eastern Capital, tothe Interest of All, and the Embarrassment of Some_

  CHAPTER VII

  TEMPTATION AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Showing how Paradise was lost through the Strange Performance of aCraven Adam_

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE CORPORATION AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This being the Story of a Parrot, Certain Twins, and a Pair of CandyLegs_

  CHAPTER IX

  CIVILIZATION AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _How the Men of Heart's Desire surrendered to the Softening Seductionsof Croquet and Other Pastimes_

  CHAPTER X

  ART AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _How Tom Osby, Common Carrier, caused Trouble with a Portable AnnieLaurie_

  CHAPTER XI

  OPERA AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Telling how Two Innocent Travellers by Mere Chance collided with aSide-tracked Star_

  CHAPTER XII

  THE PRICE OF HEART'S DESIRE

  _Concerning Goods, their Value, and the Delivery of the Same_

  CHAPTER XIII

  BUSINESS AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This describing Porter Barkley's Method with a Man, and Tom Osby's Waywith a Maid_

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE GROUND FLOOR AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Proposing Certain Wonders of Modern Progress, as wrought by EasternCapital and Able Corporation Counsel_

  CHAPTER XV

  SCIENCE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This being the Story of a Cow Puncher, an Osteopath, and a Cross-eyedHorse_

  CHAPTER XVI

  THE PARTITION OF HEART'S DESIRE

  _Concerning Real Estate, Love, Friendship, and Other Good and ValuableConsiderations_

  CHAPTER XVII

  TREASON AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Showing the Dilemma of Dan Anderson, the Doubt of Leading Citizens,and the Artless Performance of a Pastoral Prevaricator_

  CHAPTER XVIII

  THE MEETING AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _How Benevolent Assimilation was checked by Unexpected Events_

  CHAPTER XIX

  COMMERCE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Showing Wonders of the Thirst of McGinnis, and the Faith of Whitemanthe Jew_

  CHAPTER XX

  MEDICINE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _How the Girl from the States kept the Set of Twins from being broken_

  CHAPTER XXI

  JUSTICE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _The Story of a Sheriff and Some Bad Men; showing also a Day's Work,and a Man's Medicine_

  CHAPTER XXII

  ADVENTURE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _The Strange Story of the King of Gee-Whiz, and his Unusual Experiencein Foreign Parts_

  CHAPTER XXIII

  PHILOSOPHY AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _Showing further the Uncertainty of Human Events, and the ExceedingResourcefulness of Mr. Thomas Osby_

  CHAPTER XXIV

  THE CONSPIRACY AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _This being the Story of a Sheepherder, Two Warm Personal Friends, andtheir Love-letter to a Beautiful Queen_

  CHAPTER XXV

  ROMANCE AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _The Pleasing Recountal of an Absent Knight, a Gentle Lady, and anAnanias with Spurs_

  CHAPTER XXVI

  THE GIRL AT HEART'S DESIRE

  _The Story of a Surprise, a Success, and Something Else Very MuchBetter_

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  Frontispiece: "He looked up--to see _her_ standing at his door!"

  "'The umpire decides that you've got to check your guns during thegame.'"

  "A voice which sang of a face that was the fairest, and of a dark blueeye."

  "'Something has got to be did, and did mighty blame quick.'"