BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS BEST LAID SCHEMES THE MAN IN THE STREET BLACKSHEEP! BLACKSHEEP! LADY LARKSPUR THE MADNESS OF MAY THE VALLEY OF DEMOCRACY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS BY MEREDITH NICHOLSON MEREDITH NICHOLSON NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS 1923 Copyright, 1923, by CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS Copyright, 1923, by THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE CO. Printed in the United States of America Published October, 1923 Copyright, 1923, by Copyright, 1923, by TO FRANK SCOTT COREY WICKS TO FRANK SCOTT COREY WICKS THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS [1] THE HOPE OF HAPPINESS CHAPTER ONE I Bruce Storrs stood up tall and straight on a prostrate sycamore, the sunlight gleaming upon his lithe, vigorous body, and with a quick, assured lifting of the arms plunged into the cool depths of the river. He rose and swam with long, confident strokes the length of a pool formed by the curving banks and returned to the log, climbing up with the same ease and grace that marked his swimming. He dashed the water from his eyes and pressed his deeply-tanned hands over