Mysterious Wedding Ring — Georgie Sheldon

Florence Richardson finally agrees to a clandestine marriage to Walter Leighton. Walter is detained and unable to attend the marriage ceremony, and it takes place without him! That someone else has assumed his role as bridegroom during the ceremony is discovered only by Florence after the vows, and she collapses in a dead swoon. Did it actually occur - was it reality? Yes, for she still possesses a very peculiar ring!Written by Mrs. Georgie Sheldon (Sarah Elizabeth Forbush Downs 1843???1926), and copyright 1897 by Street and Smith.Transcribed and edited by Jeffrey Merrow. 116,000 words.CONTENTS. I. - A Temptation, and Its Result. II. - A Secret Marriage. III. - An Unexpected Contretemps. IV. - The Disappointed Bridegroom. V. - A Spirited Interview. VI. - A Mysterious Ring. VII. - A Startling Tableau. VIII. - An Impending Disaster. IX. - A Waif's Story. X. - The Man in the Street. XI. - A Bid for a Fortune. XII. - The New Baronet. XIII. - The California Beauty. XIV. - An Ambitious Young Woman. XV. - A Traitor's Crime. XVI. - A Crafty Scheme. XVII. - A Submissive Patient. XVIII. - In Rome. XIX. - An Unexpected Encounter. XX. - In the Shadow of the Balcony. XXI. - A Frustrated Scheme. XXII. - If I Be I, Then Who are You? XXIII. - A Lover's Cowardly Threat. XXIV. - A Gratifying Discovery. XXV. - The Brink of a Precipice. XXVI. - A Face to Face Meeting. XXVII. - The Last Card. XXVIII. - Good News. XXIX. - Monica's Betrothal. XXX. - A Voice in the Dark. XXXI. - Enticed to the Towers. XXXII. - The Escape of the Prisoner. XXXIII. - The Real Heir. XXXIV. - A Double Surprise. XXXV. - Under Arrest. XXXVI. - Revelations. XXXVII. - The Secret of the Wedding Ring. XXXVIII. - Conclusion.