TY  - BOOK
AU  - Allen,Ida Reade
TI  - The breath of slander
T2  - New eagle series no. 1124
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2025///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Dime novels
KW  - Romance fiction
N1  - Release date is 2025-06-14; Demian Katz and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University.); Originally published; New York: Street & Smith, 1899
N2  - "The Breath of Slander; or, Virtue Triumphs" by Ida Reade Allen is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set in the Pennsylvania mountains and nearby towns, it blends domestic romance with moral melodrama, centering on Norine Bright, her principled brother Jim, the wounded outsider Clinton Percival she nurses back to health, and country doctor Lester Conway, whose quiet devotion is sorely tried. Expect a story of love, reputation, and ambition, where gossip’s harm confronts steadfast character and virtue aims to prevail.  The opening of the novel follows a traveler who scoffs at a storm warning, is nearly killed crossing a mountain in a violent tempest, and collapses in a deserted hut, where Norine later discovers him and summons Dr. Conway. As Clinton Percival slowly recovers at the Brights’ cottage, Conway’s restrained affection for Norine meets a rival’s charm, while Jim proves a thoughtful, generous host. We learn the Brights’ history: disowned by their Virginia kin, they built a thriving small farm, and now seek to reconcile with their aging Aunt Darling; Jim posts Norine’s heartfelt letter. In town, Lettie Allan—Conway’s devoted helper—realizes he loves Norine and abruptly leaves for distant relatives rather than watch it unfold. Evenings bring fireside debates—Jim’s nature-rooted faith versus Clinton’s fatalism—while Clinton and Norine’s bond deepens through woodland walks, culminating in a tender, near-confession as he prepares to declare his love. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
UR  - https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:972943
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76289
ER  -