The Girl Who Had Nothing

								


Produced by Al Haines.

THE GIRL WHO HAD NOTHING

                                   By



                         MRS. C. N. WILLIAMSON

               AUTHOR OF "THE LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR," ETC.

                    ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN CAMERON

                                 LONDON



                         WARD LOCK & CO LIMITED



                                  1905

                                  ――――

CONTENTS

    CHAPTER I--The Old Lady in the Victoria

    CHAPTER II--The Old Lady’s Nephew

    CHAPTER III--A Deal in Clerios

    CHAPTER IV--The Steam Yacht Titania

    CHAPTER V--The Landlady at Woburn Place

    CHAPTER VI--The Tenants of Roseneath Park

    CHAPTER VII--The Woman Who Knew

    CHAPTER VIII--Lord Northmuir’s Young Relative

    CHAPTER IX--A Journalistic Mission

    CHAPTER X--The Coup of "The Planet"

    CHAPTER XI--Kismet and a V.C.

    CHAPTER XII--A New Love and an Old Enemy



                                  ――――

CHAPTER I--The Old Lady in the Victoria

Joan Carthew had reason to believe that it was her birthday, and she had
signalised the occasion by running away from home.  But her birthday,
and her home, and her running away, were all so different from things
with the same name in the lives of other children, that the celebration
was not in reality as festive as it might seem if put into print.
In the first place, she based her theory as to the date solely upon a
dim recollection that once, eons of years ago, when she had been a
petted little creature with belongings of her own (she was now twelve),
there had been presents and sweets on the 13th of May.  She thought she
could recall looking eagerly forward to that anniversary; and she argued
shrewdly that, as her assortment of agreeable memories was small, in all
likelihood she had not made a mistake.
In the second place, Joan’s home was a Brighton lodging-house, where she
was a guest of the landlady, and not a "paying" guest, as she was
frequently reminded.  In that vague time, eons ago, she had been left at
the house by her mother (who was, it seemed, an actress), with a sum of
money large enough to pay for her keep until that lady’s return from
touring, at the end of the theatrical season.  The end of the season and
the end of the money had come about the same time, but not the expected
mother. The beautiful Mrs. Carthew, whose professional name was Marie
Lanchester, had never reappeared, never written. Mrs. Boyle had made
inquiries, advertised, and spent many shillings on theatrical papers,
but had been able to learn nothing. Mr. Carthew was a vague shadow in a
mysterious background, less substantial even than a "walking gentleman,"
and Mrs. Boyle, feeling herself a much injured woman, had in her first
passion of resentment boxed Joan’s ears and threatened to send the