Her Own Way
Summary
A childhood friendship between Georgiana Carley and Richard Coleman ripens into an unspoken devotion, but the Philippine-American War becomes the crucible that will either fuse their hearts or shatter them. Into their sealed world crashes Sam Coast, a nouveau-riche ex-miner whose pick-axe ambition now strikes for social respectability and for Georgiana’s gloved hand. While Dick ships out as a freshly-minted lieutenant, Sam stays home to orchestrate a siege more ruthless than any jungle skirmish: he plants a saboteur in Dick’s company to intercept letters, inflames the speculative weakness of Georgiana’s feckless brother Steven, and engineers a swift ruin that strips the Carley salons of silk and solvency. Believing Dick dead after an ambush, Georgiana—cornered between Sam’s ultimatum and her brother’s disgrace—resolves to barter herself for family survival. Yet the report of Dick’s death is only a shadow; the man himself, scarred and starved, escapes captivity and races back across continents to crash the wedding like a human thunderclap, upending altars and fortunes in one breathless heartbeat.
Synopsis
Georgiana Carley, the woman, and Richard Coleman, the man, have been friends since childhood, and have grown to love each other without having become aware of the fact. Sam Coast, a wealthy young man, formerly a rough miner, has also fallen in love with Georgiana, and is determined to let nothing stand in his path to obtain her for his wife. Georgiana is of wealthy family, and her brother, through money left him by his parents, has a considerable fortune. This brother, Steven Carley, is of a lovable but weak disposition, given to speculation, and Georgiana has great trouble in preventing him from losing his money. During the Philippine war many young men volunteer for service. Among them Dick Coleman, who obtains a lieutenant's commission, and he prepares to leave for the Philippines. Before leaving he realizes that he loves Georgiana, and decides to propose to her with the intention of marrying her on his return. Sam Coast is aware of the affection existing between Dick and Georgiana. and uses every effort to prevent them coming together. He has himself proposed to Georgiana and has been refused. When Dick calls upon Georgiana shortly before leaving for the Philippines with the intention of proposing, Sam breaks into the conversation and keeps the two young people apart, and finally informs Dick that he has proposed to Georgiana himself and has been accepted. This naturally upsets Dick very much and causes him to leave Georgiana without making any declaration. He acts in such a strange way that Georgiana cannot understand what is wrong with him. He finally leaves for the Philippines followed by an agent of Coast's who has also enlisted, and whom Coast has employed to prevent any correspondence passing between Dick and Georgiana while he is in the Philippines. Sam's next step is to accomplish the ruin of the Carley family. In order to force Georgiana into such a position that she must either accept him and his wealth, or suffer hardship and poverty. Georgiana, however, is obdurate, and in spite of the loss of her fortune and even her reputation, still keeps the family together. Through an ambush of Dick's regiment in the Philippines, Dick is believed to be dead, and Georgiana learns the news in the papers. She is again confronted by Coast, and the situation has become such that he has it in his power to dishonor her brother's name. To prevent this, she makes the final sacrifice of her own love for her family, and agrees to marry him. Dick Coleman, however, was not killed in the Philippines, but simply wounded and taken prisoner by the Filipinos. He escapes and unexpectedly arrives at the Carley home just in time to prevent the marriage.
