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A SPOIL OF OFFICE


Hamlin Garland's Books.

Uniform edition.    Each, 12mo, cloth, $1.25.

Wayside Courtships.
Jason Edwards.
A Spoil of Office.
A Member of the Third House.

A Little Norsk.    16mo.    50 cents.

D. APPLETON & COMPANY, NEW YORK.




A SPOIL OF OFFICE

A STORY OF THE MODERN WEST



BY

HAMLIN GARLAND

AUTHOR OF JASON EDWARDS,
A MEMBER OF THE THIRD HOUSE,
A LITTLE NORSK, ETC.


NEW AND REVISED EDITION

NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
M DCCC XCVII

Copyright, 1897, by
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

Copyright, 1892, by Hamlin Garland




TO

WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS,

THE FOREMOST HISTORIAN OF OUR COMMON LIVES
AND THE MOST VITAL FIGURE IN OUR LITERATURE,
I DEDICATE THIS STUDY
OF THE GREAT MIDDLE WEST,
ITS CONTEMPORARY LIFE AND LANDSCAPE.




PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION.


In this story of "A