Beadle's New Dime Novels: Ahmo's Plot

AHMO'S PLOT: THE GOVERNOR'S INDIAN CHILD This 1883 Beadle and Adams dime novel by Mrs. Ann S. Stephens follows Governor Frontenac of Quebec. The narrative opens during a violent storm at Castle St. Louis, where Frontenac hosts French naval officers, including his old friend Montmorenci. The lavishly furnished state rooms provide sharp contrast to the tempest outside. At supper, Montmorenci observes that Frontenac—once a vibrant courtier—now appears melancholic and changed despite his continued physical attractiveness and bearing. When Frontenac raises a wine goblet wreathed with delicate green leaves and scarlet berries (arranged with "exquisite taste of a woman"), Montmorenci suspects a hidden romantic involvement. Frontenac's anxious reaction when a berry falls into his wine suggests deep personal concern. He inquires after "Chileli," apparently a woman in the household, learning she has been absent since morning. The excerpt ends mid-conversation as guests continue dining.