Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 563

Catalog Note *Old Humility's Hard Road to Travel*, by Wm. H. Manning, is a Western mining-town narrative serialized in this issue of *Beadle & Adams*' publication (August 7, 1889). The story features Madame Mystery (also called Nell or Spitfire Nell), a fortune-teller and woman of ambiguous background who has recently arrived in Honeysuckle, a mining town built around the operations of Eliphalet Hodge—a wealthy, philanthropic mine-owner nicknamed "Old Humility." Cole Boylston, a stranger to the town, meets with Madame Mystery seeking her assistance in undermining Hodge's influence in a county-seat competition between Honeysuckle and rival Cottoncliff. The narrative introduces supporting characters including Wyoming Zeke (a reckless adventurer), schoolmaster Childeric Hall, Hodge's virtuous daughter Agnes, and visiting lawyer Eben Wilberley with his niece Lorraine. Madame Mystery attends Hodge's evening reception armed with a loaded revolver, her intentions obscure.