The Border Rivals

This is No. 162 of Beadle and Company's dime novel series. The Border Rivals; or, The Mill-Flume Mystery by Mrs. Orrin James is a domestic narrative set in a rural frontier settlement. The story opens with Hetty Barber, daughter of Squire Barber, sewing on her front porch in early summer. She is young, pretty, and aware of her attractiveness to local men. The household includes Martha Washington, an enslaved cook, and her adolescent son Napoleon Bonaparte, who is learning to read. Martha hints that Luke Norris, a neighbor, is building a frame house in expectation of marrying Hetty. When Norris passes by with a hay wagon, Hetty deliberately affects indifference while clearly aware of his attention. The narrative employs sentimental domestic detail and regional dialect, establishing a romantic plot centered on Hetty's desirability and power over competing suitors.