At the Time Appointed

"At the Time Appointed" by A. Maynard Barbour is a turn-of-the-century story that follows John Darrell, a mineralogy and metallurgy expert, as his life takes an unexpected turn following a dramatic event on a train. Darrell faces demanding situations, forges bonds with the Underwood family, survives in the difficult environment in the West, and looks for a way to find forgiveness, while fighting the trials that push him to his limits. The story begins with John Darrell arriving at a desolate station in the western mountains, burdened by the oppressive heat. His mission is to evaluate a mining property while dealing with lost time and a rival and then drawn into other adventures. As Darrell sets off to Ophir, he becomes part of something bigger, suggesting a world of conflicts, shaping his adventure.

Anna Maynard Barbour was an American author of best-selling fiction. A 1903 article in The Atlantic Monthly stated that "A. Maynard Barbour has been generally hailed as the most successful of American writers of mystery."