Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-07-27
A CASE In EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
acopyrieht. 1895. by J. B. L1ppineott Col
vi.
"A RELUCTANT SAMARITAN.


"A RELUCTANT SAMARITAN.
Robert Protheroe was not the man to
let good resolution warp in the cool
ing. He was self-made, in the sense
that he cwed his parents little beyond
the fact of existence; and the world,
after its wont with waits, human or
otherwise, had tempered him in a salt
Ssh bath of adversely and sharpened
him upon the grindstone of experience.
Having made shift to climb some in
considerable distance up the slippery
hill of knowledge by his own unaided
"exertions, he fell easily into the habit
of thinking himself more capable than
other men. The demonstration was
simple and conclusive. He had proved
his ability to wiring a measure of sue
cess out of adverse circumstances where
Others, with all the advantages of pre-
Paratory training, had failed. He was
too kind-hearted to be cynical, but he
could not help making comparisons;
and they were usually unfavorable to
those who inspired them.
In the short conversation on the ho-
tel veranda, Protheroe had taken
Thorndyke's measure with consider
able degree of accuracy, and but for
the enlistment of his sympathies he
might have been inclined to look upon
the New Yorker as person who would
probably serve, upon better acquaint-
ance, to point the moral of another
comparison. AS it was, however, crit
icism was swallowed up in charity,
and Is minutes after leaving Thorn
dykes room Protheroe was galoping
out one of the prospective Streets,
which, turning abruptly around the
shoulder of Johns mountain, became
a country road leading up the valley
of the Little Chiwassee. His destina-
Ftion was small farm-the home of
the Duncans- six miles up the
valley; and his object was to prevail
upon his friends to open their doors
to the sick man.
There was a small romance at the bot
dom of the Scotchman's settlement in
Alabama. Duncan had been a school
master in Lanarkshire, and Martha Kin
ross was first his pupil and later his
sweetheart. Martha was the laird's
daughter, and the laird, having just
regard for worldly gear, objected to
The pennlless pedagogue. For once in
"A way, Duncan put his hereditary eau
*tion under foot, gave up the school,
married the girl, and together they ran
away. from the laird's wrath and from
athe old world. Once over seas, the win
tiers of Quebec became sufficient pre-
text for farther wanderings, and these,
being aimless, ended as well in Alabama
as elsewhere. They had bought the
svodn-out farm in the Little Chiwassee
valley before Elsie was born, and the
chief motive in it's selection was one
which neither Duncan nor his wife
would have acknowledged. The mar
TOW valley was a Scottish glen; the sur
sounding mountains were the hills of
Lanark magnifed somewhat by the
kindly perspective of time and distance;
+ sand it was within the compass of mere
ay practical magination to transform
4he small river into Scottish burn.
r. Not to be outdone in matter Of
sentiment, the valley had repaid the
parents in kind by, giving what a mild
climate and inspiring scenery may give
tO"SaAO AAAC CuNOW AAA0AAVOAoA AC S0iNAS AAUCAs
Elsie Duncan was comely and passing
fair to look upon, as the native-bo1nl
daughters of aliens are wont to be;
moreover, she was simple and true
hearted, thinking that there were no
mountains like. her own mountains and
few mem as good as her father. She
/ was the apple Of Duncan q eye, and for
her sake he mad turned schoolmaster
again, giving her what she had other
Il wise gone wanting il . bookless land.
Without having been pointed thither
ward, Duncan's efforts to lift his
daughter above the educat ional level
-of the neigh borhood brought about
~ result which was not the less crafty:
ing because il was unfo reseen. The
book -learnine raised 4 barrier between
the girl and the noun in and valley
B youth which was more IN pas SIC from From
& their side stthans Fl r,1ll ia I'D until
& rotheroe had stumble the Dun
honest onf one, otf hissp rospeet-
ing journeys 81 po