The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-05-01
A CASE IN EQUITY.
copyright 1905. by }. 3, LlpplneoH Col
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.


copyright. 1905. by J. B. Lipplneott Col
from the loft to go QUE after red clay for
poultice. And afterward they would
have made him take the only bed in the
cabin if he had not insisted upon sleep
ing on the floor before the fire.
When Philip awoke the next morning
he found himself as completely pris
oner as even Sharpless could have de-
sired. Walking was out OF the ques-
ton, and his host had neither a horse
nor the disposition to go to Glenco to
procure one, though his offers of hos
pitality were as generous as he knew
how to make them. Philip guessed at
the mans reason for not wishing to APP
pear in Glenco when the mountaineer
offered him a potation from jug
drawn from its hiding-place beneath the
puncheon floor, and forbore to press
the point, contenting himself with re-
quest that the boy might be allowed to
carry letter to Allacoochee The
permission was given, and Philip wrote
a note to Duncan, telling him of the
b accident and urging him to spare no
pains to keep Kilgrow out of the hands
of Sharpless and his emissqries during
the enforced armistice. This he in
closed in line to Protheroe, in which
he begged the young engineer to de-
liver the message to the Scotchman.
Not having an envelope, he took that
from Ielen's letter, drawing his pencil
through his own name and writing
Protheroe's above it; and after many
explicit and precise instructions, the
boy left the cabin on Thorndyke's err
rand. An hour afterward he was sit
ting contentedly on a bowlder by the
side of the AIlacoochee road, waiting in
tranquil idleness for the chance coming
of some team whose driver would re-
lieve him of the necessity for further
exertion. He found a proxy in the
course of the forenoon, and in due time
the letter was delivered, not to Profile
roe. but to Mr.. Jenkins Fench who
answered the bearers inquiry as to the
whereabouts of the engineer and who
kindly volunteered to convey the mis-
sive to that gertleman's office on the
fourth floor of the Guaranty building.
XVI.
LOVE VERSUS IDEALS.
Duncan slept through the forenoon
of the day following the journey to
Glenco, being no longer a young man,
and having spent rather more than half
the night on the mountain with Xii
grow. He was eating late dinner
when Elsie, from her place at the win
dow, announced the arrival of visitor.
"Who is it, then?" asked Duncan,
whose mind was burdened with pre-
monitions Of legal processes and writs
of surrender all pointing toward the
precious document left in his custody.
81 think he's coming here; it's no one
we know. Yes, he's hitching his horse.
He's big man with a smooth face"
Duncan guessed Sharpess, and pro-
ceeded to fortify his caution by greater
deliberation with his dinner. Elsie
answered the visitors knock, and pres,
emily came in with a square of card
board. "It's Mr., Sharpless," she said.
"Aye?" said Duncan. "Do We gang
in an sit WI him the whites I'm fin.
ishin the bit dinner"
Elsie obeyed dutifully, but she stood
in such awe of Kilgrow's arch-enemy
that the suave lawyer had extracted
no more than half-dozen monosyl-
tables from her when her father came
to relieve her.
"Mr. James Duncan, presume" said
the visitor, aifably, rising to greet the
farmer.
y "The same" replied Duncan. "Sit
we doom, Master Sharpless." And in the
exchange of civiities Elsie gladly made
her escape to the kitchen.
81 drove over to see you on little
matter of business" said the lawyer,
rightly judging that he would lose
ground in any attempt to measure
circumlocutory swords with the Scotch
man. 81 come from Mr.. Thorndyke,
and he refers me to you for some in
formation in regard to John Kilgrow,"
"Aye?" queried Duncan, who thought
hardest when he said the least, and
who was prepared in advance to dis
credit the statements of the town com
pany's attorney even if they should APP
pear to be self-evident truths.
yes. Mr.. Thorndyle was obliged to
leave for New York this morning, and
before he went we had conference
about the matter in which he has been
representing John Kilgrow l hardly
need tellyou that, as professional men
we soon came to a satisfactory under
standing, and Mr.. Thorndyke was quite
willing that / should settle the claim
with his client direct. lie referred me
to you for the particulars saying that
it would be necessary to approach Xii.
grow through you on account of a fool
ish fear on the part of the old man
touching some ancient difficulty with
the revenue people"
Did Master Thorndyke gle We bit
of a letter to me?" asked Duncan
warily.
81 spoke of it, but he said it wouldn'
be necessary. He was very much hur
ried, and there was little time to spare
He was called home by telegraph,
understood"
Duncan Illuminated thoughtfully FOL
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