The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-04-24
A CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
copyright. 1905. by J 0 lppineot Col
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.


the pretext afforded by his loss for
breaking openly an engagement which
had been long ignored in secret? lie
was sure she would, and he checked
himself impatiently when he found
that he was setting the contempt of
The woman he had asked to release him
above the love of the woman who had
saved his life.
That thought brought back to him
Elsie and the present, Had she really
saved his life? Was it quite beyond
doubt that she was the one woman in
the world who could lead him out of
himself into sphere of usefulness and
accomplishment? 1t was by no means
as clear and well-defned as it had APP
peared to be on that day when he had
sat up among the pillows and fancied
himself inspired. Nevertheless, as he
had accepted the help, he must abide by
the choice of that day-and he would,
come what might.
No matter which way it turned, the
train of reflection led quickly to dis
comforting conclusions, and Thorn
dyke was glad when the sound of a dis
tant whistle assured him that he could
presently pass from the depressing at
mosphere of introspection into tempo
rary oblivion Of action. 1t was but a
step across to the railway, and he was
tired enough to postpone taking it un
til it became a necessity. The whistle
sounded again, anG he sat lazily watch
ing the eye of yellow light staring
southwark from the signal lamp over
the station, while the rumble of the ap-
preaching train Aoated up the valley
on the evening breeze. Had he known
that Glenco was a flag station for the
night train, and that he was the only
passenger, would have bestirred h.nl-
self when The lamp flashed red and then
back to yellow again in answer to the
engineers call for signals. After that
it was too late; there was rush and
roar, discordant changing Of the en-
CINE bell mingled with the Kissing of
steam, and before he could cross the
street the train had Numbered past
without stopping.
Circumstances, and the power to
pick and choose among the possibili-
ties, have much to do with ones peace
of mind. Half an hour earlier Philip
N3'ad debated with himself the neces-
@ity for hurrying back to Allacoochee
rhat night. The small hotel was clean;
The supper had been of the kind which
PrNphesies q wholesome breakfast;
Nana he was weary enough to call it a
day work and go to bed. None the
less, Nhen he realized that his last
chance Nor reaching Allacoochee had
.daded jhto 4 distant roar and two red
eyes staring back at him down the
long stretch of straight track
north of Glenco, he was I'M
lneidiately possessed with an Inn
FORTUNATE devil of impatience. AS a
matter Of fact, since there was an early
train in the morning, it could make lit
lie difference whether he slept at Glen
Eco or at his room at the Johannisberg;
but it was a part of his plan that he
should reach Allacoochee at once, and
go he must, if he had to walk. So
much he said to the hotelkeeper, who
was at a loss to understand the impa-
Hence of his guest. A man might
walk, he said; it was only ten miles.
And then, again, a man might ride, if so
be he were willing to pay for horse.
Philip caught at the alternative and Of
fered to pay literally. The horse was
found, and after many minute direc.
tons about the road, which were quail
fed, repeated and amended until they
were hopelesssly obscure, Thorndyke
rode away in the darkness.
Having set out in haste, he had am
pie time to repent in leisure. The road
little used at any time, and practically
abandoned since the opening of the
railway, soon led away from the valley
and ran in tortuous windings and in
genious doublings over spur of John:
mountain. AT the top of the spur il
speedily lost its identity in a succession
of wood roads, and, after following sew
eral of the latter to their vanishing
points, Philip gave up the struggle ant
determined to let the horse find the
way if he could. In common with un
equestrian mankind in general, PhiliI
shared the belief in the inerrant path
finding instincts of horse; but after an
other hour of hesitant wandering, dur
ing which time he had been thrice gar
roted by low-swinging branches, anC
impartially bruised about the legs b,
the efforts of the horse to squeeze be
tween close-growing trees, his conf
dence in the sagacity of the animal be
gan to waver. From doubt to Ger
tainty is but a step, and Philips faith il
horses went the way of all delusion
when the clumsy beast stumbled on tn
edge of ravine, slid helplessly TO tn
bottom, and ended by throwing hi
rider into heap of stones.
Philip was half stunned by the fall
and when he came to himself he foun
that he had gained sprained ankle an
lost a horse. Remembering ruefull
the maxim about great haste and smal
speed, he got up with some difficult
and continued his wanderings afoot I'll
til the pain in his ankle became unbeal
able. After that there was nothing fo
it but to sit down and wait for dayligh
and he was about to resign himself t
this comfortless alternative, when h