The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1897-11-25
A CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
tcepyrigh,. ,s9s. BY J. 3. L~lppIneou Col
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
A CHANCE AcouArNTANcE.

The train on the Chiwassee Valley ex-
tension lurched uneasily round the
curves in the new track of the branch
lie, leaving a trail of sooty smoke
annging in the foliage on the mountain
side and stippling the pools in the river
with showers of cinders from the en-
CINE where the railway embankment
skirted the stream. The afternoon sun
lad dropped behind the summit of
Johns mountain, but his oblique rays
still poured into the valley through &C.
,~asional gaps in the ridge, projecting
grotesquely heightened shadows of the
moving train half way across to the
western slope of Jubal mountain. A
col breeze, fragrant with the breath of
wild honeysuckle and spicy with the
.esinous smell of old-field pines, blew in
at the open windows of the car; and
rhorndyke, lying back in his seat with
lalf-closed eyes, tried C more to set
n their proper order the events of the
last few days in New York. There was
no particular reason why they should
Je assorted and labeled, save one; the
memory of them seemed to be slipping
away from him. There were times
when he could not be sure that he had
signed his will; when he could not re-
member what he had said to his mother
at parting. And as for that pathetic
little scene in the dimly-lighted draw
ing-room at the Morrissons', it might
have happened ten years before. He
asked himself IL it were possible that it
was only two days since he had choked
in trying to say good-by TO Helen. 1t
was beyond belief; the miles of distance
had somehow become transmitted into
years of time, and the memory of that
evening, only two evenings ago, was al
ready beginning to fade. Was it only
because the change of scene and of en-
,compassment pushed the things of yes
tcrday aside to make room for newer
impressions, or did the reason lie in the
grim fact of irrevocability? Thorn
dyke pursued these reflections so far
into the field of distractions that the
man in the next seat spoke twice before
he got an answer.
u beg your pardon" Philip said,
coming back to actualities with a re
luctant effort. What did you say%
II asked if you were going up to ALA
coochee," said the voice.
1t was an unpleasant voice, remind-
ing one of the buzzing of bluebottles
and other annoying insects. Thorn
dyke looked around, and saw n wiry
little man with keen eyes, u thin beak-
like nose, scanty black side whiskers,
and a struggling mustache dropped in
AN evident but unsuccessful attempt to
cover the faulty teeth. Foreseeing
tcdium in the face, he answered vague
ly:
"Yes; l believe my ticket reads to that
point"
The human fly was not to be silenced
by any such mild encouragement. II
supposed so," he buzzed. my name
is Fench-Jenkins Fench,"-handing
Thorndyke a card which ingeniously
combined the name with a somewhat
ungrammatical advertisement of the
Allacoochee Land, Manufacturing and
Improvement company, Guaranty
building, 422 Broadway. drop around
10 my Office when you get settled, and
I'll give you some pointers thatll
put you right in on h ground floor,
What name did / understand you To
say?"
II didn't say" contradicted Philip
meekly, passing his card across to the
man of business.
"Ah, T~horndyke; glad to know you
Mr.. Thorndyke. AS l was saying, il
you'll come around"
II have no idea of investing in ALA
coochee," Philip interrupted, hoping tc
escape. I'm in Alabama for my health
and i don't expect to stay in town very
long"
"Oho, yes; for your health, eh?-con'
sumption, / suppose. Well, well; in
life we're in the midst of death, and nc
man knoweth the day or hour"
Mr.. Fench seemed nonplused for thu
moment, but he rallied Immediately ant
went on with increasing zeal.
I'm that case, Mr.. T~horndyke, wha'
netter legacy could a man leave hi
folks thar a few solid Investments IN
sur promising young city? Why, IN,
lear sir, as "A stranger, you can hav'
10 idea of the vast and wonderful re
sources of this marvellous region-abso
lutely no idea at all. And Allacooche'
3 the natural center for the whole coun
try-the point where all the indpstrie'
within "a radius of 500 miles are bount
% cluster. lust run your eye over thi
nap; look at that for a locationi Thi
,art that's plated off is as level as
floor, and here's the railroad running
straight through the middle of it'll
was leaning over the back of h sea
now, holding the map spread out befor'
his unwilling iistener-''plenty OF roon
for sidetracks over here, you see, AM
for the shops that h roads going q
build. Then here are the spurs dow
to the rolling mill and the furnace oi
the bank of the river; this one goes vi
TO the coal mines and that to the iroi
mines across the Little Chiwassee. Thi
piece of grounds reserved for a woole
mill, and that strip down there by tn
siver is taken for a swing factory
baby swings, yon know a sawmiil,
blaming mill, a sash and door factory
"a"
Philip made two or three wild passe
ut his human bluebottle, succeeding
finally in ~interrupting with a promis
to call upon Mr.. Fench at his Office an
pleading WEAKNESS as an excuse for no
investigating the subject on the spol