Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-07-28
A CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
copyright. isSs. by }. B. IiPpineou Col
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
A RELUCTANT sAMARIrAN.

that he owed his parents little beyond
the fact of existence; and the world
after its wont with waits. human an.
otherwise. had tempered him in n silt
ish bath Of adversely and sharpened
him upon the grindStonc OF experience.
Having made shift To climb some in
considerable distance up the slippery
NIL OF knowledge by his own unaidcd
eNertons, he fell easily into the habit
Of thinking himself more capable than
other men. The demonstration was
simple and conclusive. lie had proved
his ability 10 wiring 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:
ana they were usually unfayornble to
those who inspired them.
In the short conversation on the no
tel veranda, Protheroc had taken
Thorndyke's measure with a consider
able degree of accuracy, and but for
the enlistment of his syInpathirS he
might have been inclined TO look upon
the New Yorker as a person who would
probably serve. upon better acquaint-
ance, 10 point the moral of another
comparison. As il was, however. crit
icism was swallowed up in charity.
and - minutes after leaving Thorn
dykes room protheroe was galloDinir
out one of the prospective streets.
which, turning abruptly around the
shoulder of Johns mountain. became
country road leading up the valley
of the Little ChiwaSSec. His dcstiua-
ton was small farm-thc home of
the Duncans-lying 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
tom of the Scotchman's settlement in
Alabama. Duncan had been a school
master i'm Lanark shire. and Martha Kin
ross was first his pupil and later his
sweetheart. Martha was the laird's
daughter. and the laird, having a Just
regard for worldly gear. objected to
the pennilcss pedago@uc. For once in
way, Duncan put his hereditary eau
ton under foot. gave up the school.
married the girl, aud together they ran
away from the laird's wrath and from
III" old world. Once over seas, the VIM
tcrs of Quebec became a sufficient pre-
text for farther wandcrings, and these,
being aimleSs, ended as we'll in Alabama
as elsewhere. They had bought the
Worn-out farm in the Little Chiwasscc
valley before Elsie was born. and the
chief motive in its selection was one
which neither Duncan nor his wife
have In,
row valley was a Scottish glen: the sur
rounding mountains were. the hills of
Lanark magnificd somewhat by the
kindly perspective Of time and distance:
and it was within the compass of mere
~ practical Imagination 10 transform
the small river into a Scottish burn.
Not To be outdone in n matter OK
sentiment, the valley had repaid the
parents in kind by giving what a mild
climate and Inspiring scenery may give
toward the endowment of the daughter.
Elsie Duncan was comcly and passing
iair TO look upon. as the uative-boIu
daughters of aliens are wont To Ice:
moreover, She was simple and true
hearted, thinking that there were no
mountains like her own mountains and
few men as good as her father. She
was the apple of Duucau's eve. and for
her sake be had turned schoolmaster
again giving her what She had other
wise gone wanting i'm "a boolIc-- land.
Without having been pointed thithor-
ward. B.ucau's efforts to lift his
daughter above the educational level
of the ucighborhood brought about
result which wa, not the les, crafty
ing because 10 was Unforeseen. Tho
booltIcaruiug raised q barrier between
the girl and the mountain and valley
youth which was more impossible from
their side than from hers. and until
Prothcroc had stumbled upon the Dun
can homestead on one of his prospect
ing journeys there had been no suitors
at The farmhouse. Nor is IT, quite fair
10 say mat the young engineer was
the exception. ne had always been
welcome at the stone house in the wall
ley. but hc bad not yet got beyond the
uspcahable stage with Elsie.
IL was the uncertainty of his stand
ing with her chat made Protheroe hcsi-
tate to- introduce q possible rival, and
q was hi- assumption fsuperiority over
the common foiDIcs and weaknesses o.
humankind iu general, and of Jealous
lovers iu particular. that united with
his ~ympathies TO make him change his
mind.
The wagon road up the valley of the
Little Ch.H1--cy follows the stream 10
"a point within q quarter OF a mile O
Duncan house. where 90 climbs low
wooded spur of John mouutaiu. From
the top of this spur the young engineer
could look down upon the hous, and its
surroundings. and Doe saw Duncan in The
barnyard talking 20 20 strauger-au oil
man with white hair and beard falling
over the cape of tattcrcd army over
coat So sight of prothcroc the man
climbed the fence and ram up the noun
tain. whiic Duncan came around the
house 90 the gate.
Good morning. Mr. Duncan: hope
! didn't scare your uoighbor away. Ifc
took 10 the woods as If DE thought I
might be- constable with warrant"
"Aa' who kcnucd YOU were not. when
We cam loupin' over tho bin vondcr? %"
Duncan came ont and looscucd the saI-
die girth while Prothoroc was hitchiug
The horse
II did. for ono. and you ought 10. for
neither Tlrf toll