The Yale expositor., 1911-05-11
A. CASE IN EQUITY.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.
lCopyrlght. 1895. by J. B. Lirpincott Col

A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.
The train on the Chiwassee Valley cX-
tension lurched uneasily round the
curves in the new track of the branch
liLe. leaving a trail of sooty smoke
hanging in the foliage on the mountain
side and stippling the pools in the river
with showers of cinders from the en-
gine where the railway embankment
skirtCd the stream. The afternoon sun
had dropped behind the summit of
Johns mountain, but his oblique rays
still poured into the valley through oc-
casional gaps in the ridge, projecting
grotesquely heightened shadows of the
moving train half way across to the
western slope of Jubal mountain. A
cool breeze, fragrant with the breath of
wild honeysuclIe and spicy with the
rcsinous smell of old-feld pines, blew in
at the open windows of the car; and
Thorndyke, lying back in his seat with
half-closed eyes, tried once more to set
in their proper order the events of the
last few days in New York. There was
no particular reason why they should
be 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 imly-lighted draw
ing-room at the Morrissons', it might
have happened ten years before. He
asked himself if 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.
81 beg your pardon" Philip said,
coming back to actualities with re-
luctant effort. what did you say?"
81 asked if you were going up to Alla-
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, thin beak-
like nose, scanty black side whiskers,
and a struggling mustachc dropped in
an evident but unsuccessful attempt to
cover the faulty teeth. Foreseeing
tcdum in the face, he answered vague
ly:
"Yes; believe my ticket reads to that
point
The human fly was not to be silenccd
by any such mild encouragement. Il
supposed So" he buzzed. "My name
is Fench--Jenkins Fench, ,"-handing
Thorndyke card which ingeniously
combined the name with somewhat
ungrammatical advertisement of the
Allacoochee Land, Manufacturing and
Improvement company, Guaranty
building, 422 Broadway. Drop around
to my Office when you get settled, and
I'll give you some pointers that'll
put you right in on the ground floor.
What name did | understand you 20
say?"
"I didn't say" contradicted Philip,
meelIly, passing his card across to the
man of business.