The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-01-16
CHAPTER iV--Continued.

Fortunate fate, or whatever good
angel 1t is that sometimes drops I'M
expected favors, designed that young
Eden should the following day deliver
coal at the home Of Mr.. Melvin Dun
can. Mr.. Duncan, tall, quiet and forty
Ave, was at work in his garden as
Dave turned the team In the lane and
backed them up the long, narrow drive
connecting with the family coal chute.
AS the heavy wagon moved straight
20 its objective Mr.. Duncan looked on
with approval that heightened into
admiration. Dave shoveled his load
without remark, but as he stood for
a moment at the finish, wiping the
sweat from his coal-grimed face, Mr..
Duncan engaged him in conversation.
"You handle a team like you were
born to H. he said. where did you
get the knackT
swell, l came up on a ranch" said
Dave. "Tve lived with horses eve
since / could remember"
you're a rancher, eh?" queried the
older man. well, there's nothing like
the range and the open country. If !
could handle horses like you there
Isn't anything would hold me In town."
"Oh, l don't know" Dave answered.
you might get sick of It,"
"Did you get sick of itr
Eden shot q keen glance at him.
The conversation was becoming per-
sonal. Yet there was in Mr.. Duncan's
manner q certain kindness, a certain
appeal Of sincere personality, that dis
armed suspicion.
"Yes, l got sick Of It," he said. 81
lived on that ranch eighteen years
and never was inside school or church.
Wouldn't that make you sick? . t. 4.
30 I beat 1t for town."
"And l suppose you are attending
church regularly now, and night
school, too?"
Dawes quick temper fired up in re-
sentiment, but again the kindness Of
the mans n disarmed him. He
was silent for a moment, and then he
said:
mo, / amt. That's what makes me
sick now / came In here intendin' TO
get an education, an I've never got
even a start at 1t. excer' for some
things perhaps wasn't worth the
money. There always seems to be
somethin' else-in ahead"
There always will be-" said Mr..
Duncan. until you start"
But how's 1t TO be done?" Dave
questioned with returning interest.
Schools an books cost money, an l
never save a dollar"
"And never WILL" said Mr.. Duncan,
until you start. But / think / see a
plan that might help. and IL 1t appeals
to you 1t will also be a great onven
fence to me. My wife likes to 60 driv-
ing Sundays, and sometimes on a
weekday evening, but / have so many
things on hand / find 1t hard to get
out with her. My daughter used to
drive, but these new-fangled automo-
biles are turning the world upside
down-and many a buggy with It.
Well-as ] saw you driving In here I
said to myself, There's the man for
that job Of mine. If I can get him :
but I'm not rich and / couldn't pay
you regular wages. But IL ! could
square the account by helping with
your studies a couple Of nights a
week. used to teach school and
haven't altogether forgotten why,
that would be just what l want. What
do you say?"
II never saw anything on four feet
I couldn't drive" said Dave. IAN II
you're willing to take q chance / am.
When do we startr
First lesson tonight. Second les
SON Thursday night. First drive Sum
day." Mr.. Duncan did not explain
that he wanted to know the boy better
before the drives commenced, and he
felt that two nights together would
satisfy him whether he had found the
right al
Dave hurried back to the coalyard
and completed the days work in high
spirits. 1t seemed he was at last
started on a road that might lead
somewhere. After supper he sur
prised his fellow laborers by changing
TO his Sunday clothes and starting
down a street leading into the resiaen
tials part Of the town. There were
speculations that he had "seen Z
skirt"
Mr., Duncan met him at the door and
showed him into the living room
Mrs. Duncan, plump, motherly. Low
able In the mature womanliness o
forty. greeted him cordially. She wa
sorry Edith was out; Edith had q ten
mis- engagement. She was APPARENT;