The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories

"The Hand of the Mighty, and Other Stories" by Vaughan Kester is a series of stories from the early 1900s, starting with a tale about an unlikely pair: Thomas R. Pendagrast, a down-to-earth rich man, and Silas Quinby, a well-intentioned but somewhat clueless small-town lawyer. The story looks at themes of goodwill, confusion, and how money and honesty mix in a small town. Pendagrast shows up in the valley and surprises everyone with how nice and humble he is, which isn't what they expect from a millionaire. Quinby, though not the sharpest tool in the shed, becomes friends with Pendagrast. Things get interesting when Quinby tries to assist Pendagrast purchasing some land, leading to problems with high prices and how it affects the community. The beginning offers a funny, but still serious, look at people and right and wrong, which sets the stage for the rest of the book.