Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

A young, industrious teacher supports his mother on meager earnings while striving for improvement. After a skating contest and a puzzling exchange over a tin box, he is wrongly implicated in a crime, arrested, and brought to trial that is ultimately affected by an important witness and a turn in his family's fortunes. Seeking advancement, he ventures to the city and western opportunities, gains the trust of influential patrons, thwarts a fraudulent scheme, and obtains commissions that restore his prospects. The narrative stresses perseverance, honesty, practical resourcefulness, and the aid of reliable allies in achieving upward mobility.