Litchfield enquirer., 1881-05-26

| k 1 of most had hitherto been, for no particular l reason, with the bluff, obstinate miller rather I than with the retiring and reserved corn-fac- l tor and agent. They had observed with sat- I isfaction, and pointed out to wondering stran-. 1 gers, how the town brother would give the 1 big miller the wall whenever they passed in f The street. how he would submit to be outbid-- Iden at sales. outdone in subscriptions, out voted in parish meetings; though they could account for their partisanship no better than by insisting that ''the agent looked such poor creature" But after this extraordinary exhibition of passion over the sale of the heifer, and the apparent indifference of the miller as to his brothers condition, change of look and tone came over the crowd. They 1 followed the miller's retreating figure with narrow eyes and something like repulsion; another. degree ot heat added to their feelings Ewould have made them hiss and hoot him. They returned to regard the agent, who was now sitting up, with kind of pity.
 ''An' they wur once sac thick thegither !" said Long Ribston, looking from the one brother to the other striding of with his hand under his tail. "Weel there's noult so queer gs f0iks!n
 'sHe doan't look ewer strong" said Bidker, with his eye on the agent, now being led into the chemists. ''It be gey cruel O that big John to harry and drive him as he do."
 This was seized and assen ted to on all sides as the expression of the prevalent feeling. ''He carry it too far now j" ''He be fair mad to run price up and throw money away like l be takin' to t drink ''Ah, it be time they made quarrel up, whatever it wur aboot. It been goin' on for some year now, bain't it l Cocker?"
 1 'sSome year?" said old cocker chirruping into his favorite theme of the mysterious ori- gin of the Greweltborpe fcud, and attracting about him 8 good many from Pottlethwaite's own audience "It be nigh sivin year-sivin year come Michaelmas-sin John buried his wife. Day O funeral they were t best friends, standn' by t grave wi fine new black coats on an white handkerchers to their ecu; for, ye see, Gearge wur cruel fond O t meta, l long -waisted Peggy afore John married her. Ay, ay; best friends day O funeral. Next nlarnn' John walks into parour at t inn to haze drink and little after in comes Gearge They wur by theirsens, an wus thlnkin' O goin' in to keep 'em company, when-ouf!- hullabaloo that made us a jump !-there wur cursin', and bankin' ower chairs, and smashin' O glass; an 1 opens t door, an there stands Gearge wipin tipple frae his face and neck, an John in a white rage, wi glass in his hand, like this, to thraw. What be up ? says 'Neut says they. An Gearge glass broke. Til pay for t. (An'-he! he?-he has paid for 't.) An"
 'An' naebody knaws yet" put in some one of those who had heard the story before,
 'what it were a aboot."
 Cocker looked at the man and drowned at his interruption of the steady flow of his mar rative. ''Noebooy," said he. ''unless it be thoo."
 There threatened to be high words between the two but the old story teller was moved of home by hls friends. There was a large company in the parlor talking all at once, | but not quite in unison, about the sensational auction. All were agreed that the feud of the brothers had distinguished and disgraceA Full ford long enough. Why, next thing they'll killin' t une anither!" The cause of the quarrel should be ascertained, and the men brought to shake hands over it. But how and by whom Cocker shook his head: they had always been "cruel, passionate, and ob- stinate lads"
 Many friends had tried to bring them to- l gether. Even the parson had done his best l and his worst. He had, SO far as he could, excommunicated them. He had preached so directly st them that the eyes of g full ple- beian evening congregation were incontinent- l ly turned on the two stiff-necked, stern eyed men who sat on either side the aisle, each in his place as churchwarden; and when they rose to pass round the plates for the collec 1 tion, he had addressed them by name, and ordered them to desist from the service of the | Lord unless they were ready to forgive and l embrace each other, upon which, without hesitstion and without word, they had sur rendered the plates and walked out. He had forbidden their appearance at the sacramental i table, and their holding any office in connec- tion with the church, so that for long time the church had ceased to know or to see l then.
 No; how or by whom the feud was to be stopped no one could say: and old Cocker went back to his chair and pipe in the corner
 But fate had already begun to prepare the end of the feud in way quite her own, by means which showed she understood the lives | and tempers of men rather better than the par | son.
 That evening George Grewelthorpe, the town brother, sat in the ausky shadows of the 1 little bar parlor with Cocker. ] ''l have, Cocker; you know I have" he was saying in voice of remonstrance, tried to let it drop. But he wean't. An see what 8 fool he do make me. But I'll be even with him now"
 "Um-m," murmured Cocker "But it wur thysen, Gearge, played fool first--that I knaw. Now, look ye here; caustna get at him thro, his lass, Kitty? Too vert aye fond O her mother, wertna?"
 ! "Now, Cocker, you knaw better than tell l me to try thro' t. lass You knaw he was aye jealous O me-"
 ''But it warena aboot that ye fell out-eh ?" George looked full at him.
 'tThoo'rt tryln' to draw me, Cocker" Ali ter pause "If he'd just drop it l; but he wean't. An I bain't goin beggin' and holdin' oot my hand to hm-after he make dam-fool O me all aboot!"
 He was silent. There was pause, during which Cocker felt about on the table, and got up and felt on the mantelshelf for match. l Having found one he returned to his seat. He scratched the light and held it up moment to peer under it at his companion, who sat stern and angry, with his eyes averted, nerv- l ously plucking at his whiskers Cocker lit his pipe and continued
 "John thoe see, be gey different frae thoo I in soom ways. When thoo talk to thinkin' ont, it mak's thoo look ill and sort O - drunk like But he-he allus look as if 'twere his meat and his drink, and if he threve ont uncommon weel. Weel, thoo see, he has nout else to think on scarce, as theo has; SO l cot in field. or in mill wi hoppers clatterin' 1 and dust hyin', he nurse it and nurse it, and 1 keep thought ct fair coddled aboots heart But, for a, he can do not wi t onless thoo cross and center him."
 "He makes me and so does she-Aunt Kitty, I mean. The last thing she do in her will was to try and make fool of me. But she didn't know how she gave me such fine chance 1 to pay off scores wi John!" "Humph! What is this /? Task John, and he on'y say Mouse traps, old Cocker Maybe thoo'll say Toasted cheese, old Cocker" | ''Oh, it doan't matter Everybody'll knaw ] very soon: for it'll be up in court and in news papers an think I'll getit She put into her will, just for fout at noe, that John was to ha' al proputty in Fulford Parish, and that was to ha' a in Thexton Parish. Now thoo knaws it war joke that Aunt Kitty had just enough land in Thexton-a bit corner at bottom O feld-as much as would mak' a grave" l6s
 .sHe | he!" Cocker could not help laugh. 1 ing.
 s.Weel. weel, I'll laugh to by-'m-bye. Now, Ye think! goes to lawyer Norton to arrange