Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-09
A CONQUERED ENEMY.

A CONQUERED ENEMY.
"You arc to have the Coopers for
neighbors, hear" said Mrs. Bailey,
rs she stopped ON her way down
town TO chut for n moment over the
fence with her cousin, Mrs. Sunderland.
look out for squallsl"
Mrs. Sunderland paused In her work
OF shipping tho withered blossoms from
running rose To turn an inquiIing
glance toward the speaker.
"What is wrong about the COopers?
They are honest, soLcr, industrious
folks, are they not2'
All OF that, with many other virtues
beside" Mrs. Bailey replied. laughing.
Nevertheless, I'd rather have them
live next door 10 you than 10 me-"
Don't be so mysterious" Mrs.
Sunderland said. her good .humored
face beginning TO wear n shade of anxi-
ETY.. EITHER tell me all there is 10 tell.
or tell me nothing"
"Therc Is nothing very dreadful 10
reveal, and what there is is no secret.
You would have kaOwn Mrs. Coopcris
reputation rs we'll rs everybody else in
Groonvillc docs II you were not new
conner. She Is said Co bo tho worst
tempered woman In town. and has new
CT lived ncighbor n month 20 any fami-
ly without gctt ng up n quarrel with
them; therefore. l say, beware Of
squalls"
Mrs. Sunderland did not think that
the dangers her cousin had warned her
90 prepare for were Of n very ser.ois
character. but being woman wise in
her generation she deemed Il prudent
20 pour oil upon the waves before any
signs Of n storm became visible. A day
or two after hcrncw ncighbors arrived.
seeing Mrs. Cooper making some en-.
dcavOr To improve the condition OF n
very neglected garden patch. Mrs
Sunderland stepped To the dividing
fence and begged her neighbours ac-
ceptance Of basket fun of vegetables
sho hal just gathered from her own
thriving garden.
''It Is so late in the season that I'm
afraid YOU won be able TO raise much
in your garden this year. she said,
pleasantly; land "a have more gar
dcn.truck than | car make use ~. I
shall DO glad to have you help me dis
pose Of H."
Mrs Cooper turned upon her face
that certainly was not very prcpOssess-
ing, for Il was dark, sallow and scowl-
ing. and when sho spoke il was with
such n misplacing Of her a.pratcs rs at
once betrayed her To have been ut no
very distant date n subject of Queen
Victoria.
"lIfm much Obliged TO YOU. ma'am,
and as you've hollered the garden.sa sass.
I'll accept IL; but rs q general thing me
and my man pays our hOwn way. and
don't care to be- bcholden To no! Oly."
The lad Charlie she found IL much
easier to make fricads with he was n
freckle-faced, black-eycl yOungster Of
twelve or thirteen. with head thickly
covered with closely-cniled rings of au-
burn hair Noticing him one. morning
wheeling away n lot Of weeds and rub.
bish frum his mothers garden. Mrs.
Sunderland asked him II he would like
10 perform the same service for her. of
course for n remuneration. The Offer
was eagerly accepted. and after that
Charley Cooper earned many dime
by it'll, services performed for tho
widow lady.
frank Sunderland and he bo anne
quite well acquaint d in the course of
these labors, and. rs u general thing,
the two boys got along together re-
markably well; but one day some acsi-
dent happened To Charles whcclbar-
row, and he chose TO think Frank was
the cause OF the disaster The evil
temper which had hitherto lain dor
mant sprang suddenly 10 life. and Char
lie gave uttcrRncc TO such torrent of
profanity rs utterly appalled, not only
BRINK lint EVuuEN~ l..
messed the scene from her kitchen win
dow. She called Frank away mt once,
and after few words of rebukc TO
Chariic, spoken far more in sorrow
than in anger, sh, sent him home.
saying that she could not allow any
boy who sworc or used bad language TO
be tho companion of her son.
Charlie departed in tears with his
broken whcelbarruw. and probably
gave an account Of the trouble from his
own point OF Wow to his mother, for a
few moments later Mrs Sunderland
was startled 90 sec. coming over her
back fence, first n cabbage, then n peck
or so Of potatoes. and finally the basket
m which she had that morning sent to
Mrs. Cooper the vegetables thus uncer-
enormously returned. An explanation
OF this surprising shower followed In
Mrs. Cooper's voice
hi thank YOU after this to keen
yourself and heverything belonging to
you 10 yourself Hif my boy haint iii
society for your boy. we don't none OF
us want nothink to do with YOU"
OF course to such a speech as this no
civil reply was possible, so Mrs. sun
dorland quietly withdrew from the
scene OF action. leaving her neighbor in
possession OF the field. The predicted
quarrel had come. greatly TO Mrs. Sun
derland's modification; for 10 have IL
known 10 the whole town that she was
AZ variance with her next-noor neigh
bor-as, thanks 20 Mrs. Cooper's sin-
scrupulous tongue. Il speedily was
was fe,t BY the. widow 70 Be real dis
grace I.
All that she could do TO smooth mat
ters she did, with no effect, however,
except that Mrs. Cooper subsidized grad
ually from a forocious into a sullen
mood. but lost no opportunity Of exhib-
iting her dislike and ill-will In the num-
berless little ways which a near neigh
Dor can always make available.