Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-06-21
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Alas, mol That was only the beginning
of it Mr.. Jinks had SOLID board fence
! seven feet high, built on his side of the two
lots. Mrs Beggs affected the belief thai
! Mrs. links was contagion itself, and was
careful that her garments should not touch
those of her neighbor when they met on
| the street.
| The children of the two houses kept the
warfare waxing more furious from day to
| day, and climax was reached when little
| Sammy BeggS came screaming home one
day, pursued by Mr. Jinks, who carried a
piece of board in his hand with which he
could have felled an OK.
Before night Mr. links was arrested for
assault and battery. and in the same hour
| poor Cyrilla Beggs had been frightened
almost into spasms by being arrested for
the larceny of silver quarter. She i'm
plored her parents not to let her be hung,
and begged that she might be poisoned in
stead
The Courtroom was crowded with de-
lighted spectators. The newspapers re-
porteTs did not fail to attend and wrote up
both trials in the most ridiculous light
The costs were enormous for both Mr..
Beggs and Mr.. links
Mr.. Jinks failed TO prove that Cyrilla
had stolen the quarter, and Mr.. Beggs
failed to prove that Mr. links had really
assaulted Sammy.
The lawyers were the only ones who de-
rived any benefit from the affair. The i'll
feeling engendered at first seemed to grow
into positive hatred, and both families were
miserable
At last, however, a circumstance occurred
that changed the aspect of affairs.
Mrs. links began the making of a rag
carpet, and the garnet and every closet in
the house was searched for old garments
and pieces of garments that could by any
process of cleaning and dying be converted
into carpet-ragS.
While thus engaged Mrs Jinks came
across a tiny pair of cotton pantaloons. She
held them up to the light and laughed
softly.
I" If here amt Baby Tommy's little ging-
ham pantaloons that Mrs. Beggs and /
made him one afternoon just to please the
children; for the little fellow wasn't near
old enough for pantaloOns. Why, he's in
dresses yet, and we made these pantaloons
as long rs six months ago. Yes, twas that
long. | mind now it was the very day
Belinda had her quarter stolen; for I'm
satisfied that it was stolen. | only wish |
cosId think otherwise, for all this wrang-
ling and quarreling and having is anything
but pleasant. l never would have thought
that the Beggs' would have done it Such
good neighbors as they used to be ("
And Mrs links really wiped aer ewes
with a corner of her kitchen apron.
She had been in pleasant and iocular
mood all the afternoon, and now the find
ing Of her little boys tiny garment had,
with the memories it had recalled, given
her real fit of the blues"
Yes she thought, 3" Tommy put these
on the first time that afternoon. ] remem-
Der how me and Mrs. BeggS laughed, and
how tickled the children were, for be
wasn't only about year and half old
know took them off the next day and put
them in this closet. I've a good mind to
keep them.to show him when he grows up
but | guess | won't"
Snip, snip, west the scissors. Away
went one little leg, and the other, and
again Mrs. links laughed softly to herself.
" If here amt the little pocket the chill
dren would have me put in and, of course,
Tommy must half fill it. What a MKT |
ure Here's string, some pebbles, two
buttons, grain of coffee, and-of all
things Belinda's silver quarter -
Mrs. Jinks sat thinking, thinking. think |
ing for a full half-hour.
Of all she thought we NAV never know. |
but this is what She did She walked into
Mrs. Beggs kitchen that afternoon Just as
she had done in the happy days before she !
had been estranged from her neighbor by
that miserable quarter.
No one knows what occurred in Mrs !
Beggs kitchen; but the deeply-interested |
neighbors know that Mr. links and Mr. |
Beggs walked down town that evening |
and the high board fence be- |
tween the two houses suddenly disappeared |
Beinda's quarter was spent for gum |
drops, which were shared with the Beggs |
children but as Mrs. Jinks said, with a |
little sigh, that evening to her husband:
How much thatquarter costr'-[Golden |
Days.