The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-08-10
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
A Gap in the Fence. and Why Il
Was Allowed to Remain.


A flock of geese were slowly thread
ing the narrow path which ran uneven
ly, like the part in an old head, through
the reach of meadow skirting Claysville
on the south. Their high set beads of
eyes gazed calmly from their slim heads
on the September brightness of nature,
and the cackles which at times parted
their wide orange-hued bills denoted a
satisfied state of body, if not of mind.
Presently, however, the head gander
uttered an indignant hiss, spread his
wings, and swung himself angrily out
of the path. His followers made after
him slavishly, and the whole company
ranged themselves In wrathful line to
voice their opinion of the intruders
who had put them about.
Two women were coming toward
each other in the path. One of them
was built on lavish plan, and had q
rocky kind of face, set in gray hair
that was riveted round her ears in iron
gray twists. AS she sighted the other
woman she jerked in her chin and stiff
ened her throat; her eyes were lifted
clean over the others head as they
came close, and she thrust her skirts
aside, but stuck to the path as if dis
daining TO turn out hair s-breadth.
The slighter woman gave way readily,
swerving to one side, and quickening
her gait as if anxious to have the en-
counter over with as speedily as
might be. She never raised her face
aus she slipped by, small shadowy
creature in limp black calico gown,
the hem of which turned with her heels
ut every step,
faint 'cuz dassent look at Liza
Ann tibet | hold my head down when
we run agin each other like we
done jest now," she said to herself, as
if replying to some mental voice which
had accused her of cowardice. II ain t
skeered of her no ways, but it pears
like / hewitt got the heart to look at
her when she churns that cold glare
onter mean VEINS both sisters,
though l don't hold to the kinship no.
how; I'm right ashamed thet the same
blood runs in me ez runs in Liza Ann
Clinkenbeardp'
She whipped up her head, but the
straight lashes of her dull dark eyes
were clinging together in wet, ragged
points BY this time her pace had in
creased to almost run, which shortly
brought her TO her own gate, the latch
of which she undid with trembling
fingers. No house had been built in
Claysville for eighteen years; the two
which Hiram Wade had given his
daughters upon their marriage were
the newest structures in the village,
still standing the last cottages in the
street, as they had long ago, when it
was thought that business 'ud grad
ally take to creepin' out to- DIS Higgins
Woods" The houses had never been
painted, and their gray boards were
fringing off in feathery threads like
fraying hair. Between the gardens ran
slight picket-fence, which had some
time had q coat of paint like skinned
milk; near the street four pickets were
off, dark spaces showing where they
had lain against the top rail, each be-
reft brown square with a forlorn rusty
nail-hole yawning in it.
Ellen Loves stopped for second as
her eyes lighted on this rent in the
fence, and the tears stayed themselves
as if dried by the heat of suddenly
reused anger. She had thin face
with flesh of a waxen yellow, which
suggested flow in her veins of some
thick, colorless fluid instead of blood;
her eyes looked brown, and the color
seemed to show through the stretched
lids, tinting them pale russell.
Il wouldn't ohurn my hand to hev
one O. them thar pickets put on, not 81
wuz a-drawin' my las breaf," she
thought. bitterly Then she pushed on
to the house.
Name O. sense, Ellen. what are yeh
thinlkin' of, to slam the door like tibet:
| reckon it's no use to say any thing
eff l wuz dyin' it would "a ben jest the
same-no respeck fer my feelin's."
Adkins Loves fetched long sigh as
he spoke, and leaned back in his wood
en- rocker with look of suffering sub
mission. He was man we'll on past
middle life, with traces of bad health
and of habitual bad temper clearly
marked in his face. His nose was
merely continuation, in Il perfectly
perpendicular line, of his brow; at the
nostrils it widened abruptly, with
something like an air of surprise a
finding itself q nose at all.
0His wife began to apologize. 81
didn't go to do it, Adkins. Likely
done it thoo bein' so Illustrated. / me
Liza Ann down street, right plumb
face to face"
How'd yeh treat her?" asked AID
kins, peering little anxiously from
under his wrinkled brows.
Treat her! Humph! We done jes
like we've alwuz done fer the las ter
year, went my way and she wen
hern."
mo speakin' er sech?"
"'Well-I--reckon not! / jest looked
straight ahead o. me, ez stern ez
knowed how. / hev an Idly tibet Lis
Ann hez found out thar's more spere
in me n what she thought fer"
81 hope yeh're keepin' some'ere,
near the Jacks, Ellen observed Ad
kins. with an imperfect belief in hi,
~trc's assertion of her stern carriage
Il don !; - ez any thing could rils