The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1889-02-08

and the china, guarded by the faith
full dogs, still rested on the old walnu
whatnot three weeks after the couple
to whom it had given pleasure, ha'
been laid away in thelittle cemeter,
. behind the village church.
Mrs. Cephas King and Name,
johnson had been next-door neigh
bors and very warm friends up tt
the time the dispute over the chins
arose; but now, alas! they scornfull,
passed by without q word or smile o
of recognition when they met, ant
the King children were forbidden tt
have anything at all to do with tn,
johnson children.
Mr.. Cyrus M~asterson lived directly
across the street from Beulah Hoyey
and SO frequent had been the friend
ly, pleasant little calls the ladies hao
made upon each other that q
smoothly worn path led from one
house to the other. Now all was
changed. The path was wholly dis.
used, and Mrs. Masterson gathered
up her skirts when she met Mrs. How
ey on the street, lest they should
suffer contamination by coming into
contact with those her beloved neigh
Dor.
Mrs. Ezra Simmons returned q
certain basque pattern she had Dor
rowed of Selma Sharpe with a note
stating that in Consequence of the
course you have seen fit to pursoo in
relations to my husbands own dear
dead cuzzen's chiny tea-things, which
now rightfully belongs to Me, I re-
turn the inclosed bask pattern and
would thank you for my cup cake
reset and my polynay pattern, not
desiring that anything of yours
should remain in my possession and
visa versy, and that we do not
speak from this date.
So it was that there was discord
and enmity where there had once
been peace and harmony. Not one
OF the contending claimants con-
descended to speakto any other rivals
to the inheritance.
A month had passed, and the bad
feeling was at it's height, when Mr..
and Mrs. Ezra Simmons one evening
concluded to spend an hour with their
friends, Mr.. and Mrs. Drewe. The
deacon and his wife we're notathome
when Mr.. and Mrs. Simmons arrived,
but Sally, the maid-servant, said that
she was expecting them every mo-
ment, and invited the callers to wait
until their return.
They had waited in the parlor a
few moments when the bell rang and
Sally al heard to tell other callers
that her master and mistress would
be in very soon and to invited them
also to come in and wait. Directly
afterward MI. and Mrs. Cyrus Mas.
terson were ushered in. Seeing the
Simmonses, the newcomers haughtily
withdrew to a corne of the parlor
and sat down in silence.
A third ring of the bell and Mrs.
Beulah Hovey appeared at the parlor
door. She gave the previous occup-
ants of the parlor a stony stare
and then went to sit stifHy erect in
the centre of a sofa, where she seemed
to be engaged in studing intently the
pattern of the paper on the wall.
Perfect silence ensued for a mo-
ment when the bell again rang and
Nancy Johnson's voice was heard at
the door. When Mr.. and Mrs. Drewe
followed all these callers into the par
lor, strange as it may seem. they had
with them Mrs. Cephas King, who
was too courageous a woman to be
in the least daunted by what she be-
held. She calmly seated herself in
comfortable rocking-chair and COM
posedly returned Mrs. Nancy John
sons stare.
While Mr.. and Mrs. Drewe were
vainly endeavoring to start ageneral
conversation, the village fre-bell rang
for the first time in many months.
The fre-company consisted of those
who could be first in getting to a
small room in the rear of the post
office, where there were six fre-extin-
quishers and a hand reel and hose.
The entire population ofthe village
was in the street in less than five
minutes after the first sounding of
the bell, and it was soon known that
the fire was in the little brown house
lately occupied by Mr.. and Mrs.
Trip, but now in the possession OF
Miss Selma Sharpe.
The first corners found the present
tenant of the cottage flying wildly
around, throwing her few belongings
into the street and screaming "Fire!"
at the top of her voice.
When the occupants of Mr., Drewe's
parlor reached the cottage they
found the roof in flames and smoke
pouring from the windows while the
fire, company was still the distance.
elias my chany been got out YETI"
shrieked Nancy johnson.
"Your chany!" said Cyrilla Mills,
who was only a fourth-cousin.
"Pd say my chany,'" said Beulah
Hovey.
'It won't be anybody's fit amt
got out O. there right off" shrieked
Ezra Simmons.
At that instant the men appeared
in the smoking doorway trying to
balance the whatnot and it's contents
between them. The blue dog toppled
over and fell to pieces on the stone
step as they reached the door. The
brown one threatened to do the same,
and the cups and other dishes were
swaying unsteadily from side to side.
''Be careful of my dishes!" cried
Mrs. Mills.
"Your-on!"
"Oh!"
"O-o-o-o-h!"
"If that amt too badl"
One of the men had stepped off the