Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-06
THE END OF THE FEUD.


between the Jasons and the Spratts. 1t
had never been a deadly one, but it had
been very bitter for all that. and had
caused a great deal of ill feeling, not be-
tween the two families alone, but among
many others who through alliance with
either had been dragged into the quar-
rel.
There were people, too, in and about
Tomsburg who took special delight, it
seemed, in keeping the two families
constantly in hot water by carrying
tales between the two houses. Often
these tales were fimsy fabrications,
woven from the imaginations of the tell
ers, which would have been readily de-
tected as fiction by people less preju-
diced against one another than the Ja-
sons and Spratts; but as it was the busy
bodies and mischief makers had an open
and free field wherein to exercise their
more or less ingenious art of story tell
ing.
At the time of the ending of the feud
Sim Jason was the representative of one
side and Jay Spratt of the other. They
were both young men, unmarried, and
intelligent va everything except the one
subject of the family feud, an exception
not to be wondered at, since they had
imbibed prejudice against each other
with their mothers milk.
But time, the resistless, that under
mines empires and causes them to tum-
BILE in a night, brings changes every
where. Sooner or later everything sue
cumbs and is no more. The Tomsburg
feud ended in night, and that, too,
when it seemed to have grown more
bitter and more deadly than it had ever
been before.
Tomsburg is situated on the shore of
one of the many bays on the Texas coast.
where nine out of every ten of the in
habitants own sailing craft of some
kind, the greater number being what are
commonly called catboats, on which
they make weekly trips to the adjacent
cities, carrying the products of their
gardens and fields.
Sim Jason owned one of these boats, a
trim little craft, and one of the swiftest
that plowed the waters of the bay. The
little vessel had been named the Annie
after his sister. Like every other boat
man, Sim was touchy on the subject of
being beaten by any other craft, but his
particular sore spot was banter from
the Spratt adherents that jays boat, the
Lily, could outsail him under any and
all conditions.
"Ths Lily, like the Annie, had been
named for the sister Of it's owner. 1t
was new boat, understood to have been
built expressly to beat the Jason boat.
Boast and banter ran high in conse-
quence, and high words were exchanged
daily between the hackers of the two
crafts.
One evening Jay and Sim met down
by the shore, where they had come to
look after their boats. Both men Were
accompanied by friends.
"If owned an old tub like that one
yonder," said Jay Spratt to his compan-
ions, pointing to the Annie and speaking
in tones loud enough to be heard by the
Jason crowd, "Fd leave her to the mer-
cy Of the wind and weather and let her
take care of herself
"That tub, as you call her, can out
sail that box Of yours" retorted Sim,
stopping and looking around defantly.
81 don't believe it."
II didn't ask you to take my word for
it, Jay Spratt. But if you have the
spunk of kitten can prove it to you
this very night"
"How% asked Jay, affecting surprise.
I'll sail you race to Reddish light
house and back. From the looks of the
sky we are likely to have all sorts of
weather-winds and Gains and squalls
and our boats will have an equal
chance"
Jay considered few moments. The
sky looked threatening and the night
would be dark. The distance was TWEEN
ty miles, and to go out on the bay with
every indication for a stormy night was
q risky business; but Jay knew he must
either accept the banter or back down in
disgrace, tacitly acknowledging the in
feriority of his boat, and mourning be-
sides the reputation of coward. These
thoughts flashed through his brain, and
in moment his mind was made up.
Aye, he would outbrave Sim in accept
ing the challenge.
81 accept your proposition, Sim," he
said. Then he added, "And to make
the race more even for you will only
take sister Lily along to help me sail the
boat"
A wild yell of approval went up from
his companions, for all knew that Lily
Spratt was as plucky girl as there
was in Tomsburg, and that her skill
In handling boat was second only tt
that of the most expert boatmen in the
village.
Just then Annie Jason came upon the
scene, and joining her brother asked the
cause for the uproar. Sim told her in {
hurried whisper.
1.-THE Spratts shan't crow over us
Sim," she said resolutely, stamping hel
small foot upon the sand, 'Pll go will
you
When Sim made known what his sis
ter had said another shout, more wild
and more prolonged than the first, rem
the air
In a short time the news of the pro
posed race spread through Tomsburg
and in less than half an hours time men
women and children were congregate'
upon the shore, all taking lively inter
est in the preparations being made there