Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-02
AN OLD FEUD.
A Story OF New England a Hundred
Years Ago.
BY j. IL.

One OF the most drearY forests in New
England is that known as the Duglas
Woods, which occupies the northeast
ern corner of Connecticut, the north
western corner of Rhode Island, and
lies partly in the State of Massachusetts.
It is a rocky and hilly tract Of land.
covered with a somber pine forest in
terspersed with the native oak, chest
nut and maple. In the latter part of
the 18th and the early part of the 10Th
centuries it was inhabited by some thirty
OF forty families of charcoal burners, q
simple, uneducated people, who, in the
summer, eked out their scanty living by
cultivating the small clearings which
surrounded their rude cottages.
In the year 1890 a family by the name
OF Trevor lived upon the outskirts Of
the Douglas Woods. The father, Caleb
Trevor. who was looked upon as the
wealthiest man in the neighborhood,
owned a flock Of sheep, two pairs Of
oxen, two COWS and a pair of horses;
and during the winter months he and
his two sons, Egbert and Edgar, burned
a large number of c~oaI-pits.
Near the Trevors lived a family
named Harvey. Between the Harveys
and the Trevors there was a l%ong-exist-
ing Icud, dating from away back before
the Revolution, when the heads Of the
two families had disagreed as to the
location OF the bourdary-line which
separated their respective sections of
land.
Alice Trevor was the Youngest child
and only daughter of Caleb Trevor.
She was a very pretty girl about seven
teen Years of age, with sunny golden
hair, large, tender blue eyes, and a
pink-and-white complexion like the in-
side of a delicate sea-shell.
William Harvey was the son of Elijah
Harvey, who had died several years
previous to the date of this story. His
brothers and sisters had married and
gone to homes of their own, and he
and his mother We're the only mem
bers of the once large family who re-
manned at the old homestead.
1t would have been hard to find a
handsomer nan in all New England
than William Harvey. He was over
six feet in height, broad-shouldered,
well-proportioned and muscular. with
glossy black hair, and dark-brown
eyes which at times appeared black.
He was about twenty-five years of age.
In spite of the luminosity between the
two families, William Harvey and Alice
Trevor met and fell in love with each
other. Meeting clandcstinely and carry
ing on their little love affairs in a quiet
way. the young couple escaped detec-
ton for some time; hut one day young
Edgar Trevor discovered them together
in the forest, and, fastening home, in,
formed his parents Of what he had seen.
Without a word, Caleb Trevor flung
his rifle over his shoulder and strobe
angrily from the house. His wife went
to the door and called after him:
Father. father! don't do anything
rash"
He turned and looked back.
If L find that young Harvey with my
daughter. I'll shoot him down like !:
dog" he cried, and the next moment
he had disappeared in the forest.
My God" moaned Mrs. Trevor.
sinking helplessly into a chair and
wringing her hands. He'll kill young
Harvey, and then he'll be hung"
~ was IL SAOdA, COOi uuN LII cdIlH NO
vember: and as Caleb Trevor entered
the wood, the golden-brown and Grim.
son leaves which covered the ground
rustled beneath his feet, while u ligh,
breeze whispered softly among the pine
boughs overhead. But he took nc
notice of these. as with his mind in {
tumslt OF rage, he hurried through the
forest. He met his daughter coming
along the path which led to the coal
pits.
Alice he said, sternly, Il hear tina
you met young Harvey in the forest
and have been conversing with him. L
it SOP"
Yes, father" the girl replied.
Did you meet him by appointments
ayes"
How long has this been going on?'
There was a rebellious glitter in til,
girls eyes as she replied:
For more than a year"
Very WE'LL" said Caleb Trevor, whit.