The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-07-23
gram. He tore open the dispatch. which

gram. He tore open the dispatch, which
read - follows:
Mark and were married last night ct Ames-
ville. Are coming home on the noon train, and
hope 70 bo forgiven KITTY.
Mr.. Childers evidently was quite be-
side himself. he dropped his napkin on
the floor, tipped over his cup Of coffee on
the tablecloth. and rushed round the
room like man distracted. Suddenly
he stopped, with his hair in q fine frenzy
and with the telegram In his hand, and
after . moments consideration stepped
out on the verandA Mr.. Spofford stood
on the veranda Of his own house erect
and precise as usual, but with some visi-
bic disturbance Of his facial angles He
held In his hand q similar yellow paper.
The two men looked at each other
glared would perhaps b. the better word
-acrOss the intervening distance. They
had not spoken for more than three
years. Now Mr.. ChilderS descended in
his disheveled state and made 4 few steps
toward the fence dividing the two
places. Mr.. Spofford did the same.
80 II appears your scapegrace Of .
son has run Of with my daughter" be-
gan Childers, tapping the yellow paper.
"Yes, sir" returned SpofOrd Stihly, II
have found a telephone in his room con-
Meeting with your daughter's window" :"
"a pretty kettle Of 6sh," said Mr..
Childers grimly. He your only boy.
How badly you must have brought him
up."
"Be careful, sir, how you throw stones
You are yourself in . glass house"
81 did not begin the stone throwing,
Eir; 1t was you that began II. Your
treatment Of me has been odious."
"And your conduct, sir, fail to find
words to characterize it."
Keep cool, sir, and let rs reason to-
gether In view Of this untoward situA-
ton. II only remains for you to cast of
your son and for me to disown my
daughter. Under the circumstances
there Is nothing else to do"
Mr.. SpofOrd hung his head and sud-
denly exclaimed: al can't do It, Childers.
He Is our only boy; as good . boy as
ever lived It would break his mothers
heart. They were married last night, It
seems. The thing Is irrevOcable. Is
there no other wayT"
Mr.. Childers was contemplating q
stone on the ground at his feet. "Kitty
IL dear girl, he said, "the idol Of Us
all OF course we don't mean 10 give up
Kitty. But We can't live side BY side,
Spoford, as intimate enemies and near
relatives We can't fight over our chill
dren's hearts,"
SpofOrd also was gazing hard at his
boots. Look here" said he, suddenly
poking his hand through the fence,
BENJAMIN Childers, Eve never known .
happy day since we quarreled, not one.
say protection be hanged, and the town
Offices be hanged, and the sewer ques-
tiOn be hanged, and every other bone Of
contention, and let us bury the hatchet
and begin where we left or"
"And l say free trade be hanged,
Stephen, my old friend Stephen. This
thing has nearly killed my wife," aud
he struck his hand into Spoford's, and
the two men stood looking at each other
with team in their eyes.
1--WE have both been fools, Steve"
COMPOUNDED fools, Ben"
1--WE must do something for the young
couple. II you will give the land win
build them q house next to ours"
Agreed, Ben; and now isn't II about
time to telegraph to than to come light
homer"
The little colony Of Spoford and Child
ers is now perhaps the hAppiest group Of
homes in Littleheld. The wall and fence
have been leveled between the two
places, and any evening you may hear
the old gentlemen laughing together on
the veranda Of one or the other house
as they clap each other on the back and
recall the days Of their youth. Mrs.
Childers has recovered her health, and
again knows the joy Of having her best
friend for her next door neighbor. Tom,
any fine day, may be seen riding tyran-
nous, curly pated boy Of three, Kittys
eldest, on his shoulder about the place.
There is . scrap Of yellOwed paper
with some cabalistic symbols upon Il
that Kitty cherishes as her dearest treas
ure, q little bit Of shorthand writing
once thrown over the garden wall. Mark
has connected all the houses by tele-
phone, but the primitive instrument that
he and Kitty used in the old days Of
courtship Il now q sacred fetich.
THE END.