The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-07-09


Mark Spoford was lounging in his
mothers sitting room in a great easy
chair with his feet wide apart. engaged
in shipping a bit Of cloth with pair Of
tiny embroidery scissors that scarcely 1T
tel on the tips Of his thumband forefnger
Mark was big fellow. long in the legs
and arms. and broad Of shoulder, deep
chested and vigorous. with q thick crop
Of curling auburn hair and gray, specu.
latiVe eyes under thick eyebrows. Eye.
glasses dangled by cord from his neck.
but he seldom wore them, and a charac-
terlstlc habit Of contracting the eyelidf
was due TO his shortsightedness. Marks
lips were made up for a whistle as he
sat idly snipping the shred Of cotton;
then suddenly he threw up his arms and
gave a great and prolonged yawn, show.
ing all his beautiful firm white teeth
back to his molars and bicuspids
Come. Mark. said his mother, who
cat at little table near by. engaged on
Oome coarse kind Of canvas. on which
she employed a variety Of bright colored
embroidery silks do bestir yourself
Here IN this little room you seem to ex.
haust the air you are 90 big. ! can
hardly move without stumbling over
you
Mark got up. made q queer grimace
that gave Q comical expression to his
plastic features. Strengthened himself
0loWly. a. II be were Jointed. and were
unpaclEing from some sort Of case. and
then went over to where his mother sat.
TOOK her fair gray mead in both mis- arms
and Rugged It against his huge breast.
oh. nanny Is there no way at all
can zee Kitty 1t Is beastly dull here
without her. as you must know We
have always been such fast friends,
nanny dear. and now to DO cut ot1
from Kitty when we live Just next door
ID what call horrld cruelty"
MrA Spo6ord patted her boys big
hand with her own small white one.
sparkling with rings. as she sat, heI
work suspended and her handsome head
still In chancery to the lads strong
ArmA
What can we do. Mark2 Your father
has quarreIed with Kittys father. and
non-intercourse 10 the rule Of the two
houses"
Il say It is beaStly bad" said Mark.
twisting his features into another queer
gFimRce. "that we must break OF all in
tercourss with our dearest friends b.
cause two old TO"
Don't be dIsrespectful to your father, >
Said Mrs Spoford gravely.
mo, Of course don't intend to blame
dad. He is not q patient man by any
means. but am Of the opinion that old
Childers goaded him past all endurance
Old Childers IL q regular Tartar when
bis temper ID once up, an unreasonable.
pigheaded. prejudiced old scoundrel
How he ever came to be the father Of
Kitty cannot imagine"
Tut, tut" said Mrs. Spofford. freeing
herself gently from her boys embrace
and proceeding to smooth her rumpled
locks with both her delicate hands
Don't you remember not soInany years
ago when you always called him Uncle
Ben, and how he used to ride you on his
back and bring you q pocketful Of
goodies whenever he came to the house
to see your father
'Of course. nanny, he was dadis
best friend in those days, his old college
chum. We all thought him the kindest
hearted. jolliest man in the world; and
he is generous. will say that for him
And that time that dad got hurt on the
railroad, remember how he came and
staid with him nights. and took care Of
him like q brother. But we did not
know then what devil Of . temper be
had-not till he persuaded dad TO come
out here to Littlefeld and build this
house next door to bis own. The two
houses were planned almoss exactly
alike, and there was never stick OF
stone Of wall or fencs between. Their
flower beds ran into ours, and our peas
and lettuce hobnobbed with theirs, and
that house was just as much Of a home
to me q ours was, and Kitty and Tom
were like my own brother and sister,
and now II Is all 90 sadly changed Dad
and Uncle Ben quaFTeled about some
confounded thing or another-protec-
ton and free trade and . town Office. !
believe Il was that began the ahindy-
snd things went from bad to worse.
until Uncle Ben built that great brick
wall between the gardens topped with
iron spikes. and spoiled both plaeeS
Now when ] come home Tom passel
me BY, like . contemplate cock-spAErov
that be e, bis hat on bis ear, snd Uncl1
Ben anortB HE . locomotive, and Kitty