The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-21

AND CAST THE BUNCH OF ROSES OVER THE
WALL.
The maid broughE In letters while the
soup was serving, and the elder Spofford
adjusted his glasses and broke the seal
Of the first that came to hand, and soon
as his eye ran over the page broke into
a dry, suppressed fit of laughter that
nearly choked him.
ssWhat fool that old Ben Childers is
to be surel Just listen to his railing.
Why, the man ought to be put into q
straitjacket.
..SIB Not content with doing all In your
power to annoy and injure me and my family,
by refusing to disconnect your water pipes and
to build a separate sewer, by throwing dead
cats, broken bottles and old junk, including
tomato cans and sardine boxes over my wall
by allowing your servants to insult mine you
have now resorted to more malignant. nefari-
GUS means of annoyance. You have thrown
into my garden a mysterious nissiye, unad-
dressed and unsigned, written ID gibberish
which take to be some species Of secret cipher,
and equivalent TO a White Cap threat, though
the document is wanting In the ordinary at-
tributes Of a coffin, skull and crossbones. This
species of trespass Is, take 1t, punishable by
due process of law Ishall therefore proceed
to have the writing deciphered, and shall then
take such legal steps as seem necessary TO pun
ish this special form Of outrage. | remain, sir,
yours, ETC., BENJAMIN CH1LDERs.''
Old Spofford leaned back in his chair
and laughed until the tears came into
his eyes, why, the fellow is mad as
March hare. throw threatening notes
over his garden WALL He has taken leave
of the little sense he ever had, but will
show him." be continued, suddenly So
bering, chat he can't indulge this tom
foolery with me without paying for it.
The blank rascal, does he think am go
ing to stand his internal nonsense2 I
win have him clapped into Jail forth
with for defamation of character. and
Spoford pere glared fercely all round
the table, resting his eyes ON Mark, who
was at that moment calmly engaged on
a chicken bone, though his heart was
pretty low down in his boots. He had
cooked pretty kettle of fish, and in
stead Of opening way Of communica-
ton with Kitty, had stirred up fresh
source of irritation between the belliger-
ents. He had managed the whole thing
like an ass, and yet he sat there sucking
his chicken bone, and said mildly:
II shouldn't take any notice of the let
ter; it is too childish and silly"
mot take any notice of itl' snorted
his father s'You are an idiot, Mark, a
baby. Of course shall take notice of
it. Do you think ] am going to allow
such slap in the face to go unchal-
lenged? Is my character for decency and
responsibility of no consequence in this
town? Have / no position to sustain
that charge of this kind can be flung
at me with IMMUNITY by dirty fellow
like Childers"
Mark had nothing more to say. When
his father got astride of the high horse
of his own responsibility be was hard
and fierce rider Mrs. Spofford gave her
son little darting glance of suspicion
which Mark could Ill bear. He was low
in spirits and not quite easy in con-
science. AS soon as dinner was over he
strolled off through the town, while his
father Immediately repaired to the IL
brary, took fresh pen, spread large
sheet of paper on the desk before him,
drew up his coat sleeves, and began in a
firm, large, round hand as follows:
SrR-Your favor of this date Is received, and
a document more compact of lies, hatred, NAL
ice and all unoharitableness never happened
to fall under my eye. II / were younger
man, sir, would answer it, not with cold pen.
ink and paper, but with good. hard, well di-
rected blows. would cram your injurious
words down your contemplate throat. The
matter is a put up Job, trumped up charge,
and ! defy you to prove that any member Of
my family has over dropped an insulting note
or any manner of nissive over your garden
wall. But would have you to know. sir, that
the character OF reputable citizen cannot be
assailed with impunity. The law, sir, takes
cognizance of libel end defamation of charac-
ter. In few days my attorney will wait upon
you in person. Cptn then fsIpain yours, ETC..
SrnPuEH SroFFoRD.
Benjamin Childers was round, plump
little man with beautiful soft, white
49,. .,.u~4 >.>.Ils44 ~ >.s.s.-.~ ~.
about his round, full moon face, beam
ing with a cheerful ruddy hue. he
was soft Of heart, but irate of temper,
obstinate and pigheaded, and absurdly
suspicious and yet easy to deceive, with
a propensity for taking the wrong side
of every question, and sticking to it
through thick and thin that almost
amounted to genius. In argument he
was one Of the most provoking of men,
and yet the necessity Of arguing, espe-
cially on topics he knew nothing about,
was as the breath to his nostrils. It was
this popularity of B. Chi1ders that had
involved him in this quarrel with his old
friend and college chuIn, Stephen Spot
ford. There was something magnetic
and inspirational about the little man,
and in spite of his perversity and fanlts
of temper he was well liked. He had
Isis own coterie, his own snug corner al
the club, whore he spent long evenings
| playing whist with his cronies,. and
where he bibed more punch and hoi
toddy than was quite good for man. Of
his apoplectic turn. Through his inhu-
ence bylaw had been added to the
constitution to the effect that one blacl
ball should exclude name proposed fo1
| membership, and when stephen Spofford
was proposed be dropped the one blacl
| ball with cheerful alacrity.
\ Mr.. Childers was sometimes a little
\ mellow from the effects Of the aforesaid
/ punch and hot toddy when he returned
home ct 9 late hour q the evening. bul