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

occosion. NOW that the tAmllle8 Wero ~
daggers dEawn-next door MontaguesAnd
Capulets-it had become the dream Of
Tom Childers' life to get even with Mark
Spoford. He had taken fencing lessons
and had practiced for some time at pis-
tol shooting at Q mark When there 10
q fellow like young Spoford proving
round dOvecote one never knows what
may happen.
Now, from his hiding place under the
apple tree Mark saw his old friend Tom
come out with his pistol, prepared to
practice In little alley at the side Of
the stables some distance from the house
It gave Mark queerish feeling In his
legs. the nearest sensation akin to re-
spect he could ever feel toward Tom
Childers But Tom at the end Of pis-
tol was hardly the old Tom who had
been beaten at 6sticuffs and sent home
more than once with bloody nose
Mark. on cautiously peering over the
wall from his high perch, discovered q
ladder similar TO the one on which be
stood placed near his own on the other
side. It was ostensibly put there for
convenience in pluclring the fruit from .
cherry tree-large oxhearts, now begin
ming to grow ripe and waxy in rich
abundance. There Is no more delight
full lure for birds and young damsels
than q cherry tree hung with luscious
fruit Mark. as he spied out the enemies
country. saw Q trim little maid in pink
calico, white cap and apron, with
freckled cheeks and 4 saucy. upturned
nose, come out Of the kitchen with .
dish Of bones for Grip.
The dog snapped at her. showing his
great, solid white teeth, and gave low
ominous growL She put down the dish,
as II afraid Of burning her fingers, and
in moment Mark saw the pink calico
gown, the low Oxford ties and neat
stockings climbing the ladder. BE drew
in his head like turtle behind the wall.
and crouched as low as be could, con-
sciOus that the little maid. after gather
ing q handful Of cherries, had begun to
peep through the spikes into the Spot
fords' garden, possibly in quest Of Mr.,
O'Rafferty, the gardener. who was young.
by no means III looking. and a great
"swell" among the nursemaids, cooks
and chambermaids Of the neighborhood
But Larry 0'Raferty, though he was.
with the natural inconstancy Of his sex.
somewhat given to indiscriminate flirt-
ing, had fixed his affections on Susan.
Mrs. Spofford's pretty waitress and din.
ing room maid, and was now savagely
Jealous Of Denis, the Childers' coachman.
who had also cast q favorable eye in the
direction Of the alluring Susan on the
way home from early Sunday mass.
Now a thought occurred to Mark,
whose mind, as we know. was fertile in
inventions. Some two or three years
previous, before the feud had broken out
between the two families, Mark, who
had dipped into variety Of things, was
studying shorthand, and had taken pleas.
ure in imparting little Of this knowl.
edge to his friend Kitty. On long win
ter evenings they often sat with heads
close together under the light Of the lamp.
Mark eager and animated, Kitty with
an intent puzzled face, while he let her
into the mystery Of dots and dashes.
Mark trusted that his Kitty did still re.
member some Of the cabalistic signs be
had then impaired to her. Now quick
as thought he took ont his notebook,
tore away q blank leaf and scribbied
hastily on It In pencil two or three lines
Of shorthand This he wrapped about a
quarter Of q dollar, and watching his
opportunity when the maids head was
turned away. he swiftly rose and threw
It into the Childers' garden. As near as
possible to the foot Of the ladder. It
clicked against the dog house BE heard
1t distinctly, and 90 did the maid, who
stopped eating cherries, looked about In
some surprise at the sound and then trip.
ped down to see what It might mean. The
little white packet had ricochetted to
some distance, and Grip was reaching
out his paw to grasp It. Bot the maid
was just in time to snatch It away.
Mark, who had cautiously advanced
his head again. saw her slip the quarter
Of dollar into her apron pocket, and
then her eye rested blankly on the curl.
Gus writing, which might be Choctaw or
Chaldee, for all she knew. Pushed bow
knots ran in her eyebrows. her mouth
pursed and she shook her head In utter
bewilderment She could make nothing
at all, at all Of these "hathenish" char.
acters.
The idioti thought Mark. WIN she not
have wit enough to take the scrap Of pa
per to her young mistressl No; after
skipping up the ladder again, and peep.
ing over to see II she could discover a
solution Of the problem, she walked
slowly away toward the little alley by
the side Of the stables, where Master
Tom was peppering board with pistol
balls Mark knew he had bungled aw.
fully when he heard Tom Childers say
In a loud voice;
by Jovel this is fresh insult. They'll
be sending White Cap notices next, with
cofiins and deathS' headA The governor
shall hear of1t."
Mark had occasion 10 reflect on the
perfidy Of the female nature. The girl
had said not Q word about the quarter Of
. dollar snugly reposing in her apron
pocket. He ought to have written open
ly to Kitty, and then corrupted the maid
Of the tip tilted nose with large bribe.
Mark was naturally very despondent
after the miscarriage Of bis little inven-
ton. Now that the scrap Of paper
dropped over the wall had fsilen into
Tom Childers' clutches, there was little
hope that 1t would ever come into Mtty's
hands. As he smoked bis pipe and
prowled disconsolately about In the
shady parts Of the garden where be could
watch Kitty's windows unobseFved, the
widest projects came into his head mixed
up with Gre alarms, burglars and cy-
clones, in al Of which be played the part
Of Kitty'a heroic deliveref. n Kitty
vFaro willing N h carried Of how anailV