Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-02-13

was such a tried and trusty friend, and,
II he was 60, such a congenial compau-
ion. fle was always ready 10 90 fishing
or coasting with the boys, or TO take
the girls to drive; although he was a
bachelor and lived alone, and had a
double carriage and the largest sleigh
on Pippin llill-because he had SO
large a heart, Peggy said. He knew AZ
much about the wild things in the woods
as The Hunters Own Book" and OF
4 rainy day or when one had the mumpS
or the measles he would tell stories
by the dozen-stories that were worth
telling, too, for he had been round the
world and home again." and knew all
there was TO know about cannibals and
buccaneers and wild men, and all such
distinguished and interesting people.
1t happened that the only houses on
the tip-top OF Pippin Hill were the Bel
fry Usuppose the Bells house may have
received that name because Papa Bell
always spoke of his children as his small
fry;" anyway, that is what everyone
in Bloomsboro' called it, and the old
Pigeon house, which had belonged to
this Mr.. Pigeons grandfather. The
houses backed up to each other, and
there was a mutual backyard fence,
so, of course, il was very desirable that
the neighbors should be friendly and
C~ongenial; more than this, there was
u mutual apple tree. The gnarled old
~"high-top sweeting" was directly on
the boundary line between the two Is.
tates, and the mutual fence had been
cut in two TO make space for it. Its
branches were low and spreading, in
spite of its high top, and they spread
very impartially over the Bells smooth
lawn and over Mr.. Pigeons orchard,
and dropped their delicious f%ruit-early,
the first sweet apples that there we're
almost as evenly as if it were measured
on each of their owners land. The
only difference was that the August
sunshine lay longer upon Mr.. Pigeons
side, SO the first red and yellow, mellow
and juicy apples dropped upon his or
chard grassland he tossed them I'D
to Christine in her seat in the low
crotch of the tree, the seat that he had
made for her.
1t was Christine who thought the
most of MIR. Pigeon and he of her, be
cause they both had a twist, Christine
said. She would always speak of he-
trouble cheerfully. even jokingly. You
would scarcely have thought that she
minded it at all; it was a spinal weak
ness which had bowed her shoulders and
twisted her head to one side. The
others didn't mind much when Chris
tine was left out of things: they were
a rough, merry set, but Mr.. Pigeon
had always remembered her. His
twist was in one of his legs; he had to
wear an uncomfortable iron boot. and
walked with a queer, sideways mo-
ton.
When Becky, who was II and was
called the Bloomsboro' Budget, because
she carried all the news, came home
with the dreadful intelligence that Mr..
Pigeon was going to move away, no
one would believe il.
in the first place. it's too dreadful
to be true, and in the next place he
would have told US" said Peggy.
But 1t really proved to be true. Mr..
Pigeons sister-his own sister!-had
gone to law to obtain a share of her
grandfather's estate, which he had
failed 10 bequeath to her because she
had gone contrary to his wishes in
some way, and the only share that she
would have was that old estate on
Pippin Hill. Perhaps the law might
force her TO take something else as
her share, since he had held possess
sion there SO long; but she was Hitty,
end be should give 1t up to her. That
was what Mr.. Pigeon said in answer
to the indignant remonstrances of the
Bells. She was Kitty; that was all
he would say; perhaps It wasn't much
OF a reason, but the Bells understood.
We all know what it is to give up things
to people just because they are ky
or Polly or John.
So 1t happened that the Bells dear
Mr.. Pigeon went away to a little house
that he owned down al pequanket Mii.s
and Miss Mehitable Pigeon came to lise
at the old place on Pippin Hill and
owned half Of the high-top sweeting
tree.
And the very lrst thing she did
y vas September when abe oams-was
= thypetes Il tsse Tommy Roll ~