The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-10-06
The quarrel had lasted the summer

through and autumn had come. II
the Moores and the Beardsleys had
been willing to make up, the friends of
each family would have prevented.
, 1t was the only event that had hap
pened for years to create talk, aud
every one was anxious to make the
most of it. The farmers wives of
one faction called on Mrs. Moore and
advised her to keep her chin In the
air and show them Beardsleys what
was what" and the wives of the other
faction called ON Mrs. Beardsiey and
advised her to stick 1t out and let
them Moores see they didn't own the
earth"
The quarrel would have continued,
and the enmlty might have entered
into church and politics, as well as
social life, but for n spotted hog. 1t
was a spotted hog belonging to the
Beardsleys. He had been penned up
with other hcgs to be fattened for the
pork market, but one October day, as
Joe was digging potatoes in the field,
with his father away to town, he
heard his mother blowing the dinner
horn. 1t was mid-afternoon, and was
signal of distress. When he reached
the house it was to find that the spot
ted hog had leaped out of the pen and
gone trotting down the road. 1t was
Joe's duty to follow on and turn him
back. There was the hog forty rods
ahead of him, and as soon as the ami
NAL knew he was pursued the started
Off to make q race of 1t.
1t wasn't at all probable that that
spotted hog knew of the quarrel be-
tween the Beardsleys and the Moores,
or had any plans as to an armistice
and reconciliation; but when he left
the pen he headed for the Moore home
stead. Joe pursued him without a
thought of where the race might end.
The hog covered the mile between the
two farms without losing much
ground, but the open gate of the
Moores was temptation he could not
resist. He swerved and entered, and
then lodged about the house and was
lost TO view among the cabbages. The
pursuer halted at the gate, and hung
there undecided. 1t wasn't likely
that the Moores would come out and
forbid him from reclaiming his runa-
house he might come face to face with
Susie.
He hadn't settled the point when he
heard the sound Of singing. 1t was a
rough, coarse voice, and rough,
coarse song, and Joe was puzzled.
When three other voices Joined in the
chorus he advanced up the path and
walked around the side of the house
till he came to the kitchen door. Then
all was made plain. A gang of tramps
had taken possession and were hav-
ing good time.
Mr.. and Mrs. Moore had gone to
town that day, leaving Susie alone.
An hour after their departure four
tramps had come along and boldly en-
tered the house. When the girl or
dered them out they refused to go;
when she would have fled they men-
aced. and detained her, and ordered
her to prepare meal of the best in:
the house. They guarded the doors
so that escape was impossible, and as
she cooked at the stove the fellows
sang songs, drank from the jug of
currant wine one Of them had brought
from the cellar, and boasted of what
| fortune had in store for them.
Joe stood on the doorstep for five
| minutes before he fully realized the
situation inside. 1t was not until one
of the rascals vowed that he was GO
| ing to bestow a kiss on the cheek of
the frightened girl that his presence
among them was known. Then the
| music-box, the patent churn, the wind
mill, the wire-fencing, the spotted hog
all were forgotten in an instant, and
Joe lifted the latch and walked In.
There was business to be transacted.
The odds We're four to one, but Susie
had just time to cry out "Oh, Joe,
I'm so glad" when the tramps began
to tumble. 1t is due the profession in
| general to say that none of the four
ran away, but they fought a losing
fight. Those words from Susie gave
the young farmer the strength of q
| lion, and inside of ten minutes three
| of the tramps Were lying on the
| ground outside with their hands and
feet lashed, and the fourth was limp
ing across the fields and wondering at
the sudden change of program.
When Joe's work had been finished.
and Susie had wiped his bleeding nose
with a wet towel and bandaged his
skinned knuckles with n soft cloth he
looked up at her and said,-
| IL came after our spotted hog"
| "Well, you can have him." she re-
piled as her nose went up.
False pride makes fools OF men and
women. Joe might have moved away
had not one of the tramps, who seemed
to divine the situation intuitively,
called out
Say you! 'Tain't none of my biz
ness, but you two lad better kiss and
make up!'
II guess We had," said Joe 20 Susie
as he looked into her laughing eyes.
/ "Wny of course ~ sha roplIad