Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-03-30

n friend, and, if he wa
S~ sixty, such cor
genial companion. He was Away
ready to go fishing or coasting witt
the boys, or to take the girls to drive
although he was bachelor and live
alone, he had double carriage an,
the largest sleigh on Pippin Hill-be
cause he had MS large heart, Pegg.
said. He knew so much about tn
wild things in the woods as "Th
Hunters Own Book" and on rain,
day or when one had the mumps o.
measles he would tell stories by tn,
dozen-stories that were worth tell
ing, too, for he had been Ground tht
world and home again." and knew al
there was to know about cannibal:
and buccaneers and wild men, and al
such distinguished and interesting
people.
It happened that the only houses OF
the tip-top of Pippin Hill were the
Belfry Il suppose the Bells. house
may have received that name because
Papa Bell always spoke Of his children
rs his "small fry;;" anyway, that is
what every one in Bloomsboro' called
it) aud the Pigeon house, which had
belonged to Mr.. Pigeons grandfather.
The houses backed up to each other,
aud there was O mutual backyard
fence, so, of course. it was very desir-
able that the neighbors should be
friendly aud congenial; more than
this there was mutual apple tree.
The gnarled, old "high-top sweeting''
was directly on the boundary line be-
tween the two estates, and the mutual
fence had been cut in two to make
space for it, It's branches were low
md spreading, in spite of it's high top,
aud they spread very impartially over
the Bells smooth lawn and over Mr..
Pigeons orchard, and dropped their
delicious fruit-early, the first sweet
apples that there were-almost as
evenly as if it were measured on each
uf their-owner'e-lnne1- --trh-n-a',ly--!;s.
ference was that the August sunshine
lay longer upon Mr.. Pigeons side, so
the first red and yellow, mellow aud
juicy apples dropped upon his orchard
grassland he tossed them up to
Christine in her seat in the low crotch
of the tree, the seat that he had made
for her.
1t was Christine who thou 3ht the
most of Mr.. Pigeon and he Of her, be-
cause they both had twist, Christine
said. She could always speak of her
trouble cheerfully, even iokingly.
You would scarcely have though that
she minded it at all; it was spinal
weakness which had bowed her shoul-
ders and twisted her head to one
side. The others didn't mind much
when Christine was left out of things;
they were rough, merry set, but MIR.
Pigeon had always remembered her.
His twist was in one of his legs; he
had to wear an uncomfortable iron
boot, and walked with queer, side
ways motion.
When Becky, who was eleven 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 it.
s'In the first place it's too dreadful
TO be true, and in the next place he
would have told us, said Peggy.
But it really proved to be true. Mr..
Pireon's sister-his own sister!-had
gone to law to obtain n share Vi hel
grandfather's estate, which he ha6
failed to bequeath to her because she
had gone contrary to his wishes il
some way, aud the only share she
would have was that old estate oil
Pippin Hill. Perhaps the law nigh
force her to take something else a
her share since he had held possession
there so long; but she was Hitty, ant
he,should give it up to her. That wa!
what Mr.. Pigeon said in answer t.
the indignant remonstrances OF tn
Bells. She was Hitty; that was al
he would say; perhaps it wasn't mucl
or a reason, but the Bells understood
We all know what it is to give ul
things to people just because they ar
Ky or Polly or John.
So it happened that the Bells dea
Mr.. Pigeon went away to a littl
house that he owned down at Pequan
ket Mills and Miss Mehitable Pigeol
came to live at the old place on Pip
pin Hill aud owned half Of the high
top sweeting tree.
And the very first thing she did
it was September when she came
was to threaten to have Tommy Bel
arrested, because when he shook thei
side of the tree her side shook too
and she said the top of the tire
leaned toward their side and NOR
apples fell there, so when the apple
were picked and divided she mus
have an extra bushel. She threatene
to have their yellow kitten browne
because he scampered after the fyin
leaves in her garden and, she di
have their cross gobbler killed be
cause he ran after her red mornin
gown, as a gobbler will, you know
and gobbled at her. lie WASH I muc
loss aud she sent him home plucke'
and dressed, with the message tina
she should have eaten him if sic ha
not feared he would be tough!
She complained that Becky's pea
cock squawked aud Dicky's Guinea pig
suueaked, and the vane on their stabl
had "a rusty squeak" that kept he
awake nights; and ii one of the 'llttl
Bells mounted the fence she came OF
and "shooed' him of as if he were
chicken.
Christine, who was inclined to loo
on the bright side and to think well
every one, said thar she would prob'
ply grow better when they got bette