The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-03
BY RoBY MEEKINs.
A TOUCH OF NATURE.


 If you ever set foot on my premises | last words that fell upon the ears of young Doctor George anderson he passed out the gate of the Dodson fanii- of old Doctor pcdsori. who stood at the | open window shaking. his fist and nearly choking from apopiectic anger.
 The Int rview has been stormy one on the part oI the old doctor. who had called his young professional brother, or rather rival professionally, fortune hunting qaack and son of felon. ! These were words hard to endure, even from ths father Of the girl one hopes to marry, but instead of resenting them the young man turned on his heel and walkSd out of the house and yard, mere- " saving that he intended to marry the daughter If she would have him regard less or the senseless anger and oposition Of the parent.
 No sooner had the young mans figure diss ppearsd around the ccrn,r than the lrate doctor turned from the window and gave gave the office bell a vigorous thump with his closed fist. bringing quickly to the door trembling house maid. whose ears had been educated to the difference between calm and storm in the notes of the office summons
 ", he shouted at the trembling girl, and then began pacing the floor vigcr- ously, striking his clenched fist into his open palm with as much vigor and ap- parent relish as though he had his an cient enemy's head in chancery. The in- terview that followed Was a painful one. Lucy Dodson was not her fathers daughter for nothing and all the firm ness an dobsunacy he possessed was hers as well. but without the irascibility and loss of self-control The outcome was her declaration that his. objection was not reasonable and was founded in an old feud with which neither of the young people had anything to do
 '.Eathfr' aho plaodad drop this foolish quarrel? It has killed our mother .embittered your whole life and now you let 1t ruin the happiness of
 That will do, Miss. Not another word Don't let me hear of you holding any communication with that young quack again. and he waved his hand angrily
 Thirty years before Doctor Dodson and Squire Anderson had become the leading citizens of Preston. They were not only town. but they cwhet adjoining farms in the edge of town, separated only by the public highway. The original cause % G the tehsernngeme9ns 9 had long since hi been lost Jacks. counter-attacks, reprisals and legal contentious. In this, strife Squire Anderson generally had the best of 1t. trained legal mind to devise new and galling annoyances for his enemy. While the Doctor. fought blindly and bfundcr- tuSiy lawyer ScOTeu points on nm constantly. Only once had the physician triumphed according to his standard. He had some highly prized blooded sheep, which disappeared from the pen one night and the next day were found quietly grazing in the lawyers pasture. He at once caused the Squire's arrest on charge of larceny. and though the law yer was speedily acquitted he ever after referred to him as a felun and sheep stealer, and this was his reference to the young man as son of felon. The Squire sued him for islander and received a verdict with the damages set at one cent. the jury not believing that any thing either might say about the other could damage him in a community where both were so well known.
 At one time the Squire bought In the Doctors property for delinquent taxes and worried him immensely. At another that the doctors fence was a few inches over the street line and had notice serv- ed on him to rAmove it. The doctor re- sisted, was arrested and fined. On the other side the Doctor blocked all the Squire's political ambitions, preventing him from being elected District Attor- ney, County Judge and member of the quarter of century bore the titles of .''Dodson vs. Anderson or Anderson vs. Dodson,' and every lawyer for miles around had been given a chance to earn a good fee on one side or the other. Yet both were good business men and the country developed rapidly, with the re- suit that in spite of this drain upon their resources they both became wealthy, according to the standards of locality in which they lived.
 The two young people now involved had