Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-03-01
The Feud Of the FerguSOns.
BY KATE NJ. CLEARY.

wrong with the gear!" She was peer
ing eagerly between the sittlng-room
curtains of warm red chenille. Come
here. an see, Lassie-ycur eyes are
younger'n mine"
But the girl sitting listlessly by the
little open stove did not stir nor
speak. Her bright bit of knitting had
fallen neglected on her lap. Upon Il
fer slender brown hands lay clasped
IN the idleness of indifference.
Seems like you don't take interest
in nothin' since you been up to Cart
vile to visit" went on her mother ir-
ritably. She sent sharp glance in the
direction of her daughter. Then she
turned again to the window. Its
broke or something" she enunciated
with brisk recurrence OF curiosity.
The mans comm this way. He's
, leading the horse. He's comm straight
here."
1t was a comfortable, common little
room that wherein mother and daugh-
ter sat. The rag carpet had mellowed
to dull tones and tints so subdued as
to suggest the wonderful weaves OF the
Orient. There was a glass lamp on the
crocheted mat of green wool which
ornamented the round walnut center
table. The couple of wooden rockers
had crazy-work cushions and head
rests. On the shelf which did duty for
a mantel was clock, china dog, and
two frost-white glass vases decorated
with scarlet roses The yellow light
OF the winter afternoon came in be-
tween the chenille curtains, and gave
to the oval cheek of the girl by the
hearth an almost peach-like tranSlu-
cence. Except for that skin OF child
like fairness and the lustrousness OF
her long gray eyes, LESSEE Ferguson
could hardly have been called a pretty
girl Her face in repose was sober
almost sombre. But when she was
pleased, gay, animated she quite took
the palm from the other girls in that
part of the county. Just now her face
reflected her mood, which was that OF
downright melancholy.
Mrs. Ferguson, still sentinel at the
window, kept issuing bulletins. Hes
got far as the rye patch now. First
i thought t was Ellis Dix. but it amt.
Ellis don't come here much since you
got to putin on airs after gittin' back
from Cartville. This one is tallern
Ellis-he's got a moustache too. He
don't belong in these parts. You go
to the back door, LESSEE. I'm skeered
Of the wind in my face with the nell
ralgy | got. Find out where he's from.
You can tell him where's the tool
chest in the barn If he wants to fix
his harness. There-he's knockin'!"
Mrs. Ferguson looked frowninSly
after the slow moving form of her
daughter.
Il wish I'd never let her go visitin
to Cartville!" she was muttering to
herself in accents of annoyance.
'Praps if l hadn't told her she
shouldn't have had anything to say to
that Rene Ferguson she'd never have
thought of lookin' at him. Like as not |
It was just the contrairiness of girl |
that made her take up with him. An
then, to come home and throw over
ELLIS Dix like ne wasn't worth wipin'
her shoes on-him with the likliest
bunch of steers Of any man in the
township! Sayin she'd marry Rene
or no one. An now mopin' away |
like the life was throwed after her.
We've had trouble enough with them
Fergusons of Cartville. If they was !
blood relations instead of only hap
PENN to be folks of the same name, !
their family and our'n couldn't have
got on worse all these years we been
dealin' up to Cartville!"
Leslie, opening the back door saw
silhouetted against the white eXpanse
OF the snowy prairies, big, bury fig
ure in great-coat and SLOUGH hat
III you need the tool box" she be-
gan with periunctory po.iteness, |
you'll find it in the right-hand--"
She broke off with ht.le gdsp-her |
heart piunging.
...essle" said the stranger. MY |
girl-Lessie!
Then the slim little form in the blue, |
gold braided gown was swallowed up .
in the fervent grasp of two powerful. |
rough-coated arms.
"Oh, Rene!" Her voice was sweet
tremulous. "Oh, Rene-how dared .
you?"
He kissed the loving reproach on her |
lips 10 silence
For you." he answered. I've |
driven over from Cartvile to see your
father I'm going to ask him for you. |
And if he refuses" The masterful |
look that came into his blue eyes was ,
a good thing to see
"But-Rene. Father has gone to
Iowa. And even when he is at home |
he has nothing to say II mothers
around"
but he's been keeping up the feud |
between the families all these years,
and"
Mono, It's been mother. Father |
has only fired the bullets she made. IL
you can once get mother to favor you
hush, here she is!
Land sakes. | know now who that |
young man is" The voice of Mrs. |
Ferguson preceded her like a herald
ing horn She appeared in the door
way, rosy. excited, volube. Hes the
nephew OF Hiram Sands has been ex-