Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-11-22
A OWL WAR.
BY BARRY PAIN.

Miss Annabel Blake and Miss Jessca
Wynch possessed certain points Of re-
semblance. They were about the same
age, and had about the same moderate
income. Both were plain, slightly &C
centric, sturdy, and even pugnacious.
Both of them hated men and loved gar
dening. Both were Independent, me-
thodical, and hot-tempered. Both had
Quarreled with all their relations.
1t was chiefly on that account that at
the age Of thirty they decided to join
forces and take house and garden in
the country together. The relations
smiled and said they would give that ar
rangement just one month to last. They
calculated that by then Annabel and
Jessica would have flown at each others
Threats and parted for ever.
But the relations were wrong. Both
of the ladies were shrewd enough to see
that the only possible modus vivendi
was one which, as far as possible, lef:
to each her independence. A book of
rules was drawn up in manuscript, each
lady possessing her own copy. AS the
years went on the rules grew in number
to meet every occasion. They were
agreed to by both parties, and there were
fines for breaking them, and the fines
were always paid. The making Of these
rules caused a good deal of friction,
generally ending in an even COM
promise. Neither lady could claim to
Ibe the predominant partner; gradually
the spirit of an accurately measured
give-and-take grew up between them.
The compromise might, tor Instance.
have been traced in Rules Is, which or
dained that fires in the reception rooms
were permissible only between 6 p. m.
Of October Is and 1890 p. m. OF the
following April %. 1t took two even
dngs of animated dincussion to make
that rule. Once made, it passed into the
things beyond discussion, and there was
no more trouble about 1t. An entire
absence of anything that could possibly
have been called sense Of humor help.
ed them.
Thanks to the rules and compromises
Miss Blake and Miss Wynch managed
to live together for twenty years. They
did not pretend to have much mutual
affection, but they enjoyed a little sharp
ness of the tongue; perfect calm would
have bored them. They had, however,
a certain amount Of mutual respect,
since neither was person who could be
put upon, and from the similarity to
their tastes it was probably easier 10.
each to live with the other than with
anybody else. Besides, there was dis
tinct saving Of money from living to-
gether; and though they were not pre-
cisely miserably, they liked good man
agement.
But in the twcnty-first year, In me
springtime, when the birds were singing
prettily, and the blossoms were looking
lovely, and Nature generally seemed
smiling and peaceful, the great war
broke out between The two ladies. The
war had its origin in the garden the
paths and lawns were common ground,
though the care of paths was assign
ed to Miss Wynch. while Miss Blake
was responsible for the lawn. The rest
of the garden was divided into equa!
parts. BY Rule 8 Miss Blake owned
and cultivated that part of the garden
on the left side of the path. and Miss
Wynch owned and cultivated the other
half on the right side. They employed
no gardener, and needed none. These
two ladies of fifty could do place o.
hard digging-and no nonsense about IL
as we'll as most men. There were rules
that a certain proportion of each allot-
ment was to be kitchen garden, an d the
crops for these were to be settled II
January by discussion. Otherwise the
two ladies might have had too much OF
one thing and none Of another. tbs
discu ssion was much less fiery than
might have been expected. The citpa-
bfIities off the land and Of its cultlVat-
ors had been early recognized. Whe n a
difficulty did arise, short squabble f'nd
sterr.ly just compromise settled it. l'he
rest of the allotments, the flower 81
dens, never came under discussion at
ALL; there each proprietor, by Rule 10,
was supreme. :.
Now it happened that Miss Mynch, In,
turning over her seed packet one even
ing, came on one that bore no label and
no indication of its contents Miss
Blake expressed her opinion, to give her
exact words, that Jessica Wynch was a
careless fool. Miss Wynch said she hal
never seen the packet before, and the
seedman must have sent it by mistake.
1t was probably rubbish, and she should
h,lrn IL She added that people who for