The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-05-30
1As GRAVES G%
EMBELLISHMENTS
ySvaMiSyOAs
II. TOM, / do hope
father won't go TO


Loudon! It's bad enough as it is. but
that will make it ever so much worse
] met Kate in the post Office yesterday
and she pretended net to see me-"
Tom HARDWOOD raped the iron from
the plane he was using, and began to
wh,t il on the oilstone.
I'm with you, Dorothy" he said,
-'but what are you going to do about ii =?
Father has settled il in his mind that
the major is wrong. and he's going 10
law about il down here in Alabama,
lust the same as he would back in
New Hampshire. lie isn't bitter about.
II. and he can't see why the major
should be-"
The bright-haired young girl sitting
on the end of the workbench nodded
her head emphatically.
IL know" she said ''But the ma or
IS bitter: he'd lie untrue to all his ira
diiions ifhe wasn't. Going TO law with
anybody down here Is just like dec
laration OF war. The neighbors take IL
mp on both sides. and there's no end Of
trouble. just look at the Peterses and
the Reeds. They're readyto fly al each
other like cats and dogs all the time"
Tom laughed.
IF il comes to that il will he pretty
one-sided with u.s." he said THE
Loudens used TO own the whole valley
before the war. and they set the pace
for nearly everybody in it now. And
as between the blue-blooded old major
and despised Yankee farmer. who
persists in blowing deeper than his
neighbors. and making money when
everybody else is losing it."
Now. Tom. you know that isn't fair.
We couldn't have been treated better
anywhere than we were two years ago.
when We came here with mother sick,
and father discouraged, and every
thing so dreadfully dreary and-and
tackv. Everybody was just as kind and
thoughtful as could be. They never
asked where we came from. and they
didn't seem to care"
Toms plane was curling long shaw
ings from the edge OF the board. and
he laughed again. lie was broad
shouldered young fellow, with reso-
lnte jaw and unafraid eyes. and laugh
ing came easy 10 him.
1T costs pet prejudice or two, but
you're right. little sister. There is no
north nor south any more. But that
doesn't help us out Of our tangle with
the major"
NO; and it's snch n little thing-a
foo; and half of land on one side OF
an old field"
"A foot and eight inches" Tom cor
rccted "But it's the principle OF the
thing with father. lie believes he is
right. and he is going to insist on that
foot and eight inches. IL IL costs us
every friend we have in the valley.
Dorothy's gaze went adrift out OF
the workshop window. wandering aim
lcssly until it alighted upon the bent
figure Of man digging in distant
field.
1.-The dear old pater," she said. soft
~. He is so just and upright that he
has quite forgotten row to be gener-
Gus. II this dispute grows into a
nrirhborhood quarrel, it will break
mothers heart"
That's So" said Tom; but he had
No helpful suggestion to offer.
The young girl slipped down from
her perch on the bench and went into
the sweet May sunshine. She was n
born peacemaker. and the threatened
trouble made her heart ache. There
were two young people at the great
house on the knoll-the majors grand
children-and everything had been so
pleasant and happy until the boundary
dispute had halved the apple Of dis
cord between the two families.
And now she knew that Kate Loudon
and her brother would have TO be
loyal to their grandfather: and there
would he no more quartette picnics
10 the Pocket" nor carryall dries TO
Nick-a-Jack cave. nor Sunday evening
hyinn-singings around the old-fash-
loned grand piano in the Louden draw
ing-room. And her mother would have
70 zoe told; and the neighbors would
take sides-against them, as Tom said |;
and the whole affair was altogether too
miserable even to contemplate.
Her gaze went aHeld again. and
sought and found the STOPPING figure
IN the distance. She thought il was
uer father. and went around through
'Ie orchard end out into the lane,