St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-08-08

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and carried it down the river. Then i,
began to eat into the banks on the
north side. Then, as the river ross
from the effects of heavy rains far to
the north, it began to creep steadily
up on the little isthmus which con.
nected the neck of land with the main
land.
It was plain that the big river would
soon settle the dispute as to the owner
ship of the land by silently eating it
away and, carrying 1t down stream.
That would never do, thought Squire
Harrison. So he turned in with hia
son and force of men and built a levee
along the northern side of the neck of
land, where it was most exposed to the
assaults Of the river. The building of
this levvee cost many times what the
land was worth, as Jack Harrison
pointed out to his father. But the
squire was obstinate. He would spend
hundred times what the land was
worth rather than have it swept away
and give Archibald Peyton chance to
gloat over the practical uselessness Of
the decision which made the land the
squire's property.
The building of the levee protected
the neck of land, but made things hard
er for the young lovers. Old Archibald
Peyton gave vent to numerous sarcas-
tic remarks about the business sense
OF a man who would build $500 levee
to protect S. piece of property Mu-
tual friends reported these gibes to
Squire Harrison. The squire said
things unbecoming his age and dignity
and was more than ever determined
that there should be no intercourse be.
tween the families.
But, as if enraged at being checked
by the levee, the Mississippi rose higher
and higher. II swirled and dubbed
around the end of the neck of land. It
formed little eddies which ate away the
banks on the south side. It hurled tho
full strength of its mighty current
against the little levee on the north
side. Even if the 1evee fell no damage
would b. done to the mainland. But
with the river at almost full flood il
was certain that the slightest break in
the levee would mean the sweeping
away of the feud-causing neck of land.
And one night the break came. It
was tiny one at first, but as the cur.
rent rushed through it became larger
and larger. An alarm was given and
Squire Harrison and his SON rushed to
try and stop the break. But the river
had been given chance and meant to
take it. The rushing waters seemed to |
laugh at the efforts of the squire and !
his forces to check their flow. Larger
and larger grew the break; swifter |
and swifter the current. By dawn half |
II the little neck was under water and |
t was evidently only question of .
lew hours when the mighty river
would cover all the small piece OF prop
'rty which had been productive of SO
much hard feeling.
But the breaking of the leyee had one
rood effect. 1t stopped the Harrison
'eyton feud. Both the obstinate old
gentlemen recognized that it was
ather absurd to be at swords points
'ver the possession of bit of land
which was covered by 20 feet Of muddy
Little by little the two
antilles resumed their friendly rela-
ions. Before the breaking of the levee
10Th stern fathers would have torn
What was left of their hair at the
bought of marriage between tho
ounger members Of representatives
t the families. Yet, in the end, the
of the engagement met
nth the most amiable approval from
9th old Archibald Peyton and Squire
harrison. Though, of course, the
quire did not dream that brown-eyed
ISABELLA had been guilty of one of the
lost serious crimes in the state penal ,
ode. |
Soon after the announcement of the
engagement Isabella made her confess
on.
IF you were judge" she asked Jack
larrison rather shyly, "and some one
as convicted of cutting levee, what
.ntence would you impose?" X
Now among the river planters leveo S
ltting is regarded as most serious
fense. So Jack responded promptly: ,
"Imprison the culprit for life.''
But" pleaded Isabella, ''that old l
eek of land wasn't worth anything I
I'd was doing great, very great deal I
harm. And then, "she added in ex. t
nuation, II only made very little I
it in the levee. The good old Missis- i
ppi did the dest." '
But Jack decided that sentence hav. I
6 been legally pronounced must '
and. y
SIN view, however," he added in his
ost judicial tone, "of the extenuating S
rcumstance that it was only little J
t. l think had better act as jailer Z
well as judge" 2
And for once a self-confessed cul- y
it seemed to have no wish to appeal v
ON life sentence.