The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-07-08
Then the Mississippi began to take

began to eat into the banks on the
north side. Then, as the river rose
from the effects of heavy rains far to
the north, it began to creep steadily
up on the little istl0us which con-
nected the neck of land with the main
land.
1t 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 it down stream.
That. would never do, thought Squire
Harrison. So he turned in with his
son and force of men and built levee
along the northern side of the neck Of
land, where 1t 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
squirrels 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 man who would build $500 levee
to protect a 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. In swirled and dubbed
around the end of the neck of land. It
formed little eddes which ate away the
banks on the south side 1t hurled the
full strength of its mighty current
against the little levee on the north
side. Even if the levee fell no damage
would be done to the mainland. But
with the river at almost full flood it
was certain that the slightest break in
the levee would mean the sweeping
u.
And one night the break came. 1t
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
of the little neck was under water and
it was evidently only question of a
few hours when the mighty river
would cover all the small piece of prop
erty which had been productive of SO
much hard feeling.
But the breaking of the levee had one
good effect. 1t stopped the Harrison
Peyton feud. Both the obstinate old
gentlemen recognized that it was
rather absurd to be at swords points
over the possession of bit of land
which was covered by 20 feet of muddy
Mississippi. Little by little the two
families resumed their friendly rela-
lions. Before the breaking of the levee
both stern fathers would have torn
what was left of their hair at the
thought of marriage between the
younger members of representatives
of the families. Yet, in the end, the
announcement of the engagement met
with the most amiable approval from
both old Archibald Peyton and Squire
Harrison. Though, of course, the
squire did not dream that brown-eyed
Isabella had been guilty of one of the
most serious crimes in the state penal
code.
Soon after the announcement of the
engagement Isabella made her comics.
sion.
IF you We're a judge" she a sked Jack
Harrison rather shyly, land some one
was convicted of cutting levee, what
sentence would you impose?"
Now among the river planters levee
cutting is regarded as most serious
offense. So Jack responded promptly:
"Imprison the culprit for life"
"But," pleaded Isabella, chat old
neck of land wasn't worth anything
and was doing great, a very great deal
of harm. And then" she added in ex.
tenuation, II only made very little
cut in the levee. The good old Missis.
sippi did the dest."
But Jack decided that sentence hav.
/, ing been legally pronounced must
stand.
"In view, however" he added, in his
most judicial tone, "of the extenuating
circumstance that it was only little
cut | think I had better act as iailer
as we'll as Judge"
And for once self-confessed cul-
prit seemed to have no wish to appeal
from life sentence.