Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-20

"Durgan AGAIN." laughed Treston. as he
came up the steps.
Again." repeated Colville. Again
premises some Interruption. Durgan has
never ceased to be thorn In my flesh
since I moved In here"
Lawyers do not seem to be of much
use in this case" chuckled Treston, as
he shook hands. rs Edith inside?'
In the library replied Stephen Sol
vile. But look here. Jim, do You sup
pose that you can do anything? I've spent
thousands through Curtis to GUST Durgan,
and 1t does no good. You spoke as if you
might be better at the game"
What's in it2' asked Treston.
Fifty thousand was the prompt re-
Spouse.
That's not the fee Curtis Baird was
working for" suggested Treston. II should
be worth much.
For q moment Colville hesdtated. 1t had
been his ambition ever since Edith had
been born to unite the Baird and Col
Vile families and fortunes through the
girls marriage to Curtis Baird. The two
fathers had been chums when they were
both young men, and there had existed
half promise that the union should create
a closer bond. Curtis Baird was only too
willing to fall in with the scheme, but Jim
Treston had always stood in his way since
he had first come to Milton Edith had
many modern ideas of matrimony.
When Treston was still boy In knlcker-
bockers he and Edith Colville and Curtis
Baird had been playfellows, with no
thoughts of the rivalry that was to come
later on. Then Curtis had taken a law
course, while Jim had gone into business
after leaving college When BARD re,
turned to establish a practice, the oid
friendship had been ruDtured beyond re-
pair and the two men had become open
rivals.
Baird's first and most remuneratve case
had been the Durgan matter Durgan was
a runty little Irishman who occupied
corner of the ColviNe estate AT one tme,
when there were more farms an. not es-
tates, his plot had been part or the ad-
joining farm. Then road had been cut
through. leaving narrow strip Oh lahu'
and Colville had negotiated for the prop
erty Trouble had arisen with the owner
over the price, and while Colvllle was sui
negotiating in his usual diplomatic fashlon.
Durgan stepped in, paid the price, and one
morning strollng down the ROAD 10 re-
open the argument, Colville found men dig
ging the foundation for a house on cor
ner of the lot.
Durgan was sitting on the fence direct
Ing the Job and violent dislike snrang
up between the two men. Both were stub
born and quick tempered, and the inter-
view that had commenced as oonte IN
curry wound up with the workmen separat-
ing the two land owners.
Colyille left vowing vengeance, and Dur
gan resumed his seat on the fence planning
to make things uncomfortable for his
neighbor.
That he was possessed of fertile mag
fnation was soon made apparent. Soon the
broad sweep of turf on the Colville property
led directly to the Durgan pig stye the or
chard terminated in most tnartistlc view
of the Durgan chicken runs, and noisome
stable soon backed against the Colville gar
age.
Then the richer man had sought the law,
and finding it lacking. was willing to com
promise Durgan blandly announced that
he would sell the ten acres for a million
dollars and not a penny less. Colville bid
up to $4,000, and then took refuge in the
law again.
Durgan was summoned on every possible
pretext but Colvile lost In every suit,
though he did bring about material i'm
provement In the home life of the Durgan
pigs and chickens.
The latest move was the erection of a
small refreshment booth a corner of
the lot nearest the Colville grounds, where
Durgan announced his intention of setting
up a refreshment stand for the benefit of
automobilsts. and 1t was this that finally
induced Colville to promise Treston to con-