The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-02-08

Her conscience did suggest an apol.
ogy; but no. the disciple of cleanli-
ness must stick 10 her colors. She
came forward stifiy.
Il do not need your pan any more
than l needed your parsnips, and |
do not care 10 hear such language"
She marched straight TO the pan.
tossed it over the fence, then went
directly into the house. apparently
unmindful that before the door was
hardly closed the pan again sailed
into her yard.
Then pan farce certainly began.
There were no more words between
these two; but if no words went back
and forth, the unlucky pan took
fights enough. Mrs. Read would go
out with her ashes. and. spying the
pan, would send il on a hasty Jour
ney. Mrs. Watson would come out
TO weed the famous parsnip-bed. and
how the pan would spin back again,
Happily there were no children TO
take up the feud and throw the pan.
The ''cross baby" spent its time most
ly in the house or on a sheltered
porch away from the Watson side.
The two husbands nodded good day
10 each other as usual; in fact, Mr..
Watson, at least, found a joke in the
travelled pan.
Slowly hot June sun climbed
higher one morning. Both husbands
were at work. the Read baby was
asleep, and both yards were in a state
of neutrality. although the pan was
on the Watson side. One lone cherry
tree grew in the Read yard. and to
this Mrs. Read. with step-ladder and
pail. now made her way, visions of
preserves floating in her head. Up
she climbed 10 the very top OF the
ladder. and picked till her head was
dizzy in the hot spring sun. There
were still finer cherries just above
her, and with a good deal of hesita-
tion she reached higher, found a limb
for her foot 10 rest on, and left the
friendly step-ladder entirely behind.
Now Mrs. Read was stout. and
cherry limbs are brittle. There was
not a moment of warning when
crash! crash with one shrill scream
Mrs. Read was landed, cherries and
all. upon the ground in a dismal
heap.
Mrs. Watson. who was cleaning
house, heard the scream through her
opened windows, and rushed to the
scene. Out of her gate and in at
her neighbor's was the journey of a
moment.
Then a capable hand was removing
the overturned step-ladder, brushing
away the crushed cherries, and help
ing the dazed woman to her feet.
Well, now, l do call you lucky!
Not n bone broke, is there? But
guess you're shook up some. Now
let me help you in onto the lounge,
and you just rest spell. Awful un-
certain work to climb into cherry
trees"
You're real good" murmured
Mrs. Read, as Mrs. Watson steadied
her shaking form into the house.
The blow must have affected her
head a little, for she sank into a
sound sleep, to be reused by the baby
some hours later. When she went
into the kitchen the first thing that
met her eyes was the pan-battered
from its many blows, but still able
to be piled full of cherries.
Beside it was a paper, on which
Mrs. Watson had scribbled:
I've washed the pan and washed
the cherries. | hope you won't be
lame"
Mrs. Read stood and looked at the
pan and cherries and message for
some minutes. Then in her slow way
she repeated the words of the morn
ing;
She's real good woman!"
The great pan feud was ended
Youths Companion.