The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1907-05-10
CAUGHT BY
THE LEG
BY Joncs Lorne
Copyright. 1905, by VI. VI. Cunningham
BY James L0rne

Arthur Morrison. bachelor and club
man and, What is. more. reyuted TO be
always in funds. ha,i heard his friend
Johnson speak Of his shore property Il
score of times without taking any par
tcular interest in the matter. In a
dim way he knew that il was down on
Long Island; that it was on the shore
of body Of water. presumably the
| sound; that Johnson was always kick
Ing about the taxes and always abus
ing some one named Copeland, who
owned property next to his domain.
and that he himself hadn't the re-
| hottest idea of buying either shore Or
mountain property.
This was all before the great game Of
poker that will be talked about in the
club for many years to come There
were but few members who didn't take
hand occasionally, but the play had
seldom become exciting. On the occa-
sion In question, when Morrison, John
son and three others sat down, no one
had any idea of what was coming. And
what did come was all because Of the
extraordinary hands which the even
ing's play brought out. The deck seem
ed to be bewitched. Pat straights,
Pushes and full houses We're as plenti-
full as pairs had been ON other Occa-
sions. --.
BY and by, when every player had a
hand he could back for any reasonable
sum, there was raising all along the
line, and before three of them gr,ldg-
ingly dropped out and left Morrison
and Johnson to fight it out between
them there was a record pot on the
table. When that had been raised to
$1,000 johnson put In his shore prop.
erty and made it $4,000. He was
raised $1,000 more. With that he put
down four aces only to be beaten by
straight flush. Within three days the
deeds Of the property were in Morri-.
sons hands. ..
In speaking of Dreamland, as John
son had named his shore property, he
had forgotten to mention one thing.
The Copeland he had inveighed against
was Colonel Copeland, retired army
officer. sixty years old. and man very
Jealous Of his rights. Having bought
to the edge Of the water, he fenced to
the edge of the water. This raised a
quarrel with the property owners on
either side. and the fences had been re-
peatediy torn down and rebuilt, while
the colonel had gone 50 far as to sit up
nights with a Shotgun to protect his
vested rights. This summer, owing to
the colOnel's wife being in Europe.
Dreamland was in the hands Of care
taker. = -
1t was a month before Morrison went
down to see his new property. He
would not have gone then but for the
letters he received from the caretakcr.
The latter stated that he had become
afraid of his life and that he would
lee the place if something was not
done to protect him. Mr.. Arthur Nor
-risOn was not a belligerent man, but he
refused to be bulldOZed. If Colonel
Copeland, his neighbour was carrying
things with too high hand he would
drop down and let him understand that
other Long Islanders had Il few rights
too Morrison had heard of irascible
old men with shotguns, and his belief
was that all they needed was some
one to talk right up to them.
lie reached Dreamland one day Just
In time to prevent the caretaker from
carrying out his project Of hurried
fight. And all this because in accord
ance with standing order from John
son, he had torn down the division
fence, and Colonel Copeland had
actually fired at him before proceeding
to rebuild it. The injured man went
on to give the old military hero such
reputation that Morrison was minded
at first to return to New York and put
the place in the hands of real estate
agent. But the caretaker urged that he
and, though it was with many misgiv-
ings, he started out to see about that
shore fence.
The offending obstacle was nothing
more or less than Il rail fence that ran
down through the scrub brush ana
over the sand to the edge Of the water.
1t was all on the colonels own prop
erty, and just why this old man should
not have dozen fences there if he
wanted them was puzzle to the new
conner In fact. he thought it might be
good idea to fence his own shore and
would have stopped at this but for the
caretaker. who insisted that he climb
the mooted fence and walk about on
the colo1el's land just to show him
that he did not own the earth.
A man will do foolish things against
his better judgment. Mr.. Morrison did
one on this occasion. He proceeded to
climb the fence. AS soon as his back
was turned the caretaker made re-
treat. If there was to be any shooting
he did not want to be counted in.
When Mr.. Morrison had hoisted him.
self to the top Of the fence he sat
there for n few minutes and surveyed
me landscape. There was the same old
Long Island sound; there were the