The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-15
End Of the Feud

On her Veranda sat the mistress
OF the cottage in satisfied silence,
The servant problem, which at one
time had threatened to eclipse an
otherwise charming Florida Winter,
seemed to be solving itself.
To be sure, Mandy was young and
crude, though learning fast and will
ing to please. This morning the break.
fast toast had been Drowned to a turn,
the coffee clear and the eggs boiled to
a proper consistency. SO good was
everything, in fact, that Mrs. Lane
forgot for the moment that the four.
teen-year-old girl had so strong an
aversion to shoes and stockings that
she occasionally ushered in guests
without wearing these toilet acces.
sories.
Now, as Mrs Lane watched the girl
leap over the fence and dart toward
the post office, she could not but ad-
mire the grace and beauty of the un-
conventional little creature. She
thought of the wonderful change the
past two months had made in her, how
tractable and quick to learn she was,
how inherently refined, poetical in
thought and soft in speech
half-formed plan to take her to
the North in the Spring, give her an
education and make a companion of
her crystallized in Mrs. Lanes mind.
She determined to go to see the girls
mother that afternoon and talk 1t
over with her
Then came doubt and dsmay. Re-
turning slowly. Mandy walked with q
iank youth who bent toward her. Bits
of village gossip REQUIRED to Mrs.
Lanes mind. But no, Mandy was too
much of a child to think of beaux!
However, if she mad any such
tender sentiments, they ,rould stand
| in the way of her going North. SO
as the girl came in at the side gate
/ Mrs. Lane called to her. ''
81 saw you walking down the street
with Bud Johnson, Mandy" began
| Mrs. Lane. kindly, when the girl 'ap.
preached. "Is it true thMt you and he
are sweethearts, as they say?"
The girls eyes flashed and her
| slight figure became tense as she an
swered: Him? No, ma'am; l jes
lie. him walk a piece-a-way with me
to tell him not to be handin' 'roun
no noah! No johnson ken come
sweetheartin' 'roun' me none! Doar
you-all know they Is the othah side
o. the feud?"
Mrs. Lanes heart jumped. She had
read Southern stories full of feuds
4 To-, ,,.;f ,
ore. ..
"You-al sure know bout that?'
queried Manday again. They AIM
no noah men left on our side, so they
amt no noah shooJin'. but they's beer
tines when they's been blood a-plen
ty between we-all and that johnson
tribe, an none ken come 'roun' me-
no, Ina am! They killed my daddy an
my daddy, an daddy killed TIVE
fore they popped him. an they's beer
shootin' a-plenty afore that. ."-.a
They amt no men left on ou
side, now; so reckon the feud'
broke. But the feelin's there-yes
ma'am. Id be a poor thing to MARI.
Johnson" -a.. a.r5n. 4 .-
some years. at least, Mandy" hastilI
interposed Mrs. Lane You are no
old enough to think Of such thing
yet" .lfh-. 81
Yes, ma am" answered Mandy, il
her gentle voice, as she went into tn
house. q aapP bt..:I III gns
That night the girl had permission
y, in fho. dc tn
cabin dance, with. the stipulation tha
she would return at noon the mex
day. .ua,... IG .J.3u..u94 a3'-..,.
When the next night came and n
Mandy appeared and the next morr
ing found her still absent Mrs. Ian
was filled with forebodings of wha
might have happened to the girl, S
she yrodee out to Mandy.s mother
house near the bayou. a.,G Gt,rt 70
She had meyer seen Mandy's fan
lily and looked about curiously as sh
neared the, house, Children, of a
sizes were riotlng ip the hot sunligf
with chickens, dogs, and a litter {
young pigs-o.,A. faded. tired Ywoma
, who, might have been sixty came
the gate. ,,..l -.ru we.
a. reckon I'm her.. said the woman
,,- "Thep have xou seen or heard an,
thing from her? She Should :, hay
been back from her, cousins at 400
! yesterday, but she hasn't, been hear
!, from apd I am 80 worriedli oa3
: . Il, reckon, You-all needn't a worr
ID bout Mandy resp9Rf}ea her no5RRs @