The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-23
THE EVENING STORY
Holding the LING.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay. }

when two peppery old chavs like
Goin,nodore Renshaw and General
: airly-one from the navy and the
otner from the army-both widow
ers, and one having a son and the
otner daughter-both parents ach-
ing TO argue and discuss, and neither
WiLlng TO give an inch-are set to live
sequence?
Wrangle? Why. they wrangled
from the very first day That was
ABOUT the Spanish war-as to whether
, Inc army or navy brought about peace.
, nns next was on politics. the next on
renglon, and they got SO they
Wrangled about the weather. They
other.
Egad. commodore. you are an old
fossil, and your words don't count, and
sir!" General Fairly would exclaim
as ne left the house of the former in
a huff; but he would be over again
next day with something new to argue
about.
"Egad. sir. but for the navy and
Santiago where would you doushboys
nave been-where. sir ?" the commo-
dore would exclaim with very red
race. I'VE saved you, sir, and here
you are, pretending to tell me of war!
Yes, sir, and I'll go home, sir, and
want you to keep your hens at home
or I'll shoot them, STRIP
But the hens continued to roam in
MS garden. and he didn't shoot They
tnouSht they were in deadly earnest
those two old heroes-but they
weren't. They were bluffing
The spring that both reached the
age limit and were retired they went
up the Connecticut shore and bought
villas side by side. At that time they
were abusing the government instead
of each other. At that time Eunice
M INF u otr1x-
spective daughter and son, were away
at college, and both came home the
last of June, to find that the commo-
dore and general had at last found
something worth wrangling about
1t had been discovered that a GER
tain cherry tree that gave promise of
a great yield stood about on the line
between their two residences That
is, they agreed on the about" and
then each claimed it was on his line.
They began in argument and ended
in an uproar.
The commodore secured the serv-
ices of surveyor, and the man of the
chain and theodolite found that the
tree stood a full inch on the naval
mans land. Then the general brought
out another surveyor, and after two
surveys it was found that the tree was
his by two inches.
"Egad, but I'll go to law" eX-
claimed one officer.
"And I'll defend my rights with a
shotgun" exclaimed the other
Each one announced and declared
and contended that 1t was the prin-
ciple of the thing and not the cherry
tree he had at stake, and each one
had purchased the wire to run fence
along and take in the tree. Thus
matters stood when the young folks
came home for the summer vacation.
why, poppy, all the cherry trees
around here are not worth your quar-
REL" replied Miss Eunfce after hear
ing the fathers story
But principle, daughter-principle
I have lived up to it all my days, and
army officer trying to claim my tree.
and he belonging to the very troops
we saved from capture by sinking
Cervera's fleet! I shall stick to my
guns-to my guns!"
"You officers are acting like a cou-
pie of boys. dad" was the comment
made by young Fairly. you've got a
dozen cherry trees on the grounds;
why fight about that one?''
Grant, you must look at the prin-
ciple Of the thing. Am I to be bull
dozed and walked over like a child
man tried it. but he-supposed to be
an army officer and gentleman! If
the army hadn't been at Santiago the
feet wouldn't have been there. shall
OeIenQ tldL Tree with my lie.
AS the days went by the yourg peo-
pie heard SO much about that cherry
tree that they instinctively began to
take sides. They had heard OF each
other through their fathers, but had
never met.
A week went by without q move on
the part of the enemy. and then two
servants precipitated a crisis. The
generals hens were stoned out of the
commodore's garden and the commo-
dore'S dog was sent home with a to-
mato can tied to his tail. What made
the matter worse was that both prin-
cipals were shut UP in the house-one
from govt and the other from an old
wound that had reopened.
''Eunice, you must stand by me-"
announced the commodore. ''I can't
get out, and that person knows 1t, and
he will take advantage of my help
lessness to run up fence"
But what can I do?" the girl
asked.
"Take a revolver and patrol the
line. If there is any fence building.
shoot"
Grant. my son. you must see this
through for me-" groaned the general.
'That person will hear of my help
less condition and run up a fence. He
must not be allowed to-
But I don't feel like getting into a
muss." was the reply.
There will be no muss If you are
firm. Take a gun and let yourself be
seen on the firing line
The ground between the houses,
which stood hundred feet apart, was
covered with ornamental bushes. Miss
Eunice was the first to arrive. She
took shelter behind a bush foot this
side of the disputed line. She didn't
like it a bit. She felt she couldn't be
brave in such cause. If any one
came from the other house what was
she to say?
That question was soon answered.
She looked up to see young man, re-
volver in hand, standing within seven
feet of her. He was also on the firing
line The two looked at each other
and then away Then they looked
back again. Then the young man said
as he raised his hat:
sI am the generals son. and I pre-