Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-29
THE EVENING STORY.
VERY, VERY lMPUDENT.
BY CARL JENKINS.

airy PreSS..
Judge Cliff was widower with one
child-a daughter, Viola. Col Spencer
was a widower with one child-a son,
Robin. Judge Cliff had a manor house
called the Beeches Col. Spencer had
a manor house called The Films. The
two properties joined.
The Judge and the colonel were
old cronies, but they seldom visited
each other at their homes When
they met outside it was Billy and
tom" and the greatest good fellow
ship There was no line fence between
their properties. At the rear of his
grounds the Judge had a big chestnut
tree. At the rear of his the colonel had
the same.
It should have been that the son
and daughter Of these old cronies
were at least friends, but as matter
Of fact up to the time that Viola Cliff
was nineteen years, old. and Robin
two years her senior, they had never
met, The two families had not been
nsighbors over year, and the young
folks were away at college and board
ing school, Sometimes the Judge had
said to the colonel: @
f'Colonel, you have son. | be-
lieve?''
Eyes, fine boy. Judge, you have a
daughter, believer"
Eyes, fine girl
And that was all the two old cro-
MES knew Of each others offspring.
The Judge would have moved into
the city for the winter in September,
but for whim Of the daughters.
She wanted to wait for the chestnuts
to ripen The trees were loaded, but
she must wait for the frosts to ripen
the nuts and bring them pattering
down. She had never gathered chest
nuts. She had never eaten chestnuts
gathered under her own tree.
g Nonsense. my dear-all nonsense"
the father had replied, but she had
her way Just the same.
There had been three frosts. and
now the wind was blowing merrily.
That meant chestnuts would be fall
ing-brown. fat chestnuts to be eaten
on the spot or taken home and
roasted
A hasty breakfast was eaten. and
Miss Viola donned an old dress.
hunted up her shabbiest hat. and set
II
her earm. Yes. the frost had done it's
work. There were heaps and heaps OF
chestnuts lying on the ground, and
more peppering down with every gust.
When there are two big chestnut
trees standing within twenty feet Of
each other each loaded with fruit
is a poor girl to think of dividing
lines? Is she to remember that there
is such legal phrase as trespass!
Must she hesitate over picking up the
latest and brownest? Not at all. OF
course she skips from tree to tree and
back again. and if thought of property
rights enters her head at all she MUIR
murs to herself that the law can go
hang. If she were the daughter of a
judge, as was the case in this instance.
she would accompany the murmur
with defiant toss Of the head.
The wind blew-the chestnuts rat
tied down-Miss Viola gathered and
devoured. And then came the accident.
in passing from tree to tree she caught
her foot between the roots in such a
way that she was held as fast as if
caught in the frog" of railroad
switch. It seemed a trifling thing at
first, but after five minutes she had to
realize that she was prisoner until
aid should come. Standing there, with
saplipg for support, she uttered n
very lady-like cry. for helm. Then she
uttered another and another. It was
forty rods to the house. and her ia
Their deaf in one ear. The falling chest
nuts were peppering her hat, and the
situation was looking serious, when a
young man came into view.
He had basket on his arm. He
was also after chestnuts He also
had club in his hand as if expecting
to find trespassers He came around
the corner of thicket and halted
within ten feet of the prisoner. She
was on land that did not belong to her.
She had gathered chestnuts that be-
longed to someone else. In hesitating
way the young man removed his hat.
In hesitating way the young lady
bowed.
"well?" uueried the young man.
Caught by the foot?" laughed the
young lady.
You are on my fathers land"