The Huttig news., 1911-04-15
Sturman= HanCher
 ys. Hytnen
By STACY E. BAKER
Copyright. i9l0. by Associated Literary


 vent the respective scions of the fam flies from falling in love with each other.
 Mabel. the pride of the Sturman seniors. was a girl whom any youth with red blood in his veins would be proud to call sweetheart She was as pretty as the break of a June morn ing. Her eyes were ist black and long-lashed. She was ta i, gracefully slim. and walked with the vrile spring of youth. Tom Hancher was fortunate.
 Tom knew this, but the peppery soul of Father Hancher. inflamed years ago against Sturman. Sr. re fused to discriminate between the old grocer and his daughter.
 But you don't know the girl" Tom protested, when the old gentleman had included the maid in his frenzied summing up of the faults of the head of Mabel's family.
 She is her fathers daughter" growled Hancher. T don't need to know more. The blood Is bad"
 So, once again. the confession that trembled on the lips of the youth was stiiled. It would have been d most unfortunate time to explain to this irritable parent that his most hated enemy's daughter was to be- come his sons wife.
 The hatred of Sturman for Han. cher, and vice versa, extended back over a dozen years Both were gro cers in the thriving town of Ting-- ooro. Both had been fast friends. Un- fortunate y, both had lived in the same ward. and had aspired. at the same time, to the common council. Some one has said that politics makes strange bed fellows. It also under mines strong friendships. After three weeks of mudsiinglng electioneering, Sturman won the coveted laurels by majority of one vote.
 Sturman and Hancher were friends DO longer Hancher moved out of the ward. Their grocery shops were now at opposite ends of the city.
 Tom Haneher only son, was now his fathers partner. Mabel Sturman. only daughter, was now her fathers bookkeeper. The evenings, however belonged solely to the young people and they met frequently at the homes of mutual aequaintances with their embittered parents being not a whit the wiser
 Father is so set" complained the youth. But never mind, dear. I have enough money of my own. and we will be married first. and tell about it afterward. If the governor has the nerve to object after seeing you-you know he doesn't even know you by sight--I'll pass up his old grocery, and start one of my own"
 All this brought the gratified red to the pretty cheeks of Mabel Sur man, and the light in her eyes was nice to see as she turned to the ar dent Thomas,
 All in due time, Tom.' she soothed. There is no great hurry, ou know Why, you are only 22 boy. and am not yet 20"
 The plan Of waiting did not appeal to the impstuous young lover. He would like to have to go to Sturman to ask him for his daughters hand but knowledge of the temper of the lean, wiry. East-end grocer told him what would happen if he did this.
 Time dragged on. Patience, that pearl among virtues, paled on the love-lorn pair, but still the girl would not consent to a secret marriage. Something might happen.
 Something did happen!
 Sturman bought an automobiles big red touring car, at once the pride and envy of the neighborhood, Han. cher heard of this Not to be ont. shone and outdone by his ancient rival, he invested in the goods of competing company: yellow car The two, although not very prof. cient. drove their own machines.
 For awhile they kept to their own particular neck-or- -the-woods. but mischievous fate one day impishly suggested to each of them that he in- vsde the others territory, and awe him with his aptness in the control of his machine.
 On the same day, and at the same hour, they started. but by different routes. Patiently, lean Sturman honk-honked up and down in front of Hancher's store; persistently, fat Hancher drove his yellow monstrositv past the Sturman grocery-and all to no purpose. SturInan could not catch sight of Hancher; Hancher could not dazzle the eyes of his rival. Puzzled clerks watched the manifestations.
 The Sturman store stood on a cor ner Hancher. turning his machine close to the curb, and with his back to the walk, failed to notice a tipsv man with number of long iron rods over his wavering shoulder. The lat ter staggered around the corner. and the rods, suddenly turning toward the street. struck the unseesng Hancher on the ssde of his head, precipitating him to the pavement, half uncon- scious. Instantly crowd gathered. As is usual with crowds, none seemed inclined to render the luckless one assistance Suddenly dainty damsal