Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-08-13
BLACK DETTYS DOING
BY ELSA cRUMRINE.

boundary lines that brought about
the first bitterness between the fam
lilies, and now the i'll feeling had
spread over two generations. The
third generation recognized and re-
spected the feud, although it never
understood just why 1t was worth
while to make a lifelong fuss over
| twelve inches Of running brook.
On the Kenworth side there was
only Rod left-Rod, who had taken
the mortgaged homestead as his in
heritance. Rod had to give up his
stables.
! And Black Betty had to go, too, for
| five hundred dollars was not to be re-
fused at this critical time. Perhaps
Rod experienced an additional bitter
ness that his mare went into the
hands of his traditional enemy. but
he was courtesy itself to the colonel
Around at the Lines IS stable Alice
was caressing Black Betty's pretty
! head.
1T was dear of you, Uncle Daniel,
to buy her for me-" cried the girl.
You and Aunt Martha have been
lovely in every way since l came to
live with you"
The colonel laughed grimly.
When lonely old couple have a
chance to entertain niece whom they
have never seen before-why, there's
mighty likely prospect that she's
going to have good time"
The next morning Alice went for
her first ride on the mare. The girl
was a skillful horsewoman and Black
Betty responded perfectly to her light
est touch. Quite unaware that she
was turning toward Kenworth farm,
Alice took narrow bride path in the
beech woods and gave Black Betty
loose rein.
Suddenly the mare stopped short
and whinnied. Then, with shrill cry.
she sprang forward and tore along the
bride path toward her old home.
Vainly Alice tried to restrain the ex-
cited animal. Black Betty put her
head down and shot like an arrow to
its mark. At the end of the bride
path was barred gate. At the gate
Black Betty rose like bird and sailed
over the barrier, almost riding down a
broad-shouldered young man in the
garb of farm hand.
Whoa, Betty! Whoa, grill" he
shouted.
Alice, pale but composed, with her
fair hair flying in the breeze. regard
ed the scene with amazement.
Il am sorry" said the man cour-
teously.
Z hope that Black Betty hasn't
frightened YOU"
mot at ALL" protested Alice. Then
she added: You have seen her be-
| fore?"
Il raised her." he said briefly. His
arm slipped around Black Betty's
neck and the animal playfully nibbled
| his ear.
"Oh! How you must have hated to
part with her!" Alice flashed look
of sympathy at the young man.
"She mustn't play this trick upon
you again." said Rod severely. Per
haps you were riding in the bride
path?"
|
Rod led the mare to an inner gate.
stroked her glossy flank and with q
grave inclination of his head watched
the girl riding down the avenue.
| When Alice reached home she went
at cnce to Aunt Martha's room. Aunt
Martha told her the story of the
Lines-Kenworth feud.
"All that fuss over twelve inches of
wornout meadow land?" echoed Alice.
why, how absurd"
Aunt Martha flushed my dear.
you do not understand" she protest
ed. 1T is the principle of the thing
that counts"
What are you going to do with the
BROOKE" asked Alice. feeling strange
ly sorry for Rod Kenworth.
"Why-nothing Rod Kenworth
wanted it to irrigate his meadow land,
which is arid enough. goodness knows
but right is right. my DEAR" she
ended weakly.
And SO he had to sell his horse"
unused Alice, as she went to her room.
|
One day Colonel Lines and his wife
were driving toward Pendleton. The
way led through the tall beech woods
and the horse idled along the pleas
ant road. Suddenly, along a side
bride patch, came Alice on BLACK
Betty and beside her Rod Kenworth
on his bony sorrel Rods hand was
on Black Bettys fluffy name and his
handsome face was turned toward
Alice's downcast eyes.
Colonel Lines coughed in an en-
barrassed manner and turned his
head away. AS matter of fact, he
was rather weary of the quarrel
which he had inherited from his