The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1916-10-26
The Suitors
OF Serena
Only One Of Them, 81
Course, Could Win Her.
By AMELIE S. CHAPMAN

Nothing could exceed the enmity
Mr.. Ferris felt for Mr.. Davis unless
it was the hatred Mr.. Davis har-
bored toward Mr.. Ferris.
Until the occupancy of the long
untenanted house across the street
by Serena Fairlie and her mother
these two men had been close and
constant friends. Each night Mr..
Ferris went to the house of Mr..
Davis or Mr.. Davis went to the
house of Mr.. Ferris to smoke and
conversationally regulate the affairs
of the nation.
Not even the fact that each of
these boasted a particularly well
kept lawn in front of his residence
was sufficient to cause jealousy be-
tween them. So the late bellicose
condition was the more deplorable
by reason of their former friend
ship.
Mr.. Ferris was a straight, stately
and ascetic looking bachelor of
forty-eight. His dark brown hair
was streaked with gray. His nose
was aquiline. His eyes were like
blue steel. A sparse mustache
dropped over thin and melancholy
bps. He was known to have com
petence, although he occupied him
self with the conduct of a real es-
tate office. He lived alone save
for the presence of deaf old aunt
and still more deaf old servant.
The house was furnished with ref
erence to what was then considered
the artistic standard. Mr.. Ferris
himself was accredited with pretty |
taste in poetry and was given to
quoting extracts on occasion.
Mr.. Davis was Il jolly widower of
fifty winters that had been, however,
like those of Adam, Frosty, but
kindly" He was short of stature,
round, rosy, amiable, fair haired
and bland. His children we're mar
ried and gone. He bowed to the
sway of housekeeper who had seen
better days and who was not averse
to frequently proclaiming the fact.
His tastes, while less aesthetic than
those of his neighbor, were decided
ly more conducive to personal COM
fort.
In fact, he and Ferris were in
every way sufficiently unlike to have
got on admirably together were it
not that with the advent of the
Fairies both began to cast covet-
GUS eyes upon one bright particular
star.
And their mutual dread each that
the other might win the favor of
Miss Serena was the real root of
the luminosity which inspired Mr..
Ferris and animated Mr.. Davis.
Not that up 70 the time that the
black curtain of silent wrath de-
scended between them either had
made confidential mention of his
hopes, but certain it was that the
morning after Miss Fairlie had at
tended the concert with Mr.. Ferris
Mr.. Davis resented the presence of
the dog of Mr.. Ferris on his front
lawn and sent word to that gentle
man to keep his eur at home.
Equally certain it is that subse-
quent to the occasion when Miss
Fairlie danced twice with Mr.. Davis
Mr.. Ferris sent due warning that if .
his neighbours hens again intruded
upon his property they would be
promptly decapitated.
Then the deaf aunt and the deaf
er servant of Mr.. Ferris and the
housekeeper of Mr.. Davis who had
seen better days took up the feud,
and so fronrthe little acorn of rival
ry sprang lofty and far branching :
tree. t
Perhaps there was no one who i
stood so absolutely within the S
shadow cast by this tree as Frank
Heatherly, who was the nephew of /
Mr.. Davis and was clerk in the real l
estate Office of Mr.. Ferris. i
He was well set mp young fellow {
Of about thirty, who had a wonder !
full nack of knowing what not to /
say and when not to say it, for both /
men confided in him, and after it I
became known that Miss Fairlie had q
fallen heir to snug legacy each t
announced to Frank his decision to v
bring his matrimonial campaign i
to a climax. r
"The money has nothing to do
with my resolution" Mr.. Ferris de-
dared. "Apart from this business
possess stocks and other property. S,
What are you smiling at?" Q,
'Did | smile, sir?" 9,
II don't care a dash for her h
money! Mr.. Davis informed his
nephew. "My rents bring me in a,
Iuite a sum yearly. What are you
.rinnipg about ?" n,