The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-10
The EUening Story
A Feud and Its Finish.
(By Catherine Cranmer)

"A Ecu0 ana It's E1D1Sn.
! (By Catherine Cranmer.)
IF you really need me, Aunt Vir~
ginia, I'd gladly abandon my plans.
| but it does seem such a dreadful
waste to spend ones whole life in
CRANKY. That's why L want to get out
and be in touch with the big things
that are happening" Nirgie's voice
was caressing, even if her words were
a bit abrupt.
But 1 dislike the thought of your
| having an office just as a man would
and depending upon that for your very
! living. Be careful, dear, that this ca
reer of yours does not careen before
ii gets well launched" Miss Carlisle
followed this remark by a careful
scrutiny of the tiny stitches in the
monogram she had embroidered on
Virgie's rough linen artists apron
"Oh, I know how your aristocratic
ear is shocked by the mere words
commercial artist and you think it as
much a paradox for art to lend itself
to commercial uses as for a girl of the
Carlisle family to adopt anything 9TH
er than the conventional social career
which has been followed by the Car
| Isle women from colonial days down
to now"
'EXa city so, my dear, and it would
make me very happy if l could make
you see it So
Cant be done" laughed virgie
IL
let's not create a family feud over it,
By the way. Aunt Virginia, tell me
the cause of that old feud between
our family and the Pollards."
Now what made you think of
/ that?" asked Miss Carlisle, in puzzled
surprise,
The news that Stanley Pollard III
has bought back the old family place
and, according to the gossips. is over
there now instructing his tenant and
! sizing up his bargain"
Bargain, indeed" shifted Miss Car
! Isle. "a rundown farm with a tum-
ble-down house of pre-Revolutionary
origin"
But tell me. auntie. what was the
cause of that quarrel %
"Oh, a mere matter of a disputed
boundary line between lands in the
flrst place. and from that there grew
disputes over other things Old Mr.. =
Pollard was adamant once he made up
ms mind, and you may be sure that
| Grandfather Carlisle would not bulge
from his position when he felt it TO
be right"
"Oh. really. wasn't it too funny?"
Nirgie laughed.
unny? How can you say such a
thing? Miss Carlisle was stern.
Don't you see that it was a clear
case of two adamant bodies vainly
Trying TO make dent in each other?
I've no doubt if they had united their
e1Iorls instead they would have
achieved wealth and fame vhicb
would have made it unnecessary for
the great-grandson of one to buv back
the old home on time payments and
! the granddaughter of the otker
to work for her living"
"All your idealistic notions vouId
nave been sadly out of place in that
quarrel which led to so much bitter
ness, said Miss Carlisle, with a. firm
shake of her head.
That's what was needed 10 temper
the heat of the quarrel auatie. for
when we come to understand people
who have any sort of caliber We find
so much in them to like that we want
TO cooperate with them instead of
quarreling. Why last week. when 7
went up to the office building to in
spect the office I'd rented. 1 got ont
or the elevator and went down the
corridor to the corner room facing the
river. Virgie planted her elbows on
the sewing table, and leaned far across
toward her aunt in her eagerness to
make her get the full import of her
story.
After I had left orders for my Of
ice walls to be tinted buff" she con-
! tinued. Imagine my rage when I
walked into that room and saw work
/ men doing those walls in bilious eel
low. A tall young man who stood
/ there as If he had all Storts of author
| ity scarcely deigned to notice me. but
I
stop work at once until I've seen the
manager! These walls are to be buff.
not yellow The young mans eyes
blazed bit, but he said, quite Jelly:
Pardon me if I'm surprised a your
/ criticism of my taste; but it really isn't
my taste, for all l specified was that
! the Office was to be cleaned and ready
for occupancy by noon today. I'm go
ing up now to give that manager Il
round because it isn't ready
wv lille I stood fhera apcur11 10.
rage enough to blow up a battIeship
one of the decorators turned and dryly
remarked: Both of We seem to be on
a false trail, for this office happens
to be used by an old gentleman for
his law library. and them's his books
there under that tarpaulin'." Virgie
paused to laugh at her aunt's Mortified
expression.
be sort of wet blanket on our
anger" she continued, land when we
turned and looked at the number on
the door it was 1S43 instead of 1743,
which had rented or 1913, which the
man had rented. We had both got off
at the wrong floor and as each of the
nineteen floors in the building had
fdentically the same arrangement, had
met in the corner office. When we
found there was really no foundation
for a quarrel, we apologized and
laughed; so what started out to be a
feud ended as a farce, which is what