The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1916-05-18
A FAMILY FEUD
By LOUISE OLIVER.

one side OF the paling fence thaI Ia,
from, tho street TO the hack lot anu
Tom WattcrsOn and his mother I'VE"
on the other. IT,,
polly Brown grew uP to hate Tom
Wattcrsou and Tom had been taught
to dislike tie Brown gil. ih!hs7 F.
had been much worse sine" the ih''-
5..t of the egg It really was an ac'
riIcnt for Polly never meant 10 MI
Tom in the back with it. She kne" II .
was passe the minute she discovered .
the hidden nest in the chicken coop. /
and. picking II up gngerly between
her thumb and lorehngeT she had .
aimed over the fence INTO 'he D"' .
lot But the egg slipped, ana JUST
then Tom Strengthened up rom ms
wedding. Polly closed her eyes lot
an instant as she heard II hit lh"n
she lifted her chin two inches anu
walked maiastically into the kitchen
After that Tom called her that 1T
lie Brown cat and deliberately let
the grass go three weeks without cut
ting so the dandelions would seed
again and blow over.
polly had q voice. and il was the
summit OF her ambition TO go away 10
study.
There is no one in Stolway to teach
me-" she complained. II | only haH
training l could open studio OF my
own and give vocal lessons here.
Can't | go, father
"Well-you can write TO Aunt reg
and If she car come and keep house
for me for a year you can go to New
York. | guess l have enough saved
for that. The only thing hate about
the whole business is that your Aunt
Peg is such blamed bad cook. Any
wav. you'd better ask her to come.
Aunt Peg came and Polly went with
enough money to keep her ten years
in Stolway. but by compression and
stinting it might stretch for SIX
months in New York.
Tom had been studying law-odd
hours out of the store and at nights
for a period OF three years. About
the time Polly went away, he passed
his examinations at the bar.
Three months after Aunt Peggy had
been cooking bad meals for Mr.,
Brown, a third third cousin OF the
Wattersons in New York told Tom
that he had q splendid opening for
him there. So Tom babe his mother
good.by and went to the city OF sky
scrapers.
One night Polly, feeling particularly
blue and lonely in her ugly little
room. desired to take a walk down
broadway. contrary to the good ad
vice of her one or two friends II
town. But the windows fascinated
her and made her forget that she was
poor and lonely.
Tom. rather new to town. decided
the same evening to walk up Broad
way.
They met at Herald square, LOOKED
. fairly into each others faces and thel
= quickly away. In all the immens'
| desert of New York they avoided thi
little oasis of friendship. But Tom re
membered the egg and the cat and tn
roof. and Polly the seeds and the do
and the chickens. He wandered u
to Forty-second street, she down I
Twenty-third.
Polly turned. SO did Tom. Poll
stopped to look into a window.
| Someone said. Hello. grille, mic
night" in a strange masculine voic
and linked his arm familiarl
through hers.
Polly shrank back frightened. The
she suddenly saw Tom rushing {
her tormentor like thunderbolt an
swing his right fist under the man
neither jaw.
Come with me, Polly" cried he
the man staggered back. III tai
you home II you don't hate me t.
everlastingly much to let me wa
beside you"
"Oh, Tom! / never meant to do
It slipped, truly. The egg, l mean
you proud little thing! And "
|, let me think you meant it! Then /
sorry about everything I've ever don
I'VE been a nasty brute and am heal
ily ashamed of myself. But | no
I'm a man now. The world max
. one look at things differently, doesl
II? We all need to get out and
shaken up little"
Indeed, yes" agreed Polly, al
later, when they had reached b
steps and Tom leaving. she aske
Won't you come to see me, ToI
I'm afraid we can't talk over the go
- old times at home, but we can babl
. at least about future prospects.
! have that in common, although mi
are not as rosy as l had expected
Tom promised eagerly. "Po
Browns the prettiest girl I've seen
New York" was his comment to hi
self going home. Il shall certain
. try TO make up for lost time VIII
. she is here What a fool I've be
. all these years" Then whimsical
81 wonder what mother would say?
q But he need not have worried,
Polly got this letter the next mo
ing from her father:
Dear Daughter: Aunt Peg got 8
g and went home last week. Wild
Watterson took pity on a lonely
~ ", q