The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1918-09-13

with honeysuckle-the one between the
Harringtons and the Neals-and with
every years growth of the vine and as
every twig interlaced to thicken the
density of the green wall, the barrier
of hate between the two families had
likewise grown in vast proportions.
The uncovered fence itself COM
memorated the beginning of the feud,
for, as is usually the case, it had start
ed with disagreement about the
boundary line.
To arbitrate quarrel is not to set
tie it. Neither side winning, there is
no one to forgive. So the HarringtonS
and the Meals nursed their hate into
| the second generation, and still 1t
grew.
Violet Harrington, the last and only
| one at home now, had always hated
DR.. Wilbur Neal bitterly. She hated
him chiefly because he had always
seemed politely and supremacy indif-
| ferent to her. He was almost the only
man in town who had not sooner or
| later lost his heart to her. Violet had
always been the envy of every girl in
| Coburg, because she was the prettiest
and most popular. Naturally accus-
toned to homage, she resented the fact
that Will Neal paid so much attention
to his books to the exclusion almost of
everything else.
Now she was twenty-eight and he
was thirty, and neither of them was
married. Knowing that she could have
anybody, she had taken nobody. Now
she was alone in the great house.
1t was June and a wonderful moon
light night. Violet sat out under the
maple tree in the yard, near the fence,
in a soft white dress, strOking Dick,
her Persian cat, and whispering little
secrets in his ear.
"It's lovely night, Dickie. Do you
smell the roses? Listen! That soft
little murmur is the voices of the love
fairies. Do you hear? They slide down
on the moonheams to the roses on
June nights and plan whom they shall
enslave next. Then they mix sort OF
magic out of dew and fragrance, and
fly with it to the chosen ones and
anoint them. After that it's all over,
Dick. That love potion never fails.
81 suppose you're wondering, Dick,
why they never chose me. I've often
wondered, too. I wonder why they
never did. There are SO many splen-
did, wonderful men, / wonder why l
never loved any of them. I'm getting
awfully old, Dick. Some day I'll be
; walking with q stick. Oh, Dick, wish
could love somebody. / don't want
to be old and lonely and ugly"
Her head went down on the soft coat
and a tear dropped.
Suddenly there was a chirping and
fiuttering in the vines, and DICK I'M
mediately jumped down to investigate.
A fiedgling had dropped out OF its nest
and got tangled in the leaves.
Violet jumped out of the swing and
} hurried after him. But by the time
she reached the vine-covered fence the
! cat had worked his sinuous way into
, it's very heart. STOPPING, she reached
: into the black shadows for her pet.
But he was gone.
: When she tried to straighten she
: found she could not. Her hair--a Won
derful copper, the chief charm OF her
beauty, was caught cruelty by the
thick, twisted branches. She took Out
the pins and tried to work 1t free, but
4 II was useless. She found she could
sit comfortably enough. but that was
no help to matters. She couldn't stay
: there all night too far back from the
!. street to be heard, and no one near but
!. the hated house of her neighbor.
. Suddenly she heard voice. 1t was
; masculine and quite near. She peeret
|. through the fence, and in the moon
light saw o swing much like her own
fund In it man smoking a cigarette
Between puffs he was talking to
7 white bulldog on the opposite seat
The man was Wilbur Neal and ~
: was In uniform.
she started. She had not heard ~
!. had Joined the army.
"Rags, it's o bully night, isn't tit
said Doctor Neal. Il wonder !
! they have nights like this in France
But. Of course they have, only | sup
pose I'll be TOO busy to notice them
= Its funny, isn't 1t. Rags, how W
2 waste time and waste it, and suddeni,
s realize what things mean to us whel
y they're about gomez For instance, Their
q is d girl i like very muct-yery muc
y indeed. And she hates me, and sn
thinks hate her; and because didn'
y know how to overcome her dislike
" Just let 1t go. And now it's too LAT
n TO do anything about it. Too bad, Ism
ID It? And lie nothing happens to me !
e this war, and come back. I'll gro'
r into a cranky old man without friend'
Il Isn't it silly7 I've watched her gro'
d. up. and she's a fine. useful woman 9
III well as beautiful. And I've lost nc
IL because haven't any courage. III
he I'VE courage tonight. believe, Rag
* / wonder what she'd say II went ove
there? It's. only next door, Rags.
But Rags had heard something.
white shadow had flashed out OF Il
hedge, then In again. It was too mue
lxs for canine endurance.
aCome here, Rags! Don't you nu
10 that cat. IT'S hers. Rags, come here
as But Rags was barking at somethir
| 1000 e,,hefontiaI than a shadow, an