Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-15
o. I wouldn't have thought it
of q Kinney. Anyhow. not of
this particular breed. For

in in our midst unless we have to.
They're on the tax books. suppose,
and the men have their names on the
votin' lists. But outside of that they
don't count for much.
AS I've often told Sadie when she
was distributin' charity funds or
maxim up Christmas baskets; Don't
go wastin' money or sympathy on the
Kinneys. You'll get no thanks from
'em II you do; besides, they don't de-
serve it. Take it from me. they're
poor trash"
But, Shorty" she'd come back,
that's just why want to do some
thing for them"
So off she would go. with bundle
of little Sully's outgrown things for
the kids. along with candy and toys.
and maybe a boiled ham or a roast
turkey, to be gawped at silent by the
youngsters and received naughty by
the Kinney women.
They live just north of the Point,
where the salt marshes make in along
the creek. Two little half-acre knobs
heave up out of the marsh there, one
each knoll is Kinney shack. Scott
Kinney lives in one, Bruce Kinney In
the other. I expect the original Kim
ney squatted there years ago. but I
understand he got some sort of title.
He built the first shack on the south
side of the creek. Later on a brother
of his drifted down from Connecticut
and built on the other side. They
fshed and CLAIMED and caught cells
out of a. jug. You know the kind.
Also they started the Kinney feud.
don't know as anybody can say now
what It was all about in the begin
ming. Probably nothing much. And it
wasn't one Of the picturesque kind
carve each other up reckless. The
original Kinneys took it out. so old
settlers tell me. in cuttin' each others
nets, settin' the other ones boats
adrift, or smashin' his eel pots. Elk
oept once in a while when they met
Fourth, we'll .primed with bad whisky.
they'd maui each other in some bar
room and get sent to the cooler for
1t. Oh, nice citizens. the Kinneys
But by the time we moved out here
to enjoy the simple country life and
neighbors the older Kidneys had
passed on and the .shacks on the
marsh were occupied by this pair.
Seems all the youngsters Of one family
had left, or died or gone to Jail. ANY,
way, Bruce and Scott are brothers.
ised to turn out fairly decent. They
flshed together, started a little mar
ket that they ran on shares and owned
: motor boat together. Even after
Bruce married this husky country girl
=. from some farm UP back of Port
It was after Scott brought homo
blushin' bride that the families begun
to disagree violent and frequent.
There was nothing country about
and brought up on Sd avenue. and it
was only because she happened to
spend summer as second girl at one
Of the big houses down on the Point
that she met Scott: Her idea of life
and lean out Of window to watch
people go by; or to spend her Sunday
off taking in a chowder party trip up
the Hudson. So she must have found
It sort of monotonous Twin In two
hurst creek, where nothing went by
but the tide And I expect her and
Mrs. Bruce Kinney, who seemed con-
tented to go on gettin' fatter and red
der-faced and raisin' more tow-headed
youngSterS-Well, no wonder they
didn't hit it off.
Anyway. the Kinney feud was re-
vived. I don't know how long it had
been goin on when first heard of 1t.
Bruce Kinney had been supplyin' us
with claims, and the last two lots
he'd left at the kitchen door without
collectin' for. So when I runs across
Scott slouchin' along the Shore road
holds him up.
''Here." says I, countin' out the
change, hand this to that brother Of
yours. will you?"
Scott scowlS)at me and shakes his
head.
"Why not?" demanded.
= IT don't have no truck with him."
you mean you don't even speak to
him.? says I.
1--WE amt passed word for years."
"Well," says I. II don't know as
blame either Of you"
r meant 1t all. too. For of all the
cheap, grouchy. hang-dog lookin'
specimens, the Kinney brothers are
about as bad as they rum Scott is the
tall. lanky one with the ragged,
sandy lip whslker and the scar over
his left eye. Bruce is stockier built.
but his arms are just as long, His
face is wider and don't look quite so
villainous. but he amt party
timid person would like to meet at
night on back road Also Bruce
has a game knee and walks with
sort Of hitch and shuttle.
Not that either one Of 'em was
over guilty Of hold-up or anything
like that They wouldn't have the
sand. No. they're just shiftless, low
doxup Dood .for-pothinpS too law to