The Little River news., 1920-11-17
BRIDGING A CHASM
By STANLEY WARNER

S1lAS N1dulOu HdS Scul He WOIu that he would like to have a talk with you about that wood lot you have squabbled about for the last five years"
 Thus Alex bSown, local attorney, to his client, Hugh Briston. The latter. | gruff. beard bristling, wrathy of voice and manner was not at all responsive to the suggestion.
 Does. eh?' he snorted. "Then he is either weakening on his grandStand or has something up his sleeve. in either case 1 won't run after him. Let him come to me if he has any propO- sition to ntake."
 "Manton is quite as stubborn as yourself" explained the attorney. "Here you have litigated. never speak ing to one another, since you had your first quarrel. You've got to give in some, Briston. It's for your own in- terestS."
 T won't" asseverated his client stanchly. "I wouldn't step on his ground for fortune. He has penned ne in so couldn't get out my chop ping. He has spoiled two good sales. :" "Well, Manton wants to tender a proposition to adjust matters amic- ably"
 "Then he can come and see me, I won't go and see him. that is sure" Lawyer Brown looked nOnpluSed. His mission boded failure. He did n0t wish to lose liberal fee, and besides that he wished to see two old-time cronies and later enemies get back to first principles like rational human beings.
 Again, he had been approached only the day previous by the manly, stall wart son of Hugh Briston. The law yer had always liked the bright cheery lad, Sidney. who had come to early manhood with everybody his friend and we'll wisher. and especially Eunice Manton.
 "We'll take 1t for granted that we like one another. Mir. Brown" Sidney had said in his clear, open way. land you may do me great favor. un- derstand that there is some chance of father and MT. Manton getting to- gether on the subject of their law suits. It means lot to me if they do, and to Eunice also," added Sidney, a. slight flush coming to his cheeks.
 "You needn't say anything, Sidney" replied Brown. "HOw you have kept your attentions to pretty Eunice from the knowledge of her father and your own shall not inquire, but shall now do double duty in trying to heal the breach between two fire eaters"
 And now. recalling his promise to Sidney, the lawyer observed to the father: "Well, l suppose you won't object Manton half way?'
 What do you mean by half way " growled Briston suspiciously. "1 wouldn't cross his threshold for for tune. and Tul sure he hates every stick and stone about my place."
 "Oh, we'll, may be able to think out some method by which you two stubborn old men may meet. without either of you feeling that you have lowered your dignity. or given in"
 It was two days later when Lawyer Brown called upon Hugh Rriston. "Well," he remarked briskly, "I've set tied it. Manton is agreeable to rhe halfway proposition"
 Huh! accommodating ain't he?" sniffed Briston derisively
 "There's the old foot bridge cross ing the river that winds in at the rear of your respective holdings. He'll he there at nine o'clock tomorrow morn ing Now then. he sensible and hu- man. Your principal source of anx- iety is the wood-lot thOroughfare. His is the new road. Give in if he does ::
 shake hands, be friends and bury the hatchet."
 Hell make the first advances" men, wasting our time."
 The old bridge spanned creek grown into river volume during recent spring rains, and on account sf new structure nearer the main traversesi road and especially since the feuG be- tween OoHtOu uuu AsIiStOu. it "uu Ad''- en into disuse. At precisely nine o'clock the next morning Silas Manton advanced from his own land and care lessly lounged against the railing at the center of the decayed structure. Briston approached from his side. As he stepped upon the plank!ng the weakened timbers crcaked, Both were heavy men. With crash the whole rotten structure gave way. Amid snapping timbers the two bulky enemies went down into mid stream. ''"I can't swim" yelled Manton thor Oughly frightened as the eddylng cur rent began to hear him down stream. "NO more can l." announced Briston. 'I guess we're a-goner. Here. grab the end of tie plank I'm holding onto. Hi there oh Sidney! Get us out" For Sidney suddenly emerged into view. from a near shore rhicket with ont his father even suspecting that he 1 had purp0sely stationed himself rhere to watch the bridge negotiations "YOu first" spoke the polite Sidney and sprung into the water and towed sx