News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-01-04
.Millicent Ends a
Feud
BY DOROTHY WHITCCMB
S~~~~~~>>~~~~~~~~~
t9. 1921. Western Newspaper Union)

|
g. 1921, Western Newspaper Union)
The night before my father died he
called me to his bedside. He had be
! come conscious at the end. after three
months of speechless stupor, just as
the doctor had anticipated.
"Milly," he whispered, "when l am
dead you will have enough to live
upon. want you to promise never
to sell the old homestead"
II promise, my DEAR" l answered.
and that was all. He seemed to have
called himself back to life with one
wild effort in order to get my prom
Use. He died at four o'clock in the
morning.
"Of course, you'll sell now, Miss
Street" my friends told me, and they
laughed when / announced my inten-
ton Of refusing. SO did Mr.. James
lawyer when he called on me a few
days later.
"Well, young lady" he said, setting
down his hat and staring hard at me.
you can guess what | have called
to see you about, | SUPPOSED"
Perhaps" l answa&d enigmatical-
Iy.
"You know that for seven years
Mr. James has been trying to get the
Street homestead. The assessed value
Of your property is, l believe, four
thousand dollars. Mr.. James offers
you fifteen thousand"
"He rose from four thousand to fiji
teen thousand in seven years." | an
swered. But / wouldn't sell it for
hundred thousand. In fact, won't
sell it at all. My father might have
sold once, although the homestead was
naturally dear to him. But when Mr..
James began his prosecutions"
"That was old Mr.. James," inter-
rupted the lawyer, frowning. "Mr.
Cyprian James had, l admit, a vindic-
tive nature. Mr. Harold James, how
ever. is a fine gentleman. Mr.. James
is coming South to live, and wants
your place for shooting box"
NO" l answered. at isn't for
sale.' -44pYs.e,.2iT ~
One morning few days later I saw
that a series Of boards had been put
up all around my little property in
the night. l went down to look at
them. There were ten in all. and
each bore in large letters the words:
"TREsPASsERS WILL BE PROSE-
CUTED."
The road led from the garden
through a mile of James land TO
Hicksyille. A man was waiting at
the gate of the garden, and I hadn't
set foot outside before he came hur-
riedly forward.
II must ask you to go back" he
said taking off his hat respectfully.
He seemed gentleman, although he
was dressed like tramp. "You may
not know that this is private road.
must request that you step back
upon your own territory"
Indeed shall do no such thing"
replied angrily. 81 utterly defy you
md your old road
l returned from town about an hour
alter.
| was very lonely. / had written |
o "A girl chum to come down from |
Richmond and stay with me until / |
lad decided upon my plans, but had
lever contemplated being marooned. |
What if that Wicked Harold James
eally meant to let me starve to
eath there? wasn't too joyful when
awOke next morning.
| looked out Of the window. Close
o the gate, tied 10 short stake by
cry long chain, was the most savage
boxing bull had ever seen. He had
rs head down, and as l approached
he garden gate he gave one below
nd began to paw the ground furi-
usly.
l tried to compute the length of
hat chain.
1 saw that he could not reach the
arden.
Then l took heart again. The chain
as too short. | could pass the bull
18th several feet to spare.
/ felt SO Infatuated that, as / passed
he snOrting monster, / snapped my
ngers at II. Next instant, with a
BAR, the creature leaped at me- And
for the first time in my
fe l tainted.
l could not have been unconscious
ing, for when l opened my eyes the
ull was feeding short distance
way, as peacefully as though 1t had
ever had thoughts of violence toward
e. And the gamekeeper was bend
e over me, a look of agonized re-
roach upon his face.
81 didn't mean to do it-indeed
dn't," he was saying over and over
,ain. Won't you forgive me2"
Il suppose you have TO earn your
ages" l answered CURLY.
"Are yOu-engagedg" inquired the I
an, paling.
what business is it of yOursg' !
asRacausa ~ ha safd uT an Har,II :