Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-07-26
Florence Bingham Livingston
Copyright by George H. DOrsn Company

oughly that the vegetable world
should be wiped out by fire, and in
her immediate locality she was rak-
ing the earth fairly clean of plant
life that was not thought much of by
its growers.
An enthusiastic co-worker was Fill.
buster Caesar Penfeld, the family
pup. AS Lettie dragged heavy
company of cornstalks around the
house, he followed after, plunging at
the long, rustling leaves, barking at
this imagined prey, charging with a
force that severed the more brittle
sections and sent them flying. Flying
where? Why, over the walk, into the
side yard of Mr.. Josiah Wopple. This
piece of trespassing was the easier
because there was no fence to inter-
fere, the boundary being marked only
by few old posts.
Returning from the second trip, Let
tie found results well under way. Mr..
Wopple, with a highly injured express
sion, was ostentatiously sweeping tat
tiers of corn tissue, together with a
great deal of soil, across the commu-
nifty walk into Mrs. Penfeld's yard.
When he saw Lettie, he paused and
glowered at her. Lettie stopped short
and glowered back. And she did it
well, too; glowering was a speciality
with her on similar occasions.
you'd better be careful" he said.
81 amt goin' to have my yard all
Uttered up"
81 didn't do it." she returned. I'll
done it"
This was the way they usually be-
gan, gradually working up to tenn
perature that is dangerous to body
and soul.
eff you was my child, I'd learn you
to do somep'n sides traipsin'-"
'eYou shut up" advised Lettie
tersely. Her pale cheeks grew a
shade whittier. With jerk she
grasped her cornstalks more firmly
and dashed with them to the back
yard. Filibuster, thinking this meant
the end of conversation to which he
had listened with manifest disap-
prevail, pounced eagerly upon the rus
Ting mass and detached portions for
immediate distribution.
But Lettie had merely cleared the
decks. Unencumbered, she turned to
her protagonist.
Whats eating you, anyhow" she
demanded in disgust. eve hain't
done you no harm"
"You been Interim my yard" he
maintained.
Eve hain't Uttered 1t, so! All FIJI
done was playing. And just two or
three leaves! Nobody else'd ha' no
ticed EN-"
II tell you they Uttered, and
won't have it. You amt to NEEDLE
on my prop'ty-neither you nor your
nasty old dog"
Lettie's thin chest lifted, as If a
steel hook had pulled it upward. Her
hands cIenched. "He amt a nasty
old dog. He's worth a darned sight
more'n you are"
That's lie."
"'Tain't a lie. Turn you loose, and
you couldn't find home, way FIJI
DONE Wouldn't nobody have you"
This shot gave Lettie a temporary
advantage. Mr.. Wopple, willing to
subscribe to wellnigh anything for the
sake Of disagreement, hesitated mo-
mentarily before the vivid picture of
himself seeking charity from door to
door. Possibly some misgiving about
the outcome of such a venture
checked his rejoinder. Splotches Of
red appeared In his sallow cheeks,
like spatters of anger. The hand on
the broom handle shook vis;bly. Pres
emily he returned the personality with
a choice one of his own devising.
You're sassy tyke. If you was
my child"
The growing possibilities of belong
ing to Mr.. Wopple's family circle were
cut short by the efforts of Filibuster
Caesar to relieve the stiffness If the
scene. Having detached half a corn
stalk with branches pendant, he
plunged joyously into Mr.. Wopple's
yard, careening madly in intersecting
curves, giving up scraps Of corn ma
terial to the thorny grasp of rose
bushes as he passed.
Raising the broom threateningly, Mr..
Wopple started for the intruder.
"Here, get out I" he shouted. Darn
you, get OUT
Filibuster Caesar was in his element.
Nose to the ground, mouth full of corn
stalk, eyes fixed attentively, he await
ed the coming of his supposed play
mate. Mr.. Wopple brought the broom
down with force and excellent aim
only that FIJI Caesar was no longer
there. He had frisked to one side, in
position as before, playing the game
after the manner Of checkers.
Mr. Wopple was Infatuated Anger
mounted to passion, the more rapidly
because Lettie was vociferously APP
plauding the successful strategy Of FIJI
Caesar. He struck repeatedly at the
little dog, but FIJI was too quick for
him, dashing out Of range with low
ruff-ruffs of delight and mischievous
challenge. Round and round the small
yard they raced and struck and lodged.
"Good old Fill" encouraged Lettie,
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