Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-15
Feud's End.
ATTAIN SEARS sat stiffly at one
end of the table. His wife, Al
die, sat prirnly at the other.

die. sat prin1ly at the other.
"I,ueIla MAY, will you ask your
father If he will have some more
ham and eggs?" said her mother.
IMella May, the oldest girl, turned
her freckled nose toward her ia.i l
Have some more ham and Dad?" she
inquired indifferentiy. -,-,o,,
MARGARET Amy the youngest. glggieo.
IT ALWAYS seemed queer 10 Ma1gaIet
An,v when she went to friends mouse
IN see the father and mother tax anq
1argh together. For the beginning OF
ttis family ritual had 2nteoateo Mai
.tves daughter" answered Latham
c.ref,,liv hut kinder explain 10 your
mother for me that ham ooeSh heeo
to be salted." :. ;.
ma. Dad says the ham IS tooD
began Luella May ooedlentiy, VIZ w.
there came en- eXasperaVeo Siioi' AA''''
across the table. ..,os
ooh for cryin' out loud" groWied
laurence John, the son about to finish
I1inh school, MA and Dad, can't you
forget it and act like folks?, what was
the nj fuss about anyway"
latham shifted his feet under the
table and looked vague. Addie TOOK
refuge in the corner of her napkin.
Your f-father hurt my feelings so
can't ever-ever-" shifted ms motn-
or. Hes your father, dear, ana can /
forbid him the house. but can ever
b-bring myself 10 s-Speak---
latham kicked back his char ana
staIked out. 1numbling something ABOUT
mighty little house unless proFloeo
It,"
Addie wiped her eyes and Lawrence
Johns question remained carefully I'M
answered. What was 1t all ABOUT!
Neither one of them had been ape 70
remember despite frantic cudgellng OF
brains for years.
It had happened after jamie Ann Ann
had died-Janie Ann with her scarlet
cheeks and her bright hair, IKE some
fairy thing fluttered to earth Tor
while-and while Margaret Amy was
coming. Happened inexplicably. as
strange things do happen Wnen heaIbs
are torn and brains go nttle a"ty
from incomprehensihle loss.
But during all these years tneIe Was
one thing that they agreed upon. AsIsso
in secret. however, In the deepest fast-
4,ees If their hearts. And the subject
If their agreement was Miss Lennle
An1es.
II was Miss Lennie who had come ny
4Aet dsv at Spencers Pond when JAMIE
Ann had gone through the Ice ana
hadn't come I'D. Miss Lennie had scat
tered the crowd of screaming chlloren
on the edge of the hole and gone IN
herself. When she came UP she mao
jamie Ann. III.
She had sent the biggest boy for help.
directed a fire and kneaded the wafer
out of the childs lungs. Inen sile
had brought her home and nursed ner
through the long weeks OF pne l.a,e 4,
he'd. too. When JAMIE Ann died MISS
Jennie had collapsed and had nearly
died herself.
So ANYTHING that either Latham or
Addie had was Miss Lennie's for the
asking. They loved her, each one, with
a steady devotion that was strengtnenea
by every memory of the little lost cnlo.
With Latham, however, the devoIlon
was tinged very deeply with cauIlouS
respect. For when the troupie pe1wees
him and Addie had first begun ne mao
gone to Miss Lennie, signing that ne
cot no sympathy at home, that the
quarrel was all Adde'S fault, that she
was turning the children against him.
And Miss Iennie had told him rounuiy
that he could stay away from there I'M
less he brought Addie or the children
with him, that he was splneiess
bowler and that II he spent the eve
nif1gS at home that ne Wauteu W spcuu
with her and exerted himself to be
pleasant, there probably wouldn't be
any trouble. so Latham had departed
in a much renovated state OF mind.
And If Miss Lennie had wanted his
bushy hair for a door mat she could
have had 1t.
As for influencing the children, Miss
Jennie could have told him something
about that. One day she had been visit
ing Addie. There were childrens voices
outside the window. dad is an old
old-souiiieri" came Lawrence Johns
voice brokerly, "or he would say he was
sorry even IL he wasn't
Addie had stepped to the door.
Lawrence John. let this be the last
time ever hear you say anything like
that about your father" And all Miss
Lennie's efforts to end the quarrel had
been like bombarding stone wall with
a pea-shooter Now the phone was ring
ing. Luella May left the table to an
swer 1t.
Yes, Miss Lennie," they heard her
say. Why, how awful Yes. Yes. I'll
tell him. Yes. Good-by."