Blessed are the Peacemakers.

Southland Times, Issue 14800, 17 November 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

Blessed are the Peacemakers.

The faud began over a question of frontages. Jo»i*h Frew, retired from busices*-, bought a piece of lacd from Nicholas Harley, and erected thereon a spacious Qaeen Aoue hoaee. Hurley onoe owned an expensive Btretoh of property,but not being gif ed with business sagacity, and being, moreover, hardened with a Urge family, he had been forced to part with a great deal of it. The two housas ttood typical of their owners; one brand new, g'aring, lelf-import-ant, the other we«therb:aten and unpaint d, bat stately and mellow. Joahh Ftew had been a bnsy man all his life. When he vo longer had asy worries abroad he tried to find some at home. He •aw that every nail was driven straight, 1 hii every tree, and ehrub, and blade of g'.-ee grew ezaotly as he wanted it, and every Jab of paint was put en with an even brash. To ■nch a man it teemed little ehort of an outrage when he accidentally discovered thut his proper. y was two feet short of the in aaurement s^-t forh ia bt4 certificate of title; he having.withuacharaoterutio c^relegsneyy, neglected getting it survey td previous to purcbaee. He furiously end insol<nt ! y ordered Barley to remove the dividing hedge between the propertet at onco. Haley was bone t, and would have complied bad ha been a-ked courteously, bat having his own sh*ie of oholer, uiid ie<entii:g the othft's tone, be flnly refused. Fiew took the matter to Crart, won the cas*,and H&rley was order i d Co give him h:a pound of flesh. Barley did bo, but he hid his revenge. In pace of >he hedge be put up the moat disreputable of fences; (Id paliDg9 and new ones, short ttn < tal, jigged aud even. As the H*riey grodnus were covered with trtes and ehruh-j, and the feoce coull not ba seen from thhouse it did not malter,t3ut bordering Frcw'fcrim green lawns and stiff gravel wa le, that fence louked awful. There was only one remedy for Jj-iai. He baiit a bruk w&{(, and he swore eternal enmity to the man wbo nude him do it. When the Ftews first oame the Haricys called, acd found Josiah an agreeable t>l<i fellow, and hia two daughters charming. It seemed as if the families would become friendly, bat after the outbreak of hostilities old Frew threatened diie penalties if either tf hia daughters as muoh as looked ut Harley. That young jackanapes. Bob Harlsy,' he declared, 'was making eyes at you, Dorothy —don't deny it, Miss, I saw him. Don'c let me hear any more of it. If I see him within a yard of you I'll Bhoot him.' And Dorothy, beiDg fearful of the consequences if she out Bob Barley next time the met him* disregarded her father. A few months after Tom Harley came home from Queensland, where he had bieo managing a station. Parsing Frew's on* day he saw, coming down the garden path towards the gate, a girl with the sweetest face he had ever looked at. His eyes immediately showed his admiration, and Betty Frew— Josiah'a eldest daughter— feeing tils admiration,and guessing wno he was.blushed divinely, and dropped her long hshus on to the daintest of cheeks. •Who built that house next door ?' he enquired eagerly when he got home. There was an ominous eilenee. Then old H«tley raised bis head proudly, and fixed his pince-nez more firmly on his aristocratic noße. 'A most undesirable man,' he declartd; 'one to whom I would never hive sold the l*nd — much as I wanted the money — had I guessed what he was like.' Tom laughed heartily when he heard the story, but afterwards he found it was bo laughing matter. Although during the following days he frequently met lovely Betty, no one would iuirodnce him, as everyone knew of tha family quarrel. Of coarse, the inevitable happened when he did not have an opportunity of speaking to her. Toe Australian Romeo — bis blood hot after many Queensland euos — fell desperately id love with his faih-r's enemy's daughter, and ih • fair Juliet herself— like every other daughter of Eve— tt ought fruit all the sweeter when it was forbidden. One day Betty aud Dorothy were Bitting in the angular sutnaier-bouse at the back of the garden. Betty was very quiet and her sister noticed Bho wore ht-r moat b coming gown, and that her ry.-s were unusually bright. Sisters rarely app eoi»ta eacii other's charms, bat Dorothy, ju<*c thea, deoided Betty sometimes looked beau if al. 'Dorothy/ she said, 'thert'a someone oalling this afternoon.' 'S j:r.eone ?' echoed Dorot .y. 'Someone important,' continued Betty, Washing Ufp y. •Pom Harley.' *H r ry !' taid nor tirer, etarcely believing be. tars. 'Bat ddd — ' Bother dad !' exclaimed Betty, defiantly. 'I'm not going to live under his thumb always. Besides he wilt LOb be home un.il evening. Turn won't stay toj long.' 'Tom 1' repeated Dorothy, iv dismay? •Ho* on earth are you so familiar with him. I didn't think you knew him.' Betty smiled demurely. 'Oh, yes,' she murmured soMy. 'I know him well.' Dorothy, being a timid little soul, shuddered inwardly, as she guested what it meant. She had liked Bob Harley— even now she often gazed admiringly at the back of his head in c : iraii — but she wouldn't dare to speak to bitn in face cf her father's prohibition. She often envied Betty's spirit, but never more than thn afternoon. While the lovers eoj yed each ether's oompany poor Dorothy, in a fever cf unrestricted continuously between the houte and the garden. Her father possessed a positive genius for appearing at the wrong time, and something told her he would come hi-ms «-ar!y just because he was not wanted. She was not surprised when she saw him coming ihroagh the front gate. By the time he reach eJ t&e door she was at the summer-houst. 'Here's dad !' she exclaimed, breatbleeß'y. *60, Mr H»rl»y, for Heaven 'd B>ke, or he'll shoot you. H« declared he would.' Tom Ha ley smiled as he looked at her, but he saw Bet y was as scared as her sister. 'Gi.'she too cried, cot^hng him by the shoulders and vigorously pushing him outside. 'Slip out the b*ck w»y — get over the fence— get any* here.' 'Oh, Betty !' be remonstrated. 'Doa't be a simpleton, four father won't eit me' 'He might,' she declared. 'Anyway, I'm not going to t^ke aDy risks ' He stood bareheaded in the son a few ptce< from her, not knowing whether to feel amused or aogry. Betty remembered he bad lefc his hat behind h-m, and b wled it after him. 'Go !' ebe txclaimed agan, stamping her lit le foot impatiently, 'or I'll never tpaak a word to you again.' After that itar at he went — out tbe back vay 1 't¥bat an awful escape !' she said, fanning herself furiously. *I nev<rr b.-fore realued I was so frightened of dad.' When old Jonah oams down the path roaring 'Betty! Dorothy where are you? 1 both daughters were calmly sewing. 'Humph ! he grunted, 'I thought someone was here. John said a man callt><?.' •A man,' repeated Betty innocently. 'Oh, yes, Mr Clarke about the hospital.' Tom's path of love was an extremely rough one. He was not afraid of 'old Huukb' — as he dinrespec fully designated bis future father-in law— but when Betty pub her little hands appealingly on his cuatsleevb' and fited those pleading eyes of herx on bis face, he would have gone through fire and waier to please her. Bet'y, to avoid Buepioior, kept him at arm's length in public, so be had to visit her at home. Ie ot'ten happened that Josi»h popped in unexpoot ediy, and though Tom ha* as muoh regard foe his dignity as any other m-»n, he submitted patiently when Betty, much as she loved him, put him into most ridiculous situations. Even a lovei'a back, however, may be burdened with an unbearable last straw. Josiah Frew, to find ao outlet for bis overflawing energy, had bought a farm, and was to be away, inspecting it, for several d*ys. Of course, Tom came, and one evening, while he and Betty, with Dorothy playing propi ie»y, where sitting together, a heavy step crunched the gravel on tbe path ontsi<i<-,and they hearn the 'stump, stump' of Jonah's •tick. 'Good heavens !' gasped BeUy, graspiog Tom's arm convulsively 'I-'udad. 1 AUtfcle, porch-like balcony, more for external ornament than use, jutted from the drawing-room window, some diktauce from the ground, and before Tom realised what

was happening he found hims. If outside, without, a hat, the window tafcly btappet down, and the blind lowered. It was a oold night, with a strong wind blowing.and Tom. out of tunp^r at last, vuwtd he would no stand any more. A couple of nights after Bst'y atol« iofu Dorothy'a room on tip-toe. Hne had just enjoyed a stolen interview wich her lover. Her face was flushed, her manner nervoua. 'It's come at lust, Dorothy !' she whispered. •What's come?' enquire! her shter, wearily, wishing all lovers were in Jericho, and th.it Torn Harley had never come from Queensland. 'Tne crisis,' said Betty tragically, 'Tom declares endurance has it* limi.a.' After a cautious glance round, she drew a piper from her pocket, and held it close to her tiatei'a eyes. Dorotny'a head swam. She could not make head nor tail of it. 4 li.' s from the registrar,' exolained Betty, 'I must fill np one part and Tom the other. We're going to be married on Thursday night, and we're off to Queensland afterwards.' Dorothy gized h-lplesaly ab her. 'Oi, Bit,' she gromid, 'you're mid I Y^uo au'c get married; dad won't let you.' 'Wjn't he ?' said B-.tty.wt' h a snap of her eyes. 'He won 1 ' be ask^d. i dou'c waet any sceues H'd object, to me marrying the Prince of Walts, just for pure eooti-aii-w.a*.' 'But you mutt. h-»ve his consent.' 'Rabbsh ! You're the biggean gocß -i in exUieuce. I'm ovtr tweuty-oue. On, Tom know? all about it; it's thooutply I'gv. Bjb Uarley v going to be theie, aud aooth <r witness, and you'ro to come tothechimh, too to rep:eant th>. Frew family.' •I !' g »*ped her sister. 'Dad will kill m« ! •Let. h'in,' retoried Bauy, co-.-lly. 'You oan only dio once.' A great bsttla was being fought on Frew'a diniog-room tablf. T. Ha; ley, jun , ral dib men— six cavalry and a dozen infsutiy made in Germany, of pewter — „ut on the open veldt, while Aunt Dorrie's poor caniboaid Boeruhtld a posui ia among tae ko^j-ia on ih* other fcid. JoMah Fiew wag away on his farm, and Becty.with her li' tie son, down ffom Q ice island on a vißit to the Barleys, was taking advantage of his absence to spend a uight . with her sister. 'I'm doin' to aleep on the towoh in dranpa's rcom,' announced Tommy, who had taken a fancy to hie grandfather's room, of all o : aces in the wor d. 'You ain'r, Tommy,' said his mother. 'I sail I' declared the young autocrat, calmly, or I'll do back to Dranpa HirleyV. Draup* Harley'H let me sleep in his room if I want to.' Dorothy oouli deny Tommy nothing. 'Let him Bleep there, Betty,' she said. 'Did woo't be baok till the end of the week, so it's B*fe enough.' 'Of course,' observed Betty sarcastically. 'He's not likely to come unexpectedly.' 'We'll chance it, any now ' When Tommy retired to 'Drßnpt's towch' hia mother bal 'Dranp*V bed made ready for herself. S ; ie felt anxious and could m t sleep, remembering her fither's erratic habits. She was not surprised when, at an unearthly hour, the front door opened, and a heavy step sounded in the hall. It di i not take a minute to spring out of bed, arrange the bedclothes in sorneihiog like order, grab up her own garment*, aad rush from the room. Old Frew was astounded when he turned I ap the gat and save the sleeping ohild, aud this blank astonishment prevented an outburst. 'Bstty'a brat ?' he muttered, wrath- ; fully, but nothing more. j As he looked he seemed to fee Betty her- \ aelf again as a chill ; the chubby pink aud white face, the dimpled little chin, toft brown hair,loog lishes resting on the vt-lve'y oheeka, all were Betty's. Tommy, awake, was a mi-chievous little urchin, *i'h * world of wickedness in hia ►•y»i>; asleep, he lo >kerl in angel, and it would seemed sacrilege 'o dUturb him Jovian undressed and quietly slipped into bed. Tummy's dreams >oon began to trouble him, and he kioked and plunged furiously, getting rid of his bedclothes. He woke shorfly afterwards, sniveling with cjld. 'Mammt !' he cried. A gruff voca answered him, 'What's the matter?' Tommy only ftlb amused. Mamma was having fuu with him, so h« stole out of bdd, ! aid crept softly towards whera the voice came from. Juni&h brew's sema'uiona when he foand four small fingers clawing hi^ face, crawling like a 'pider,' may be imagined. 'VV hat the deuce — ' he b-gaD. 'Oof !' chuckled Tommy, dis is weally fun.' He bad a keen sense of touch, however,and he soon found it as 'we+lly' whiskers he had hold of, and not mtmraj'a bick hair, artfully brought round to the front. 'L'b tny j u<lder dr-tnpn,' he gurgled, in mtngl°d horror j and dclighf at the discovery, 'de troas rlraa | p» dat won't be friends !' He w*s friendly, so | he contiuue-i ingratiatingly. 'I t>rt you *tf O s ! "ny m ammat— 'tending to be de wolf — Wed j Widing Hood's wolf, you know.' Jofiih fiecsided this xniil grandson of bis must be a bit of an oddity. Surely it was nob üßual for children if tender years to prowl arnind after midnight. ' You little rtptile,' he snot ted furiou ly, 'why on ea th c*n't you sleep and let other people rletp?' 'I tan't sleep,' whimperad Tommy ; ''tau.-e I ain't dot any bedcloee.' Josiah, out of alt patience, sprang up, and lighting the gas, put Tommy to bad and covered him up. 'Now I'm nice and tumfy, 1 declared Tommy with an agreeable smile. 'Dood-night, dranpa dear.' *3ood-night,' anawpred Josinb, shortly. 'A'n't you doin' to tiss me?' Tommy enquired in aggrieved tones, as his grandfather bicsed away. 'My mamma anH pap* al--ways does, and so d >ea Dai pa Harley.' 'Blank Grandpa Harley !' prowie.l Frew, under his breath ; then, as Tommy's Hpa took a tremulous curve, he muttered another impreca ion, but bent down and kissed him. . Tnat settled the busings*. Its was many years aince J >si»h h^l kissed aayonp, aad when he got back to be 1 he cnuld no* sleep »g»in. Because that kiss had uniouked the oors of memory. When at daybreak the cieepicg fontft'pa again sounded, and Tommy plekdedto bo let into bed «ith him, J>siah submitted like a lamb. B tty and Dorothy, hovtring around outsid • the (ioor -hortly afterwards, he->rd a^ubdueri murmur within. Dorothy pufe her ear to the k*-yho!e. 'D*d i« t'-llirg him about Sinbad and the vclley ofiiiam mdc.'she whisrtereci, He ne^er toM a story before in his 1 fe.' The subdued murmur becano an uproar. 'You »ri a toward, dranp*,' T. mny was fhou'ing ; Mall dem tump« ! You should see de tumps I div Dranpa H-n-ley.' 'Oh. Bet,' exclaimed D irothy, h.ilf chokiog witu euppr* sse-i laughter, 'go in and n s cue dad. No^'ayour time to mike peace.' When she went in her father was lying flat on the bed, with Tommy astride of his chest, dealing oat tremendous blows with his oleDched fistc. And aB Josiah Frew s^aw Betty, fair and at ill girlish, advancing towards him, the last spark of resentment died out of bis heart. 'For heaven's pake, Bet'y,' hi exclaimed, an UDUtually soft twinkle ii his sharp old eye-, 'take this r.errib'e youngster of yours away, or he'll kill me.' Then B^tsy knew she was forgiven at last. — Acat tisia Call, in the Australasian. Hinkc : Did you hear about the row at Ho%*big'<J house? Mrs H discovered a letter in his pocket in a lady's handwriting. Wicks :Tlie dickens she d<d! Do you kuow I always suspected H >wbi#. Hicks :It was a let'er thrtt Mrs Howbig - rote ten days before and gave him to post. Now, mad-im,f>aid the croohety judge, who had been annoyed by the digressions of previous female witnesses, we want no hearsay evidence. Trll only what you kno". Your name, please ? Mary Tones, replied the witness. Your age? Weli— er— f only have herepay evideuce on that point, so I won't answer. Friend (cokioing the confused heap of goods of every description scattered pmmifcuou?ly aboub the shop): Hullo, what's happened ? Been t&king an inventory, had a fire, or are you going to move ? Draper : That shows how lifcfcl • you know about the drapery business. We have merely been serviDg a l»dy who dropped in for a packet of pina. Ac an Irish horse show. Official ab the turnstile to fat lady— Sure 'tis no use, ma'am, yell have to come in by the way oat.