The Feudists

The Craigs and Smiths, next-door neighbors, are the best of friends until Smith builds a chicken house. Their two gardens are connected and their children fraternize as if all belonged to one large family. Sidney Craig manages to set loose Smith's chickens, who get into Craig's garden and work havoc among his pet seedlings. Each blames the other's child for the mishap and the war between the two families is on. A spite fence is built between the two gardens, entirely shutting them off from one another, and the children of each family are forbidden to speak to the children of the other. After a while the two families settle down to a sort of armed neutrality: that is, until Jessie Smith returns from school and Jimmy Craig from college. The two young people are in love with one another and take not the least notice of their parents or of the spite fence. They spoon just the same, erecting ladders and kissing over the garden wall. Their parents discover them and war is immediately renewed. The last straw is added when a dead cat is exchanged over the wall and a free-for-all fight takes place between the various members of the two families, with the exception of Jessie and Tom. The combat comes to a sudden stop when Tom knocks over Craig's beehives and all are obliged to take refuge in the barn, Tom and Jessie remaining outside and hiding in the cellar until the bees have quieted down. Tom manages to lock the door of the barn and refuses to release anyone until both Smith and Craig shall agree to his marriage to Jessie. A slight incident in the barn having brought about a reconciliation between the two men, their families follow suit and they emerge to bless the engagement of their children.