The Higgins and Judson families owned neighboring farms in Kentucky and were fairly good friends until a dispute arose about the boundary line. At first it was not very serious, but it became more and more bitter as time passed. Finally it developed into a feud. One day old man Higgins, prompted by his wife, painted a sign and nailed it on a tree. The sign read, "Death to any Judson found on the north side of this tree." Old man Judson, when seeing this sign, promptly went home and painted another, which read, "Death to any Higgins found on the south side of this tree." Now, Cupid was mixed up in this deal too. For Higgins' son was engaged to Judson's daughter and Judson's son was engaged to Higgins' daughter. When the four young folks saw the signs they planned to trick their respective parents into ending the feud. Freda Judson and her brother John slipped into their father's room, took his revolver from the bolster while he was asleep and replaced the bullets with blank cartridges. Bess Higgins and her brother Walter did the same to their father. When the two men met in the field by the tree and opened fire upon each other, they were quickly disgusted with their poor marksmanship. After a wordy battle they separated. Higgins returned to his porch, where he was met by the four lovers, who laughed heartily at him and finally prevailed on him to drop his grievance against Judson. He consented to, halfway, and was met by Higgins, who had also been persuaded to bury the hatchet. They shook hands, pulled down the signs and then of course, there was a double wedding.