The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-02-24

known each other by their first names for
some fifty years.
When Mrs Long opened the kitchen
door at o'clock the next morning, and
stood looking out at the early August day
in the moment before the fried pork had
sizzlcd itself quite brown. and the coffee
come to boil--her faculties concentrated
themselves upon an unexpected circum-
stance Just beneath her eyes.
''Elias," she said. "he's tearing down
the line fence. He's got Job Dwyer
helping him." She was devoid of sus-
picions concerning the fact; her voice
was merely inquiring.
Mr.. Long came to the door rather slow
ly. He stood there rubbing his chin
doubtfully; and then went down the
steps, and toward his ncighbor's yard.
Mr.. Talcott was working energetically.
A pile of worm eaten posts, pulled up by
the roots, and broken pickets, lay before
him A little further down Job Dwyer
was amassing similar heap.
Mr. Talcott appeared unaware of his
ncighbor's presence. He snapped off an
other picket without speaking. He wore
forbidding look which set strangely on
his ordinarily good -humored face.
II thought likely you'd think better of
it," Mr.. Long observed, with his eyes
fixed warily on the other. ''This fence
has been wanting fixing for quite spell.
I don't know as it's worth while tearing
it down: thought, mebbe, a little fix
ing up'd do it. But I'm willing to do
my share, if you be calculating to build
a new one' After an unrcsponsive pause ::
''you're calculating to build new one, I
s'pose!"
eyes, Ibe," Mr. Talcott rejoined, with
acrimonious promptncss. "Jest fetch up
that crowbar, Job. This post seems to a.
took root"
Something in his voice shook his
neighbours composure. But he carried
off his discontinue creditably.
"Well." he said, "it'll be a good thing.
1 s'pose it ought to have been done be-
fore" He pulled grass and chewed it
undauntedly for two or three minutes be-
lore liz W CllG lllO luc lOuSC
"Well?" said his wife, as she set the
dish of pork on the table.
'|He'sset out to build new line fence" !"
said Mr.. Long, taking his scat and SHOW
ing his knife up and down between the
tines of his fork.
His wife turned to look at him. Her
sharp intuition rooted out the dark side
of the statement.
"You hain't had words with him
Elias?" she said, a quick alarm in her
pleasant face. ''Now you didn't have no
trouble with him yesterday about them
hens?"
II told him." said Mr. Long, reaching
for the coffee pot, "his hens had been
making tolable free in my garden, and
the fence better be fixed up. If he's
mind to flare up like a fool, I don't
know as it's any of my concern"
He took a swallow from his cup. His
wife watched him wistfully. She looked
dazed.
''You h'ain't ever had no trouble with
him BEFORE" she said. She did not eat
any breakfast.
Mr.. Talcott and Job Dwyer worked
fast. By night the old fence had been
demolished and carted into the wood
house, and new boards stood leaning
against the we'll stone. BY noon the
next day the posts and scantlings were
mp and a yard of the fence done.
Mrs. Long got up from the dinner
table to look at it, and tnrned blank
face upon her husband.
''Elias." she said, "he's got it more'n
two yards high"
Mr.. Long stared at her. Then he re-
covered himself.
cit don't make no sort of difference to
me how high he's got it" he snapped.
II don't know what to make of it, "
she said, coming back to the table, anx-
iously. Il don't know why little low
picket like the old one wouldn't done
Jest as we'll. You could look right
through it jest as though there wasn't
nothing there; and it was handy to
hand things across"
She went about the house that day
with an uneasy apprehension in her face.
''I don't know what to make of it, she
kept thinking, in troubled way.
She knew by the next night. The
new line fence was done. 1t was seven
feet high. There was nothing to be seen
across it except the upper half of Mr..
Talcott's house, the tops of the trees and
the barn-roof. 1t rose tall and stern and
forbidding. And there was no gate. 1t
was hostile, uncompromising barrier.
1t was an effective monument to Mr.. Tai
colts wrath and resentment.
The summer passed on into the fall,
and the fall became raw and windy, and
eventually snowy.
Mr.. Talcott and Mr.. Long did not
speak to each other when they met in
the street or the postoffice or the black
smith shop; they passed each other grim
ly. When MIR. Talcott was appointed to
the school board, of which Mr.. Long was
already member, he sent in resigna
ton. When Mr.. Long was put on
church committee of which Mr.. Talcott
was one. he refused to act.
1t became rapidly known that the two
old neighbors were mot on speaking
terns;' and the causes and circumstances
of the rupture were not mystery. Peo-
pie came on varying pretexts to look at
the fence, from one side or the another,
and hear the story in detail. Often they
went thence over to the other side, and
listened with interest to the complemental
version. The whole affair, perhaps, was
welcomed as break in the monotony of
the general amicableness.
1t was known, too, that Mrs. Long
and Mrs. Talcott were not active partici