The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-08-12
A BARBERRY HEDGE.

A BARBERRY HEDGE.
The front porch of the Lloyd farm
house faced the east. Therefore, at
three o'clock on Sunday afternoon
in July, it lay in the cool shadow of
the great white house. Seated among
the gray cushions of the hammock was
Patty Lloyd, the only child and the
heiress of the broad acres. Patty was
pretty dimpled blonde of twenty. In
soft, white lawn, with her chestnut
hair curling away from her low brow,
she made charming picture.
The other occupant of the porch was
John Manchester, the son of Richard
Manchester, whose well-tilled fields
joined Lloyd farm. He was tall, stall
wart and dark, while his thoughtful
face betokened a mind alert and cul-
tured.
The air was heavy with the scent OF
the heliotrope growing on a flower
stand at Johns right. The beds OF
geraniums and nasturtiums made
glowing bits of color on the velvety
green sward. In the branches of a
great apple-tree a mother robin chirp-
ed drowsily to her brood. All was
peaceful and free from discord.
But there was serpent even in
Eden. AS Seth Lloyd, the father of
Patty, came strolling around the
house, coatless and his face flushed
with the heat, he bore little resemb-
lance to the traditional tempter Of our
common mother. Still, his entrance
upon the scene was almost as fatal to
peace and harmony.
Mr.. Lloyd sat down upon the steps
/, tanning himself with his straw hat.
"Hew! Hot weather this, John"
Eyes, it's good for corn" John re-
piled, affably He did not particularly
enjoy the society of Mr.. Lloyd, but he
was Patty's father.
Eyes, but somehow it don't seem to
bring on that air piece of yourn over
| there pointing off to the north, where
a corn-field belonging to the Manches.
| tiers was in sight Poor lay for crop
that. What ails it? You progressive
farmers don't seem to have very good
crops after all your talk"
The hot blood coiored Johns cheeks
Mr.. Lloyd was always sneering at hi
| and his fathers farming. Perhaps Il
would be as well to speak out concern.
ing the corn. In the young mans
vexation he forgot that this disagree
able neighbor was the father of tn,
pretty girl opposite.
"Oh,' he said, defantly, that's plair
enough. AS long as that hedge O.
yours stands there we can't expec
much of crops in the field next to it
Your own suffer some, but the wint
! favors you"
Eth, what's that? What do yol
mean?" and the old man sat bolt up
right and glared at John. 1T must b.
your college learnin has gone to you
| head"
This thrust did not quiet John. Hi
attendance upon the state Agriculture
College had before been ridiculed b,
Mr.. Lloyd
II don't think it has. 1t may hav
opened my eyes to the cause of wha
you are pleased to call our failures
You may not know, sir, that research
has proven that the pollen of the bar
berry-bush is hurtful to many CROWN
things. Professor Lutz touched Of
the subject while | was at college, an
| have this summer correspondent wit
him about this very hedge. He as
sures me that 1t is a damage to M
fathers farm, and could be so prove
in court Botanists claim that thi
variety of the barberry, the Berberida
cae vulgaris, is
Here a strange noise interrupte
him. 1t was cross between a snor
and growl. Only establishment ha
kept Seth Lloyd quiet thus far. Til
Latin words, however, restored hi
power of speech. He sprang to hi
feet with remarkable agility, consider
ing his sixtyfive years.
you fool" he shouted. "Yo
blamed idiot! You never had an
more brains than your father, and ths
air schoolin' has spilled 'em. 1t is
lie, every word of it."
John, too, arose. Before he coul
speak Patty's soft voice recalled him I
himself.
"Oh, papa, how can you, and on Sur
day. too! He don't mean it, John,
know he don't"
John hesitated. Yes, 1t was-wel
injudicious to say the least, to angt
Patty's father. He bit his lips an
turned half alphabetically to the Of
man, but the mischief was DONE
"You keep still, MISS" to Patty. "a
: for you, young man, you walk. Don
you never put foot on my farm ag'i
Hedge hurt your corn! That heds
has always been an eyesore to your 4
Their. I'll defend it, you scoundre'
Yes, sir, defend it with the last cen
of my money and the last drop of m
, blood"
1t was useless to attempt to reaso
Win LIS ld6C lhCi CdoCus JOa
was Obliged to obey him and depart
He humbly asked Patty's pardon, an
received assurance of her continue
friendship, even while her father wa
ordering him never to speak to he
again. John strobe out of the gat
and down the road, and Patty, he
blue eyes overlooking with tears, too
refuge in her own room.
Seth Lloyd strobe into the coo
quaint, old-fashioned sitting-roon
where his wife was INDUCING in he
Sunday afternoon nap. Mrs. 10y
was meek little woman, who alway
managed to fan the flame of her hu!
bands anger by her ill-timed efforts
extinguish 1t. When his story wa
told, she said, tearfully:
"Oh, Seth, jest wouldn't. Like
not, the Manchesters will go to lay