The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-28
A BARBERRY HEDGE.

The front porch Of the Lloyd farm
house faced the east. Therefore, a
three O'Clock on a Sunday Afternoon
In July, It lay in the cool shadow o
the great white house. Seated among
the gray cushions OF the hammock wa!
Patty Lloyd, the only child and thu
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 a 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 mind alert and cul.
tured.
The air was heavy with the scent OF
the heliotrope growing on 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 mother robin chirp-
ed drowsily to her brood. All was
peaceful and free from discord.
But there was a 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 oul
common mother. Still, his entrance
upon the scene was almost as fatal tc
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 be
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 colored Johns cheeks
Mr.. Lloyd was always sneering at his
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 the
pretty girl opposite.
"Oh," he said, defiantly, that's plain
enough. AS long as that hedge OF
yours stands there we can't expect
much Of crops in the field next to it
Your own suffer some, but the wind
fayors you"
"Eh, what's that? What do you
mean?' and the old man sat bolt up.
right and glared at John. 1T must be
your college learnin' has gone to youl
head"
This thrust diI not quiet John. His |
attendance upon the state Agricultural |
College had before been ridiculed by
Mr.. Lloyd.
Il don't think it has. 1t may have
opened my eyes to the cause of what |
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 growing
thi1Ss. Professor Lutz touched on
the subject while was at college, and
have this summer corresponded with
him about this very hedge. He as
sures me that it is damage to my
fathers farm, and could be so proved
in court. Botanists claim that this
variety Of the barberry, the Berberida.
cae vulgaris, IS"
Here strange noise INTERRUPTED
him. 1t was cross between snort
and a growl. Only establishment had
kept Seth Lloyd quiet thus far. The
Latin words, however, restored his
power of speech. He sprang to his
feet with remarkable agility, consider.
ing his sixty-five years.
"You fool" he shouted. "You
blamed idiot! You never had any
more brains than your father, and that
air schoolin' has spilled 'em. 1t is
lie, every word of it,
John, too, arose. Before he could
speak Patty's soft voice recalled him tc
himself.
"Oh, papa, how can you, and on Sun,
lay, too! He don't mean it, John, ]
know he don't"
John hesitated. Yes, it was-well
ntudicious to say the least, to anger
oatty's father. He bit his lips and
urned half alphabetically to the old
nan, but the mischief was done.
You keep still, miss" to Patty. "As
or you, young man, you walk. Don't
'ou never put foot on my farm ag'in.
Hedge hurt your corn! That hedge
las always been an eyesore to your IA
[anchestcr's. When Richard Man.
hester learned this he consulted a ..
Lwyer, and the trouble was farther ,,
ON peaceful settlement than ever.
On frosty morning late in Novem-
Ell Mr.. Lloyd started for the corn
ED, which lay at the extreme back s
art of his large farm. He was not Il
cling well, so he hitched horse to t
IS cart and drove back along the lane a
1til he reached the field where the t
lskers were busy. Hitching the
'rse to the fence, he went forward to n
spect the work. u
When Seth Lloyd drove back along
e lane he was in bad humor. There G.
as no use in closing his eyes to tie G.
ct-his farm was not doing as well p
when he was abla to personally give
his attention.
Everything is going to ruin," he n
uttered, shivering as the raw wind n,
tote his face. 1T Jest had a sonl iy
1t but Patty's girl any man might In
proud of. but boy would look after
ings for me. There, believe the
ps blowed plumb off OF that stack Of ,
'ver-seed. told Collins it wasn't -
hit, but you never see hired man ~
IL can tell anything these days" II,
He drove his horse through the open
to and across the field in the direc.
n Of the stack. The young horse p,
Few up her head impatiently at be. 81