The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1901-04-11
THE MAN OVER THE FENCE.


vith biset ribbon around u. srd blsc
tie He seemed 10 be sboot Tbs msdlea
hsish', sss clean sbsvsn. snd bad sti
~ yellov ~ old parchment Bet the .
csliar ihins about him vac. 20 mstief ID
kind OF day no matter whether The sn'
ssrssmsd doun 90 bin or the sky rsinrt
tssr. b. ios.risbiy took ca bis bat vse'
be entered the little sst5en, stack
spade 10 the ground. sni hang TIE hs
90 top OF The spade.
His esrtsIios ws very peculiar, Tor b.
dog up tbs came patch every day, q
tbonsh he knsw tbsi the dos ~ouli tran
pie It dovn before night There were
fev flowers or shrubs 10 the garden. and
oil the way round Il the dog had made .
narrow track
A for nyself. / bsd somswhs. uosssy
tesiins about this intensely T. spsctsble.
looking neietber. Perhaps 1t was biz
yellow skin, pefhsps bis nois,lsss move
ments frightened me. but vten Looked
np snd found him stesllhily regarding
ms (hks the the sneifut mariner, be bad
. aliitering eysl, something unpleasant
seemed to pervsde my spine and send =
cold shiver down 1t. Ole day be dropp
ed . big handful OF salt on the bsck OF
my rsck and snIion.iy peered ovsr The
top Of the fence TO see what would happen
to me.
Az | wiped away the ssll (soms OF II
had fallen below my collsr srd made me
smart considerably Ut suddenly occurred
to me that my eccentric nsighbor wss sn
old scientific gentlemen who had noticed
the way irested slu2s 10 my cosrser m o
m snts, when the lu.t for slaughter boiled
within my veins. Hs wanted to see whsth
CT should also dissolve. aud leave "aot
wfsck behind" II seemed to me, howev
er, that even though the 10 n,n over the
fsncs vas sctuated by feeling OF scientii
10 rssssrob, be might have gone through
the iornsliiy OF asking my permission be
fcre be tried bis experiment. Twice thst
morning notice him look uftivsly over
tbe ieuce 10 evident disappointment thst
| vas still able to conllnue my work.
When said good day to him, just to
aho# that bore no malic,. be bobbed |
guilty down ond continued digging. To
nske friends With him. and TO induce him
to refrain from further expert uents on the
back OF my neck, l presented the old
gentleman with q hsndfnl OF china ester
plants; whereupon be went into the house,
returned with . plate OF bread aud butter,
aud swsllowed the plsnts With gtest gus
to-
waa dnmbioundel by this sxir.ordin
sry proceeding that stared at him with
oil nv might. Perhsps an emetic might
save him; bat when l suggested It, he
waved bis hand and continued to eat the
lsst plant.
No one bad seen me give him the plants.
so hoped thst the coronsr would bring
10 vague verdict Litter on 10 tie day,
Us looked out OF the window. l saw that
he bad another handful OF salt and was
evidently y ing 10 wait for me.
Bot ss time went on my repusnsncs to
the old man over the fence gradually di
minished and when hsd nothing better
to do | amused myself by putting my
hat on stick and moving it gently along
q little sbovs the FENCE Then tbs old
sentlemsa would stalk IL with . hsndiul
OF salt. and chuokle with satisfaction ~
he continued TO dig up tbs track made by
the dogs indsfstissble feet.
Ons muroinp, however, l was smsE ID II
seeing the old man pushsd hastily through
the French windos leading TO bis garden.
He landed on ths gravel path 10 . some
whst besildered fashion and renamed
there until be wW followed by 9 sandy
hsirsd youn, man. who sat down on the
one garden chsir snd bsgsn to Oil . very
big pipe. Some one within the house
quickly locke ! snd fastened the French
door,
The old man stood lookisg Of il Tor
some minu.ss. and iuftively glanced st
The msn who vas filing up the big pipe.
Still keeping bis eye cn the man With the
pipe. be stretched out one hand for .
spade. which leaned sssinst the wall close
BY.
I'd drop that II l YES yop, said the man /
With the pips. D'you hesri Drop III /
The old gentleman i'm media.ely With O
drew bis hand from the spade, and, tsk
log hold Of the door handle, began 10
Ihske il gently. Q
Drop III said the man with the pipe. Of .
Ter tia old eentlrmsa bad shsksn the 4
ioor Tor I've minutes.
The CID N ans hand fell to bic side he
ooksd psst the man vita the pipe, .
isrcs trouble 10 bis staring eyes. He YES
plsinly trying 10 remember something. II
alssm Of hope shons in his eyes for . b
moment. then slowly faded away sgsin; b
,e took hold oi the door hsndle and ret o
led u gently.
For three hours be remained standing q
~ the door. birebcsdei 10 the blsxirg
At last could stand IL no long q
y, bat vent dssn s,sip and spoke 10 the b
nsn With the pipe.
Don't you ses, you irhumsn ssonpdrei. a
said spstiy. ihst the poor old gentle
nan gill get soustfoks uniess be pats on !,
II, hsi' WI, con't you let himi
The nsa took bis pips on, Of bic mouth
'od ,pots qnis,Iy eronsh wi,bos. tanning G,
he bead. e,
I've bssn hsfs three tonls, sir. spd II | O
nee take my eye oH him he'll brsin me .,