Barbour County index., 1904-08-31

ten Sim TO meet him, so he hired q con-
veyance at the village and was driven
homeward.
Joshua's rheumatism was cured-fhai
was evident from the alert way in which
he speed down through the new pasture.
taking roundabout course, SO as ia
come up Unexpectedly on the depredator
| So he did not rise up until he was almost
/ opposite. and then he suddenly stood up
| right.
Joshua's face Redeemed, and his Jaw
| dropped. The fence was there-yes-
he could get glimpse of the rails here
and there-but it was fence made OF
sweet peas. They had been planted On
both sides-following the homely zig
gag of the fence, and curling their fairy
tendrils around every splinter and knot
Somehow, the redness in his face deep
ened-and he looked with embarrassed
eyes at the girl in the white sunbonnet
who was going along the line on Abner's
| side of the fence. shipping away at the
flowers and filing a big basket which
hung on her arm.
She did not see him until she had
come opposite, and his shadow fell or
her; and then she looked up, startled.
"You must be Mr.. Long," she said, re-
covering herself at once. She did moi
laugh-indeed, she spoke very demurely.
but he caught trace of a dimple in her
cheek, as though she had almost smiled
SO it's you that's fixed the fence?"
he said, uneasily. 1t had not been in the
least what he had meant to say, but
somehow, the sight of that dimple had
forced it out of him. You must be Bes,
sie,' he added, as an afterthought.
''Yes-I'm Bessie" she replied, look,
| ing at him from beneath the shade of the
white sunbonnet.
so see Abner's had the good sense te
leave my fence where put it," he sug.
gested, remembering that he must make
a showing for himself TT was good
thing for him. l wouldn't "a stood any
more foolishness''
Uncle Abner hasn't been out of the
house yet" said Bessie. ''He turned the
management of the-the war-over tc
me-and don't you think / have i'm,
proved the fence?"
Il dunno but what you have. But how
the come to be-things-planted on my
side-but give me them shears, an I'll
cut ye few posies from over here. My
mothers garden USE to have blossoms
like these in it. She use to have 'em
trained up alongside of the porch
"Oh, will you cut some over there?'
cried the girl. 1--WE been wishing could
get to them. Sim generally cuts them
for me, but he had to go after wood this
morning. He's been SO kind-made the
bed for the seeds on that side-the very
morning after you went away-and once
when it was dry he carried water and
watered the whole row."
"Well. I'll settle with Sim!" saii
Joshua in his heart; but the next mo
ment he asked in sudden amazement:
What dye do with all these bios.
soms?"
I've been sending them up to the
: children's ward in the hospital" said the
girl, across the fragrant fence. 81 used
| ! to visit it very often-and l thought ii
! would be so sweet for them to have the
| fiowers-and for me to give them-espe-
cially as they were raised along this
fence!"
RI She flashed demure glance at him
, from under the pretty lashes, and this
time he was watching for the dimple and
: caught 1t at it's best He turned with
the heaped-up basket.
'Ye reckin l could git through them
vines somehow" he asked, looking du.
biously at their unbroken ranks. 81
b'lieve-I sort o. think-I'd like to &C
over and jaw bit with Abner."
"Oh, there's thin place right dowI
u. I-..fI.
in her tones. She ran down the fence;
and at the place she pointed out, Joshua
stepping carefully lest he should crush
single tendril, alighted beside the
pretty girl.
81 don't know why we shouldn't have
gate in here-about here-so's you
could pick on both sides of the fence"
he said, shame-facedly, as he looked al
the fence and his heart began to warm
''Stan's to reason, If the sick chil'ern
likes 'em so well the sick grown folks
might like blossom or two, along with
EN- 1t might be with them like it was
with me, he added, wistfully '1t might
: make 'em think o. their mothers Oh gar
den at home"
The mothers old garden at home, and
the sweet peas that were trained up alonA
; the side of the porch went with Joshuz
: as he walked beside Bessie through thu
orchard where the birds were singins
, gleefully over their new-made nests. He
found Abner hobbling painfully tn,
, length of the room, with the aid OF 8
stick; and all at once the feud had melted
: away and was as though it had never
been.
"Here-lean on me, Abneri" he cried
! hurrying to his old friend and throwing
an arm around the STOPPING shoulders
And before the astounded Abner could
have tire to push him away-if he hat
meant to do so-Joshua hurried on:
i've been havin' the time of my life with
e the rheumatics since seen you. Abner