Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-15

ne could get a 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 filling big basket which hung on her arm.
 She did not see him until she had come opposite, and his shadow fell on her; and then she looked up, startled.
 You must be MT. Long, she said, re- covering herself at once. She did not laugh-indeed, she spoke very demurely, but he caught a trace of dimple in her cheek, as though she had almost smiled.
 So it's you that's fixed the fence?'' he said, uneasily. It 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-Im Bessie" she replied, look ing at him from beneath the shade of the white sunbonnet.
 So see Abner's had the good sense to leave my fence where put it, he sug- gested, remembering that he must make 3 showing for himself Tt was a good thing for him. I 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 to me-and don't you think I have i'm proved the fence?"
 T 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 1t. She use' to have 'em trained up alongside of the porch
 "Oh, will you cut some over there?" cried the girl. Tive 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 1t was dry he carried water and watered the whole row."
 Well, I'll settle with Sim!'' said Joshua In his heart; but the next mo- ment he asked in sudden amazement:
 What dye do with all these blos- goms?"
 .T've been sending them up to the children's ward,i in the hospital, said the girl, across the fragrant fence. T used to visit 1t very often-7and thought it I. f1owers-and for me to give them espe- cially as they were raised along this fence!"
 She flashed demure glance at him, from under the pretty Iashes, 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 could git through them vines somehow" he asked, looking du- biously at their unbroken ranks. T b'1ieve-I sort O think-I'd like to go over and jaw bit with Abner.''
 "Oh, there's thin place right down here!" cried the girl with a joyous thrill in her tones She ran down the fence; and at the place she pointed out, Joshua. stepping carefully lest he should crush d single tendril, alighted beside the pretty girl.
 T don't know why we shouldn't have q gate in here--about here-so's you could pick on both sides of the fence" he said, shame-facedly, as he looked at the fence and his heart began to warm. ..stan's to reason, if the sick chil'ern likes lem so well the sick grown folks might like blossom or two, along with 'em It might be with them like it was with me, !" he added. wistfully. Tt might make 'em think O their mothers ol' gar den at home."s
 The mothers old garden at home, and the sweet peas that were trained up along the side of the porch went with Joshua as he walked beside Bessie through the orchard where the birds were singing gleefully over their new-made nests. He found Abner hobbling painfully the length Of the room. with the aid of stick; and all at once the feud had melted away and was as though 1t had never been.
 s'Here-Iean on me, Abner!" he cried, hurrying to his old friend and throwing an arm around the stepping shoulders And before the astounded Abner could have time to push him away--if he had meant to do so-Joshua hurried on; s'I've been havin' the time of my life with the rheumatics since seen you, Abner. Say-I've changed my mind about mak- ing a paster O that field-the cattle's well enough as they are. An with no cattle there we don't need no fence there no fence at allan the groun's mighty rich along where them fence corners use to be-s'pose we take that four feet along there an turn 1t into one big flower bed-where she can raise all the posies she wants? We can help her, Abner-soon's you begin to git 'roun' little better-an' it'll help us both to git out into the fresh air-Oh, come, nowi There! there! make me think of my mother's ol' garden"
 There was not much that was articu-