Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-15
he Dividir1q
 Fence By JULIA TRUITT BISHOP
tc0pyr4ght. 1904. by Daily story Pub. Col


 referred regretfully to the time when the two old men, Joshua Long anG Abner Wilmington, had been the best friends In the world. Their two oddly shaped farms joined at one place for a distance of 50 yards, and when they had grown prosperous enough to build new houses, some 20 years back, they had built them near this dividing line, and had moved the barns and other out building to correspond. They were rather lonely old men, except for their friendship for one another Abner had never married, and for years his house had been kept by a'Widowed sister, whose children were all married and gone. Joshua's wife was growing old; and ten years before the great quarrel she had died, leaving him to the compantonship of Sim, the hired man, who was silent and grim and did not make a very en- livening companion.
 What on earth they wanted to quarrel for," said Alonzo Reed, one of the neigh bors further down the road, when dis cussing the feud with any chance comer, ."is more'n I can see. What difference did It make about that little bit Q fence, any way?"
 Perhaps Abner and Joshua themselves could not have told Through all these years, now, they had consulted one an other about seed time and harvest. and 1t had always ended in Abner coming over to Joshua's side of the question. For years they had met in the evenings and compared notes on politics and the weather, with the result that Joshua had always converted Abner to his way of thinking Why, then, should Abner have flown up," as Joshua expressed 1t, over little thing?
 T am goin' to turn this field nex' to you into paster," Joshua had said on that momentous occasion. "Itll need a better fence than what it's got now an while I'm laying it I'll jes' lay it four foot further your way. Ye know, al- ways have told ye that ye was too greedy when ye built that fence"
 So he had, and they had tested over it many time; skipping one another's stopped shoulders and threatening to "have the law" on each other, with jovial country laughter But now, Abner's face reddened under the wrinkles.
 'sIf ye move that fence a inch onto my line ye've got me to fight" he said, sharply.
 This was the beginning. Tn week the quarrel had developed to such state that they did not speak if they met in the road Joshua had the rails for the new fence hauled and laid in neat piles along the line; but when Sim and the other man hired for the occasion went out t begin work Abner was there with an old shotgun, which, he took care to inform them, had been loaded with birdshot in his fathers day, and which he was con- fldent would shoot as we'll as any gun that could be found! Under these circum- stances the hired men refused to work; and Joshua was compelled to withdraw his forces until night, when the fence was completed four feet further toward Abner's house. The next night 1t was taken down and replaced on it's old ground Joshua rebuilt it and sat up and watched 1t; but one may not sit up for ever, and the first night 1t was unpro- tected 1t was moved again. Matters grew worse and worse; and the two old friends became the bitterest enemies. For matter of six months the fence skipped merrily back and forth across the four feet of space; and the neighborhood could talk of nothing else.
 Atlast the night watching began to tell on Joshua, and he was shut up in his room, a. prey to rheumatism, for an en- tire week Sim reported progress to him every day. Greatly to his astonlshment the fence had remained in it's place all that time At last Sim brought him the explanation. ADner was laid up with ''kind O stroke" It might be some time before he could get round again, the doc- tor said; and they had sent for grand daughter of Abner's sister to come and stay with the two old people.
 That must be Bessie, the one he's been keeping at school" said Joshua, with a tender hand stroking his knee t'Well, I'm goin' to Ben's, up in the city, Sim, to git treated for this rheumatics, an want you to watch that fence, same as if Twas here. If they move that fence, an you git up in the mornin' an see it's been tempered with, you put 1t back be- fore you set down to breakfas', mind tell ye. wisht didn't have to go. Like as not the place'll go to rack an ruin soon as turn my back. But you look after that fence, now, Sim"
 h like manner, the old man in the other house beyond the orchard was giv- ing directions with a tongue that stam- mered little still from the effects of the stroke"
 Look after that fence, now, Bessie" said Abner, as well as he could. He's got 1t onto my land right now-cuttin' off four feet, the whole way-an' you see that Jim an Nels get it back before mid night. ain't goin' to be run over. no longer"
 sI'll take care of the fence, Uncle Abner-don't you worry 7 said the pretty girl, smiling into the dim eyes. Then she went out to survey her charge, the dividing fence From afar she saw Joshua climb into the wagon and drive away on his Journey to the city. Tka rheumatism was of longer dura-