The Van Buren press., 1904-08-20
The Dividing
Fence
By JULIA TRUITr BISHOP
Copyright, 1904, BY Daily story Pub. Col

] when the TWO Ola men, joshua Loh6 anu
Abner Wilmington, had been the best
friends in the world. Their two oddly
shaped farms joined at one place for a
distance Of 80 yards. and when they had
grown prosperous enough to build new
houses. some 20 years back, they had
built them near this dividing lire, 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 widowed sister, whose
children were all married and gone
Joshuas wife was growing old; and ten
years before the great quarrel she had
died. leaving him TO the companlonshlp
of Sim, the hired man, who was silent
and grim and did not make very en-
/ liyening companion,
What on earth they wanted toquarrel
for, " said Alonzo Reed, one OF the neigh
/ bors further down the road, when dis
cussing the feud with any chance conner
is more'n | can see. What difference
did It make about that little bit o 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 II
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
nave flown up as Joshua expressed it,
over little thing?
u am goin' to turn this field mex to
you into a paster,' Joshua had said on
that momentous occasion. "lt'll 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 We built that fence
So he had, and they had jested over 1t
many a time; slapping one another's
stopped shoulders and threatening to
have the law" on each other with joval
country laughter But now, Abner's face
reGdened under the wrinkles
"lfye move that fence a inch onto my
line we've got me to fight he said,
sharply.
This was the beginning, In week the
quarrel had developed to such state
that they did not speak il they met in the
road. Joshua had the rails for the new
fence hauled and laid in neat piles along
the line; b-t when sim and the other
man hired for the occasion went out to
begin work Abner was there with an OK
shotgun, which, he took care TO infrrm
them, had been loaded with birdshot in
his fathers day, End which he was con-
fdent would shoot as well 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
Abners house. The next night It was
taken down and replaced on It's old
Ground Joshua rebuilt II and sat up and
watched It, but one may not sit up for
ever, and the hrst night II was unproA
tected 1t was moved again. Matters grew
worse and Worse; and tle two old friends
became tn. bittercst enemies. For a
matter Of six months the fence skipped
mcrrily back and forth across the four
feet Of space, and the neighborhoot
could talk Of nothing else.
Atlast the night watching began to tell
on Joshua and he was shut up in his
room. q prey to rheumatism for an en-
tire week Sim reported progress TO him
every day. Greatly 10 his astonishment
the fence had renHNncd In It's place al,
that time At last Sim brought him the
explanation. Abner was laid up with a
"NEG o. stroke" II might be some time
before ne could get round again, the doc
tor said; and they had sent for grand
daughter Of Abnors 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 stroknE his knee.
We'll. I'm Ron TO Bens up IN the city,
Sim. TO git treated for this rhcumatIcs,
an want you to watch that fence same
asiflw was here. II they move that fence,
an YOU gItup in the mornin an see IT'S
been tampcrcd with, you put II back be,
fore YOU set down to breaktas' mind !
tell ye wIsht didn't have togo, Like
as not the place'll go TO rack an ruin soon
as turn my back But you look after
/ that fence, Low Sim
/ In like manner the old man In the
/ other house beyond the orchard was CIV
/ Ing directions with n tongue that STAN
mered little still from the effects Of the
. stroke
Look after that fence, now Bessie" ,"
said Abncr, az well as he could. Hes
got II onto my land right now cuttm'
on four feet the whole way an yousCc
that Jim an Ncls set It back before mid.
night ANITA poIn' TO be run over, no
longer
"Iu take care of the fence Uncle
Abncr don't you worry" said the pretty
gln, smiling into the dim eyes hcn
she went ont TO survey her charge the
dividing fence From Niar she saw
Joshua climb into the wagon and Griyc
away on hls Journey 60 the city
The rhoumutl.m was Of longer dura-
ton than Joshua had expected and the
weeks long'hcncd ln,o months while ne
fingered IN sio city part Of the time un-
able To rise from bis bed When ho did
begin to improve at last It was q long
llmn hnlnte he rnnIA IfANnl and DO