The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-08-03
BREAKING A DEADLOCK.
By JANE ELLIS JOY.

Services had not begun in the little
white painted wooden church, and
the congregation was gossipping in
the sunshine under the budding trees
and along line of posts where the
horses were hitched.
Barney Brill is sprucing up con-
siderable. Wonder if it amt for the
benefit of his pretty new neighbor I"
observed Jim Slower, shutting one
eye to give importance to the obser.
vation.
Jim's audience of three men looked
at him unbelievingly. 1t was well
known that Barney Brill had passed
through several unsuccessful love
affairs.
''I tell you he's gettin' ready to do
it again." asserted Jim. "It amt
only that he's got a new suit of clothes,
but he's taken lately to combin' his
hair in scallop acrost his forehead.
Mind what I say Barney amt maxim
that scallop for nothin'.'
Jim Stover's partiality for Miss
Sally Brill, which dated back to Sally's
school days, quite explained to those
who heard Jim's talk this. morning
the young mans almost womanish
interest In finding a wife for Barney
Brill. As long as Barney remained a
bachelor he wanted his only sister to
oversee his house and would not hear
of Sally leaving home to marry Jim
or anyone else.
The Brill property-a fine farm and
homestead-had been left to Barney
absolutely, with an unwritten under
standing that he would provide for
Sally, or, in the event of her marriage,
give her dowry, provided she mar
ried with Barney's approval.
Of course Sally might have mar
ried in spite of Barney and sued for a
portion of the estate. There were
sympathetic people in Jersey town.
ship who advised her to do this very
thing.
But Sally Brill would listen to no
counsel to quarrel with her brother.
She would delay her marriage, she
said, until Barney's consent should
be given freely.
GIVE been thinking, Sally" said
Jim as the two walked home from
church, tagging behind the crowd as
lovers will, "that Barney's got more
than half notion of making up to
Miss Woodward.
miss Woodward !! Why, Jim, it's
quite impossible p said Sally. 81
don't believe the acquaintance be.
tween them has gone further than
bowling and perhaps saying Good
day"
"Corinne Woodward is a mighty
handsome girl" said Jim, "of course
not as pretty as present company, F"
he added with a chuckle of gallantry.
Sally rewarded the last remark with
a smile. Then her thoughts seemed
to revert to her new neighbor. "I'm
afraid Miss Corinne Woodward isn't
the kind Barney would like" she said.
"She was raised in town and was a
school teacher, but she thinks she
knows more about farming than half
the country people. And to think of
her living there with only her aunt
and a hired man %
They had come to the parting place.
The large Brill house with its broad
front porch and old style dormer win
dows loomed forth behind film of
green LEAKAGE. Sally's hand was on
the latch of the gate. cts awfully
good of you, Jim, to wait for me so
good naturedly," she went on. "Just
to think, we've been engaged for nine
years 4! Now, If you're tired waiting
and could get to like some one else
don't mind me. Speak your mind
right out-and you can be-free"-
Jim caught Sally's other hand.
"Shucks! What you talking about,
Sally? I don't want to be free that
way! want most eternal bad to get
Barney off our hands, and then we'll
both be free to marry !"
Jim's optimism treasured Sally, and
she tripped along the path toward the
house light heartedly. Across the
fence to the left lay the Woodward
acres. For years this ground had
been neglected. Tenants had left it
without paying rent. Its fences had
tumbled down, and the buildings were
falling to pieces.
The preceding February, however,
businesslike young woman had ap-
peared on the scene, taking posses
sion and beginning improvements.
The improvements had gone on until
now the place looked very different.
The property had come to Corinne
Woodward through the death of an
uncle, who had never taken any in
terest in it.
Glancing to the left, Sally Brill
saw the stright, graceful figure of her
neighbor on the other side of the new
wire fence. Miss Woodward was
looking at a freshly plowed field on
the Brill side.
Daintily Sally picked her steps
across strip of the plowed field, in.
tending to have a friendly little chat.
"Ain't it a lovely day, Miss Wood
ward" she began, with beaming
smile.
"Snlendid You can most hear
things growing" answered Corinne