The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-08-03

to plant rye or perhaps barley"
"Why not plant clover? Rye, you
know, or barley, either, will injure
my peach orchard"
"Injure your peach orchard p re-
peated Sally, bewildered and little
hurt. It seemed to her that Miss
Woodward was debating in an un-
warrantable way. II don't under.
stand what you mean," she faltered.
"You will have to talk to my brother
about it. That's he up on the porch. :"
"Weil, I'll speak to him, said Co.
rinne. She put her strong white
hand on the top Of the fence post and
vaulted over like an athlete.
Barney must have seen the ap-
proach of the visitor. He was lit
tie flushed and curious looking. But
there were a composure and ar air of
preparedness about him which, with
his new suit and fresh Sunday shave,
went in his favor. The scallop on
his hair was In evidence, too, and
altogether Barney was looking his
best.
"Glad to see you, Miss Woodward"
he said, extending his hand. 81 was
just remarkin' to myself that your
peach trees look first rate since you've
had 'em cleaned out. Have seat 7"
Three or four rusk chairs stood
about on the porch, and Corinne ap-
rropriated one of them. II was just
telling your sister," she began, 'that
l hoped you wouldn't plant either
rye or barley in that field on account
of my peach trees, and Miss Sally
kindly invited me to come up and talk
to you about it."
"Miss Woodward thinks our rye
will spoil her peach orchard" put in
Sally tremulously.
"You don't say How's that :"
asked Barney complacently, as if he
expected a joke was about to be sprung
upon him.
"The matter is not very easily ex-
planned. Mr.. Brill, nor perfectly un-
derstood," said the visitor, with a
straight, serious glance into the open,
questioning eyes. "But, all the same,
it is known to scientific agricu1turists
that peach trees are injured by prox-
unity to rye or barley. And, you
see, you have other fields in the far
end of your farm that would be just
as good for rye as that one, while I
can't move my peach trees"
"Not very well," said Barney.
"What you say is mighty interestin'.
I always supposed peach trees was
tolerable contented and happy when
they had good soil to grow on and got
their yearly prunin' and was KEEP
clear of weeds and insects" He sup
pressed a sarcastic smile. Don't
know they was so choicy about their
company. Bad as some folks
When the visitor had gone Barney
broke out into a rollicking laugh that
might have been heard halfway across
the Woodward fields.
"Oh, Barney What if she should
hear |" protested Sally.
"Let her hear p' laughed Barney,
with note of combative determine
tion. Gall she wants is to make
fool of me-"
ooh, Barney, no She isn't trying
to make sport of you !" pleaded Sally.
"She's an awful pretty girl, isn't
she?"
'She amt bad lookin'. I guess
she knows it too."
True to his word, Barney put in his
rye. Sally prepared little supper
party as an offset; but, to her dis
may, Corinne's aunt sent polite note
of regret. 1t was all that Jim Slower
could do to comfort Sally now.
Don't you believe it's all over yet,
Sally" said Jim. Longs Barney
keeps that scallop acrost his forehead
there's hope. Just wait. Pears to
me the scallop is gettin' a leetle
slicker."
Corinne Woodward kept bees.
Barney Brill raised the finest can
taloupes in Jersey county. His can
taloupes were celebrated and brought
fancy prices when shipped to New
York and Philadelphia.
Miss Woodward planted common
variety of pumpkins close to her
neighbor's melon patch.
In August the melons were ripe.
They were large and looked we'll, but
Sally fancied the flavor of them was
not what it had been in former years.
''Seems to me they taste like pump
kins," she said to Barney. Maybe
think so because I We looked so often
over to Miss Woodward's pumpkin
patch alongside the fence"
Barney could not hide his vexa-
tion. He would not acknowledge
that there was anything the matter
with his melons. He told Sally she
Imagined" the pumpkin flavor and
secuted the idea that there was any
truth in it. But when he sent his
melons to the produce men in the
city, who usually were glad to get all
that he could ship, complaint follow
ed complaint. ''Don't send us any
more cantaloupes, wrote the COM
mission merchant who took the largest
lots. They're not up to the stand
ard in flavor, and Our customers won't
have them"
Disguised, Barney stopped sending
his cantaloupes to market. Rather
than take the low rates he could get
he preferred to let the melons rot on
the ground. 1t was provoking and
humiliating. One day, tramping dis
consolately through the patch, he saw
Corinne Woodward across the fence
among her pumpkins. Their eyes
met.
"Why don't you send your canta-
loupes to market, Mr.. Brill? 7" the
girl asked, with mischievous cadence
In her voice. Her eyes were twink
ling. It was the first time since the
ta1k on fhe norch ahOut the Deach