The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-23

husband and father.
But the head and of the neighborhood Of
Tending had been Joseph Jones' aged twelve and one
half. the of pigeons and rabbits and guinea
hens AN nuisances and trespassers Worse than that
Joe kept chickens. That is the neighbors kept them
They were ostensbly kept in, and the widow was so
neat and clean and industrious, valiant motner
that officers were inclined to think the neignbors
Were simply down the tribe and unwiliing 10
oondone an occasional accidental escape of a small
boys pets Also the widow fine and a
plump red cheek, not to mention an Irish tongue IN
her head. The neighbors always came on second
best, but they lived in hope of some day seeing joe
Jones get what comm to him.
-Jeses-faf44ly- owned-and- 4i1ein their
place. When Reuben Farr bought the place next
door, In spite of fears and hints the public breath
held How would he stand the Joneses-espee-
The day the new householder took possession the
neigh bors hidden behind curtains. openly out
in yards and porches Reuben Farr or
two younger than Mrs. Jones. tail and silent ana
gaunt carpenter by trade, his cook and house
keeper. He nodded to everybody, said good night or
morning when he met them, but talked with no one
He minded his ewn business. 1t WAS bleak March
when he moved in. and at nights and odd free days
he tinkered about his little house and got his al
a horse and pillow and broke his entire and gen.
erous back yard He was questioned
Garden" his laconic response.
The next night he narrowed the ground Then
he methodically made beds and planted things vege-
tables flowers. bushes little trees
few tried him of Joe's rabbits his
pigeons, his guinea hens and worst of ALL his chick
But gossip, aimed at him. seemed die the
lip. The neighbors finally decided let him get his
own experience, But they admired him. More
over he rather ine-looking, and not day Older
than forty.
Name Jones tried lure him into Irritation.
But to the Joy of the Interested she did not
coed He polite that all AS for Joe, ne
found fault with the boy But fine morning
in May, when he found the pet rabbits had eaten
the tender tops from his upgrowing vegetables, he
stood thoughtfuly. That night he fenced his place
tr high and tight with chicken wire OF the finest,
closest variety.
And the next morning he went to work. after
getting his own breakfast joe safe his
porch. cat-caied him and made gesture or
1t awful TO be ignored. Used to raising
trouble, Joe would have preferred an open row to
/ silence-and a fence.
1t was not long thereafter that, in indescr4e
able manner, the Jones's chickens got over the
e-miracuiousiy, since they clumsy, heavy
fowls without power OF light They uprooted several
flowers beds and gobbed OF the tops of the peas no"
well above ground. Reuben Farr sowed more peas
and lifted the hens the fence.
That night he called ON the widow. casually. as II
| in passing. She welcomed him the porch, and
bade him smoke II he liked. He did not talk more
than a word or two, but Name came out. In white
! and impudence, and tnwardly much excited She
| wished her mother could learn to know when she
was not wanted But Mrs Jones stayed, rocking IN
termnasiy. When he TO she stammeringiy
mentioned the matter of the chickens and the rab-
bits. 1t was new thing to nave neishbor @ho
did not resent things She was so sorry but II was
accidental, and children must have pets and forth
After voiube discourse In her pleasant irish voice
Mary Jones' Ryan, finished with her favorte bit
OF wisdom. BOYS she said, will be boys"
Yes. Boys Will be-boys' he said. dryly. Then
he went away uptown.
The next evening he added an extra foot to the
height of his fence The neighbors grinned. know
ing Joseph would simply consider himself challenged
way under almost anything on earth 1t also teaches
that like most useless things, 1t multipiies
RAPIDLY There had been tesTs oasnay or
of them. One night they worked steadily, having
somehow escaped from their alleged hutches and the
morning found them in Reubens garden They
keen and hungry and the young cabeages and cauli-
! flowers suffered.
The presumably irate but outwardly calm garc-
ener let Mrs Jones come ever and. with the aid OF
She ustered. and for her volublity failed
her Something In the tall bachelors attitude shamed
by offering to pay for the damage She would buy
plants for him. He said 1t would be too late
now-and he would use the space for something
else.
Joe was fascinated into decency for week or
two He did not understand. And now. every few
evenings. Reuben would saunter over to the widows
porch and sit the steps and smoke. He got to
| exchanging dry jokes with Name, who was excited
about this wary specimen that she forgot to be-
Sade Dugan, four doors of her latest beau
! 1t was Reuben Fairs custom each night to pad
lock his gate. also made like the fence
One dawn. early in May, he arose to find the gate
browsing the last of the young sweet corn stalks
the Joness hens were scratching In the beds. the
rabbits busy with the clover planted to protect
the newly sprung up lawn grass 1t was pretty
bad.
the creatures out His blazing. and his lips
close set Old Dugan, who came along. said he heard
the outraged gardener swear, but Dugan had ine
This time Mrs. Jones dared even apologize.
mischief was not all intentional Piqued BY the
paddock, joe like all boys, had tried all the keys
One of them did fit the paddock. which opened with
dificuty-but which would not lock again. He had
the gate, cow pulllnR up ner stake, had
pushed it wide The boy frightened, and his
under-exereised conscience was working. He kept
himself out of the way the following evening, being
sure that something would happen.
1t did, but it was not the expected. Reuben Farr
after his supper over to the Jones's
dressed in his BEST newly shaver and smiling
Name began something and got the surprise OF
| life He simply asked Mrs Jones II she would SEND
the children away while he spoke her a moment
Angry and surprised, they went standing of ear
shot. but anxious to what going The man
| talked, and the widow from showing fear at
first began 70 protest, then to laugh. and protest
again Fin&"y he showed her a paper Name
held her breath Had it something to do with IL
law? They continued to talk. Then the widow
indoors.
Name followed eagerly but got Of an
answer to her inquiries save command to help her
mother get into her best dress The girl had an
idea that her mother wished make a good
preston on some magistrate and did she
den. Joe had sneaked up behind the house. peep
ing around TO what had happened.
It still broad light when the widow ana Reu-
ben Farr went together down the street. Sophie,
safe distance trailed them--and back
port that they had to the pastors few blocks