The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-28
THE EVENING STORY
The Boundary line.
nv clarissa Mackie.l

ed back with resentful eyes. I'm not
going to speak to any Of the Lanes,
she said sharply.
the older woman.
st shall never forget. Aunt Ann" said
Adora. proudly, as she passed thfousn
the gate and out into the crisp snow
OF the road. =
She did not turn toward the vllIage
street but made her way UP a narrow,
untrodden path. Presently the path
wound into the tall. brown silent woods
with its carpet of snow underfoot ana
bare interlaced branches outlined
against the blue sky overhead
AS Adora walked slowly through the
woods her thoughts were Of the year
before, when she had first come TO |
make her home with Aunt Ann WyhhS- |
Then it was that the Lanes had oeen
Aunt AIMS most intimate friends, Dut
there had been trouble over boundary
line in the woods and Mrs. Wynne COM
planned that Silas Lane was trying 10
take advantage Of the fact that she
was a woman who did not understand
matters OF business-and after that II
went from bad to worse, until Silas
Lane actually claimed the brook that
formed the boundary line between the
two properties; then, the two families
did not recognize one another, and to
friendly little Adora this was a great
blow.
But that was not the worst. When |
half of the year had gone by, John Lane |
had come home from the agricultural
college where he was learning to be
twentieth century farmer. Adora met
him at a barn dance, and as soon as
she learned the name OF the fandsomej
stranger whose steady, grave gray eyes
followed her wistfully in the mazes of
the dance, a sudden terror struck to her
heart-for she very much feared that
she would have liked to know John
Lane But she was forced to whisper
a reminder of the feud to one and an
other in order to avoid an introduction
came to go home. Adora had a vision of
a very stern John Lane whose eyes
avoided her tiTnid glance, while John
Lane secretly carried away sore heart
and recollection of sweet, oval face
with shy brown eyes.
They met in the village and passed
haughtily by-each with beating heart.
When the holidays We're over John
Lane had gone away again and Adora
lost her interest in the winter amuse-
ments Of the village and even went SO
far as to find fault with Aunt AIMS
attitude against the Lanes.
Adora's way through the woods led
across the brook that formed the
critics. 1t added to her discomfort to
find Silas Lane, himself, diligently
chopping a hole in the ice of the
brook preparatory to dropping FISH,
ing line into the icy water underneath.
'Howd'y doc" said Silas, politely. as
Adora passed with daintily lifted
skirts. THE laurel's pretty handsome
this year.
Adora inclined her head gravely,
but made no response. She had
promised Aunt Ann not to speak to
the Lanes and she would not break
her promise-and yet, something i'm
PEELED her to pause and look wistfully
back at the old man who had return
Cd &a =, fc .4r-% -r~skL
laugh.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw her
watching him with grave 0intentness
and. with an impatient gesture, he
threw down his line and came toward
her.
7 Mad at me- amt you, miss?" he
queried. dryly.
Adora shook her head slowly.
Spose your Aunt Wynnes told
you all about how I cheated her out
She nodded.
well, didn't cheat her-it's be-
longed to us for three generations.
only your great-grandfather he sur
veyed the property in his day and, as
cool as you please, he just annexed
the brook. We just let it go year
after year. but when 1 was looking
out for JOhn-tf1at's my son-to come
home and take over the farm, feIt's
though he ought to have the brook.
Y
viii be just the one thing that's lack
ing on our farm I told Mrs Wynne.
1 says, Go down to the recorders
onice and see the papers for yourself.
It's all down in black and white but,
woman-lil1e, she wouldn't stir a step.
but just sits back and sulks!"
rs that true2" Adora broke the ST.
lence at last.
| to the Office this minute and ask the clerk
| to prove 1t to you I wish your aunt
s would make max up her mind to be good
But Adora- had sped back across the
brook, and when Silas had finished speak
| trees. is 'ii'
Aunt Ann Wynne was quietly knitting
E rfg cheeEs 1 perst into the room the
Whatever is the matter. AdoraSa asked aai
breathlessly into a chair and DIP pulled A of 4
Il spoke to a Lane.' announced Ado-a
Mrs, Wynne stared incredulously.
| Which one?'' she snapped.
| ..Silas Lane. himself"
The older wonnan's lips were set in a
straight line and her needles flashed in
IT merely uttered three words" ex-
Plained Adora; II was passing through
he said my great-grandfather had annex
| ed the brook years ago when he surveyed
the woodland He said We never had own
could prove it by showing US the records;
so I said to him: rs that trueT When
ne said it was I came home. Is 1t true.
IT don't know returned Mrs. wynne,
obstinate1y.
Have you seen the records?' persisted
Adora.
"No-and I don't want to, That brook IS
1 been in my family as long as I can re-
/ member and / shall always consider II
mine! Your Uncle Will always spoke as
II it belonged to us-no, I don't want to
see any recordsi''
But Aunt Ann, If you are so sure
that it is yours, why not examine the rec
ords-then you can prove that you are
right!'
i Mrs. Wynne's face flushed deeply and
her voice trembled when she spoke: &c
: and he w. cofF :