The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-04-18
HannahPdyne's
MulberryTree
A Feud Between
Two Friends
By cLARIssA MAcKIR

/ 1t was a small tree, but it had Z
wide spread of branches, and wher
the large leaves were out they formed
a dense shade that quite hid the view
|, from Hannah Payne's windows as vel
as 1t deprived her left hand neighbor
Abigail Hodson. of any glimpse of the
village street.
Once several years before this story
opens Abigail had crawled through the
gap in the fence that divided the two
houses and knocked at her friend,l
back door.
| Hannah" she said, with note Of
complaint in her voice, what do you
thinkg
.wena" queried Hannah sharply, fol
she resented Abigails complaining
tone.
When / got up this morning I no
ticed the mulberry tree had leaved out
so couldn't see a mite of the road.
1t makes it dreadful lonesome not to
see anything at ALL"
l.
What are you going to do about
it?" demanded Abigail, with asperity.
Nothing" Hannah had said.
81 thought maybe you'd break OF a
long branch Of 1t SOS I could have q
view"
at cuts OF my view, too" returned
Hannah.
Il should think you'd want to see
the street You always set store by
seeing the street." persisted the tact
less Abigail.
1--WE got enough work to do with
out peeking at the street." said Han
nah loftIIy.
That was the beginning of the bit.
terness between Hannah Payne and
her friend Abigail Hodson. From a
cold nod the breach widened until they
did not speak at all, and then early
one morning Abigail arose and replaced
the three pickets that had been re-
moved from the dividing fence. Han
nah heard the sound of the hammer
and came to the window, but she said
nothing, only the stubborn look remain
ed on her face.
Three years had passed, and the null
berry tree throve nightly. 1t sent out
broad green leaves that cast denser
shade over Hannah's house and kept
the sunshine from the rooms. She
had to keep a keener watch over her
books and clothing, for the littles house
seemed damp, and mold gathered quick
ly on different articles.
The fruit ripened on the tree, and
the birds came and carried it off. Dur
ing the season when the mulberries
were ripe the birds came in flocks to
feed upon them, but Abigail Hodson
would have scorned to touch one of
the ripe berries, although in the past
she had been very fond OF them.
On this particular summer morning
it was very dull in Green lane, where
the two women lived. Abigail had
finished her homework at 8 o'clock
and taken her sewing out to the front
porch. She could see Hannah Payne
rocking to and fro on the next porch,
but neither woman could see beyond
the low hanging branches OF the null
berry tree.
All at once there was the sound Of
drum and fife and distant murmur
Of voices from the street. Abigail rec
objected that small circus was to pa
rade that morning, and in the evening
there was to be performance in a
tent on the village green. Abigail was
Baptist and did not dream of going
to the circus, but Hannah Payne
would go. Hannah was n Baptist, as
were her forefathers, but they all
went to the circus.
1t was rather lonely there on Abb
CALLS porch. The honeysuckle vines
screened it well, and there was no
sign Of life except the frenzied dart.
ing of a ruby throated humming bird
among the flower trumpets. the buz-
zing Of bees and now the sound Of
approaching music.
If Abigail Hodson had not been so
proud she would have tossed aside her
sewing and fastened to the front gate.
from which point she might have look
ed down the lane and watched the cir.
Gus parade so along the main street.
But she did not stir. If she had Han
nah Payne would know that Abigail
was suffering inconvenience from the
obscuring mulberry tree. and that
would give Hannah Payne chance to
laugh at her one time friend. and that
privilege and advantage Abigail Hod
son would not permit
Abigail Hodson snapped a needle
and tossed the broken pieces into the
grass. II wish could cut that old
tree down." she muttered. not know
ing that the same unspoken wish was
in Hannah's heart, not realizing that
her anger against the tree was stlm,
ulated by the feud it had caused much
more than by the lost view of the vii.
lage street
u wish could cut the old tree
down." repeated Abigail again and
again. and with each repetition Of the
desire there grew upon her the convic.
ton that the tree must be cut down or
things would never be right for her in
the world,
She sat out on the porch until sunset
and then went in and prepared supper,
I