The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-21
LOST BOUNDARY LINES
BY R. S. CAMP.

On one side of the barbed-wire fence
stood Colonel Bickford, his fine face
crimson with anger, seeing not the
! slightest humor in the situation.
Half way through the strands of
barbed wire, which caught the shout
ders Ct her best lavender dimity gown,
was Miss Rebecca Dobson. his next
door neighbor Her delicate, faded
face was quite pink with embarrass-
ment.
Upon my soul, madam" ragged the
colonel testify. this is too much!"
III you were gentleman you'd ex-
tricate me from this wretched fence
which you have had the impudence to
! erect on my property" was Rebecca's
acid retort Then. with a wrench OF
her shoulders and her imprisoned
knees, Miss Dobson fell back entirely
free from the barbed wire.
"A gentleman, indeed" clustered
the colonel, when he was left alone.
How was l to know that a meddling
old maid would go racing over my
property hunting for lost guinea
! hen? Her land. Ell! l thought the
courts of Suffern county decided
where the boundary lines were!"
The colonel clustered into his lone
lonely meal in the great dining rooE..
He had never made woman cry In
| his life-unless his wrangle over the
! boundary line had caused Rebecca to
| shed tears. He never believed 1t had;
she was too plucky for that.
She had never cried. either, when
they had quarreled, long years before
he wouldn't believe it; their en-
gagemcnt mad been short and sharp
and soon ended. And now the colonel
had come home to spend the quiet
life of a country gentleman, and his
first skirmsh had been dispute over
the. boundary line between the two
estates. The colonel had conquered
and it was by his orders that the old
meadow fence had been torn down
and replaced with one of barhed wire
to include twelve feet of land that the
Dobsons had always claimed.
BY this time the colonel was down
in the dewdrenched rose garden
which heretofore had always offered
him repose when weary in mind and
heart. Tonight the white moon
staring down on the fragrant inclos-
ure was too much for hint re-
minded him sorely of another moon
Itch iuh nd uardan
when he had been younger.
So he tramped out Of the garden
and down the yew walk to the or
chard and through the orchard and
around the fields until he fetched up
short and sharp before the contrO.
versial barbed-wire fence.
A big black form was busy there,
muttering brokenly. while long fail
like arms moved. to. and fro. There
was the clink- OF some toor against
the whanging wire and the z.z-z-zip-
zip as 1t tore away from the posts.
Look here. What are you doing
there?" sharply demanded the colonel.
Sukey rolled her eyeballs at him,
but did not cease her work of de-
struction.
Mind yo' own bizness!" she
growled fiercely.
Look here, woman" he began,
when she lifted q great fist and
shook 1t under his outraged nose
Listen to me, Kunnel Bedford"
said Sukey impressively, you jes'
gotter mind yo' own bizness,
und stand? Dis yere land belongs to
Miss Rebecca and amt goin' to hab
no more wrangulation over 1t, II I
breaks all yo' bones, like de way yo'
broke her sweet heart years ago!"
"Sukey!" he cried warningly. Becky
never cared about me-y0u knew we
were engaged-you knew she broke it
Off and"
"Oh, go long," muttered the dis
gusted Sukey. IF yo' had de gump-
ton OF flea yo' would'a stomped
over heah and jes' made up with her.
And now, dere 20 lives alf aloney,
cranky as old man Satan heself-and
here lives my Miss Becky. jes'
pinin' her sweet heart out with lone
liness-and de cure right in you two
han's White folks air de contrapt-
edest!"
Whang! went another length Of
wire There remained only tho
naked posts. Sukey picked up a crow
bar and began to pry at pest.
When the last post was cut and
the boundary fence had entirely dis
appeared Colonel Bickford stepped
across the space and entered the little
lane that went up to Rebecca's cot
tage. Sukey rested on her crowbar
and watched him.
''De good Lord forgive me for what
I've said to him." she prayed as she
scuttled away to her own quarters.
Colonel Bickford found Rebecca Dob
son sitting on the front veranda. He
stood at the foot of the steps, a TALL
straight scldierly figure, the NOON
light falling on his gray. uncovered
head.
Becky" he said in broken voice
"Sukey has torn down the boundary
line between our land I have crosses
the space tonight and, Becky, have
come to beg you to cross the boundary
line of years and to come back into
my heart!"
Old Sukey saw them standing with
their arms around each other while
the moonlight poured benedicti,n
on their reunion.
Sukey reused her sleeping husband.
"Rastus, mind yo' gets up early IN