The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-12
The Euenir1g Story
Boundary Lines.

'iiI s,rSHlesC numor In the situation.
Half way through the strands of
barDed wire, which caught and Sc
curely held the shoulders of her best
lavender dimity gown, was Miss Re
Dor Her delicate, faded face was
quite pink with embarrassment, and
Sne was almost weeping with chagrin
at having been discovered in such a
neighbour.
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
Whlch you have had the impudence to
erect on my property" was Rebecca's
acid retort Then, with wrench of
her shoulders and her imprisoned
knees, Miss Dobson fell back entirely
free from the barbed wire, but leay-
ing f1uttering portions of the laven-
der d1m1ty as mementos of her adj
venture.
"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 a lost guinea
hen? Her land, Ell! I thought the
courts of Suffern county decided
where the boundary lines were!"
The colonel clustered into his lone
~ house, where he sat down to a
lonely meal in the great dining room
Always before his eyes was the vision
of Miss Rebecca's erect little form
marching toward her own house. the
rags of tho lavender gown fluttering
in her wake. How her voice had
quavered as she flung that last def
ance at him!
He had never made a woman cry in
MS hfe-unless his wrangle over the
boundary line had caused Rebecca to
shed tears. He never believed it 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-
gagement had 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 sk1rmlsh had been a 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 barbed wire
to include twelve feet of land that the
DobsonS had always claimed.
Public sentiment was with Rebecca
Dobson; but Col. Bickford cared not
a whit for sentiment of any sort
Women had hammered that out of
him years before, he declared to his
reflection in his shaving glass. Some
times he declared it to his inkwelI,
and occasionally to the coffee urn
when he felt unusually lonesome at
table.
AS matter of consistency, the
colonel would not employ a woman
about his place, so he was ministered
to by his old black cook, Derry, and
three other black men of various
ages.
OF the feminine menage next door
he outwardly took no notice, but his
confidential servant, Toby, may have
Toby had been young with the
colonel.
"Sukey tells me her old miss am
mighty SICK" began Toby that even
hA hi
Who is Sukey?" asked the colonel
Toby smiled at the bedpost. The
colonel always asked that identical
Just as if he didn't know, having had
several verbal encounters with Sukey
for trespassing on his property.
''Sukey, sab, am Miss Rebecca Dob
sons cook explained Toby solemn |
~: She say her ole miss am power |
full sick-a bed
''Humphi" snorted the colonel
She am badly wounded from
laik she went through de bob wiah |
fence to ketch that wanderfoot ginny |
hen she sets such stoah by, and she |
got messed in de bob wiah. Sukey t
in blood"
Rubbish" commented the colonel |
Yes, sah," agreed Toby as he
When he was alone the colonel de-
cided not to retire just then. Strange |
to say, he didn't feel in the least like /
sleeping. What in thunder did Toby
stories about Rebecca
Dobson? Weltering in blood-the
very idea! Pooh! These servants
with their exaggerated yarns were in
tolcrable.
By this time the colonel was down
in the dew-drenched rose garden
which heretofore had always offered
heart Tonight the white moon
staring down on the fragrant inclos-
ure was too much for hint re-
minded him sore1y of another moon
light night and another rose garden
when he had been younger.
So he tramped out of the garden
and down the yew walk to the orchard
md through the orchard and around
and sharp before the controversial
fence.
A big black form was busy there,
brokenly, while long fail
ike arms moved two and fro. There
was the clink of some tool against
he whanging wire and the z-z-z-zip-
Zip as it tore away from the posts
Look herel What are you doing
here % sharply demanded the
colonel.
Sukey rolled her eyeballs at him,
put did not cease her work of de-
'truction. |;
Mind yo' own bizness,'' she !
yrowled fierce1y.
Look here woman" he began.
when she lifted a great fist and :.
shook it under his outraged nose
Listen to me. Kunnel Bickford,"
;aid Sukey impressive1y, you jes'
yotter mind yo' own bizness und'-
stand? Dis we're land belongs to
Miss Rebecca and I amt going to hab
40 more wrangulation over it, if I