The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-15


up by unworthy prejudice and hatred.
the evil elements in the character OF
thu old man began to hold high sway.
Dodd always bowed to him when they
met although all ne received In re-
turn was a cold stare of indifference
and contempt.
One day Post ran to the house III
great fuss and worry, g-ab?ca W US
gun and made back for the brook he
had discovered small a. @.-u
someone in ii. ts h;rg woii ovof on h.s
side of the stream. But when ne re-
turned he was ashamed OF EinSl1i'
The intruder turned Cut to be ! siEi
visitor at the Dodd nome.
He was uneasy and unhappy, al
though he tried to appear outWaroiy
firm and satisfied, the day big load
of barbed wire and posts arrived.
The brook lined the two farms Tor
about a hundred rods. That entire
distance Post drove the posts and
strung the barbed wire.
Hope Dodd enjoys his three feet
of water 'front.'" he chuckled, coming
in to supper. Where's Nell?' ne
asked Of his wife, tracing some deep
worry In her patient. worn face.
I've got bad news for you, Abner,
replied Mrs. Post gravely.
so? Well, out with 1t, and be done
with It What 10 ~"
Nell ia going to leave home"
"H'm!" muttered Post, glaring un-
comfortably. but trying to keep up .
grim, fierce bearing.
Yes; she is visiting my brother at
Acton for . day or two, and he 10
going to get her q position there.
Nell loves us, Abner," added Mrs. Post,
trying hard to keep back the tears,
and she won't disobey you, but she
says 1t will simply break her heart to
remain so near the man she loves,
and meet him daily, and pass him by
as il he were a stranger"
A week went by. In two more days
Nell was to leave the home roof Post
did not unbend He came in one
evening looking worn and troubled.
The family was absent at the brother
of his wife. A heavy rain had set in.
They Would not be home that night.
Post, lonely and full of darker
thoughts than ever recklessly ex-
tended the small glass of cordial he
sometimes took to half dozen. Soggy
and doing, he went to sleep on the
sofa, forgetting even to drive in the
cattle from lowland pit where they
browsed all night when the weather
was fair
1t was well on towards morning
when laundering knock at the door
aroused Post. He went there, blink.
ing and grumbling, to face his neigh.
Dor, Dodd
'Out with you, quick, Post, and help
us!" shouted the excited Dodd. There
has been a perfect deluge, and If we
hadn't got in time to your cattle
they'd have been all drowned. We
have got to look to things, for the
stream is twenty feet over the banks.
Post forgot his enmity in the ardu'
GUS exertions of the next few hours
His neighbor certainly saved his cat
tie. All hands sought rest as the wa
ter suddenly subsidized and then, about
noon, to the amazement Of all the
brook ran dry.
1t was some hours before this mys
terry was explained. The force Of a
terrific deluge had broken out a rocky
ledge and diverted the water. There
would never be a dividing brook or
the two farms again.
And with the water that had passed
away" went all the enmity of AbneI
Post for the neighbor he had mis-
judged, and Nell did not 60 away to
work, and the barbed.wire fence was
rooted up and cast to the void.
yu