The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-12-02
s.:
REPAIRING THE FENCE
= a
ssN X,
y John DARLING.

81 - - 80 ::
"ssys" shouted q tramp over the
gatsiot the Mortimer place.
Miss: Nellie Mortimer sat on the
verandA reading . book.
Say! l say!" Z
The girl shook her head to signify
that: there was nothing doing in his
lne.a&
'0h, I'm not after . hand-out."
Then 60 ONT"
And l don't want to do that until
have told you that there is a hog
in the side garden out there. and that
he is roofing up things for fart"
The hog again!" exclaimed Miss
Nellie as she started up.
"Yes'm-same hog!" grinned the
tramp.
But he must be driven out at once.
II you will drive him out. Ill"
"0h, no, Missy" interrupted the
tramp as he began moving away, you
can't play that on me-"
Mr.. Mortimer had an interest In a
business in the city and spent most
OF his time there. On this morning
no one was at home except herself
and. the cook. and as for the latter
she was fat and lame. That hog must
go out. however.
Miss Nellie drove him down the
road and found the place he had
broken in, and then 1t was hammer
and nails and a couple Of boards. She
had got all the materials IN the spot
when q young man came along on
foot. She recalled that she had seen
him pass in an auto an hour before,
and was wondering II he had met
with an accident, when he halted and
raised his cap.
Had a breakdown and am walking
back"
She wanted to ask him why he
didn't walk on then, but she spotted
that hog coming back and uttered
q muttered threat instead. This
caused him to notice the materials
and the hole in the fence, and he
continued:
"Ah, / see! The beast has been
In the garden. and you are going
to secure the fence against him. I
have read that few women could drive
q nail"
Il have read that same thing of
the men!"
Here is the chance to. test the mat.
ter"
He reached for a board and knelt
down and held it. against the fence
for her and smiled in a superior way
and in anticipation That smile set.
tied the matter. Miss Nellie picked
up hammer and nails and began driv.
ing.
There was a smash and a yell!
The hammer had missed the nail and
hit the thumb!
~"You-you-'
II didn't do IT," he protested.
"But II you hadn't been here and
looking on it wouldn't have hap
pened!"
Nonsense! Didn't I say that q
woman couldn't drive q nail without
MASKING her thumb?"
sand didn't l say that a man couldn't!
You pick up that hammer and try it,"
The board was held in place while
the nan was neatly driven, and the
young mar turned to Miss Nellie with
that superior smile.
"Go ahead!" she ordered. There's
three more nails to be driven yet"
He started on the second. There
was a smash and a howl. It was more
than a howl. It was language-lots
Of language. For a moment the vic
tim thought himself far from the
haunts of men (and women), but ther
he Gained down and said:
Il sincerely beg your pardon"
1T was unfair of you, when yor
knew I couldn't do the same thing
How bad is it,"
He held out his hand for inspec
ton. The blood had already begur
to settle Under the nail.
"And yours?" he asked.
It was as bad, and the girls fac(
had become very pale with the pair
Of it. At that moment the cook came
limping out to see what had happened
and they held out their bruiset
thumbs to her. :
Great cats and dogs!" she ex
claimed. why both of you will sure
ly lose your thumbnails, anyhow, ant
It will be q miracle If you are not dis
figured for life!"
The mashed" took seats on thu
veranda and held on to their thumbs
while the cook brought out bandagel
ard ointments by the handful.
why did you 60 and do it," asked
the woman as the last thumb wal
cared for.
~