Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1915-09-02
LOST BOUNDARY LINES
BY r. .. CAMP.

On one side of the barbed.wirs fence
stood Colonel Bickford, his nne face
crimson with anger, seeing not the
slightest humor in the situation.
Half way through the strands OF
barbed wire, which caught the shoul
ders c' 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!"
IF you were a 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 . 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 I to know that q meddling
old maid would 60 racing over my
property hunting for q lost guinea
hen? Her land. eh! l thought the
courts of Suffern county decided
where the boundary lines wsre!"
The colonel clustered into his lone
ly house, where he sat down to .
lonely meal in the great dining room.
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 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 On.
gagement had been short and sharp
and soon ended. And now the colonel
had come home to spend the quiet
life Of country gentleman, and his
first skirmish 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 tho
Dobsons had always claimed.
BY this time the colonel was down
in the dew-drenched 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-
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 or.
chard and through the orchard and
around the fields until he fetched up
short and sharp before the oontro-
versal barbed-wire fence.
big black form was busy there.
muttering brokenly. while long hail
like arms moved to and fro. There
was the clink of some tool 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 biznessi" she
growled fiercely.
Look here, woman" hs began.
when she lifted a great hst and
shook 1t under his outraged nose.
Listen to me. Kunnel Bickford,"
said Sukey impressively. you 1es'
gotter mind yo' own biznsss.
und stand? Dis yere land belongs to
Miss Rebecca and I amt goin' to hsb
no more wrangulation over II, II
breaks all yo' bones, like de way 20
broke her sweet heart years agol"
"Sukey!" he cried warningly. Becky
never cared about me--you knew We
were engaged-you knew she broke It
of and
"Oh, go long!" muttered the dis
gusted Sukey. III yo' had dc Sump-
ton of a flea yo' would'a' stomped
over heah and jes' made up with her.
And now, dere 20 lives all alonsy.
cranky as old man Satan hsself-and
here lives my Miss Becky. 1ss'
pinin' her sweet heart out with lone.
liness-and de cure right In you two
hans! White folks air do contrapt-
edest!"
Whang! went another length OF
wire. There remained only tho
naked posts. sukey picked up . crow
bar and began to pry at . post.
When the last post was out and
the boundary fence had entirely dis
appeared Colonel Bickford stepped
across the space and entered tho 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. tall.
straight soldierly figure, the moon
light falling on his gray, uncovered
head.
Becky" he said in a broken voice.
"Sukey has torn down the boundary
line between our land have crossed
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 a benediction !!
on their reunion.
Sukey reused her sleeping husband. !
"Rastus, mind yo' gets up early in
the de mohn'in' and yo' kin make :,
kindlin outer dat boundary fence
all de boundary lines Is down between \