Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-06
Euening Story
BOUNDARY LINES.
BY r. s. Camp.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.


Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
On one side of the barbed wire fence
stood Col. Bickford, his fine face Grim
son with anger, seeing not the slight
est humor in the situation.
Half way through the strands OF
barbed wire, which caught and Sc
curely held the shoulders of her best
lavender dimity gown, was Miss Rebec
ca Dobson, his next-door neighbor
Her delicate, faded face was quite
pink with embarrassment, and she was
was almost weeping with chagrin al
having been discovered in such com
promising position by her choleric
neighbor.
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 had the impudence to erect
on my property was Rebecca's acid
retort. Then, with a wrench OF he1
shoulders and her imprisoned knees
Miss Dobson fell back entirely free
from the barbed wire, but leaving nut
tering portions of the lavender d1mlty
as mementos of her adventure.
! "A gentleman, indeed" clustered
the colonel, when he was LETT alone
"How was I to know that meddllne
old maid would go racing over my
property hunting for lost gulnes
hen? Her land Ell! I thought inc
courts of Suffern county decided
where the boundary lines were!
| The colonel clustered into his lonely
house, where he sat down to lonely
meal in the great dining room. AL
ways before his eyes was the vision
of Miss Rebecca's erect little form
marching toward her own house, tne
rags Of the lavender gown hutterlne
in her wake. How her voice had quay
| cred as she flung that last defiance a.
him!
| He had never made a woman cry II
his life - unless his wrangle over tnt
boundary line had caused Rebecca t
shed tears. He never believed 1t had
she was too plucky for that.
She had never cried, either, whef
thew had uuarreled, long years before
he wouldn't believe It; their engage
ment had been short and sharp ane
soon ended. And now the colonel hat
come home to spend the quiet lie o
a country gentleman and his first Skin
mish had been dispute over the boun
dary line between the two estates. Tnt
colonel had conquered, and 1t was BY
his orders that the old meadow fence
had been torn down and replaced VIII
one of barbed wire to include twelve
| foot of land that the Dobsons had al
ways claimed.
| Public sentiment was with Rebeccs
Dobson; but Col Bickford cared not
whit for sentiment Of any sort. Wo
men had hammered that out OF MN
wears before, he declared to his re
Election in his shaving glass. some
times he declared it to his lnkwell, ant
occasionally to the coffee urn when NJ
felt unusually lonesome at table.
As a matter of consistency the col
onel would not employ woman abou
his place, so he was ministered to b!
his old black cook. Derry, and three
other black men of various ages.
or the feminine menage next doc
he outwardlytook no notice, but hi
confidential servant, Toby, may hav'
guessed his masters weakness, 10
Toby had been young with the colonel
"Sukey tells me her old miss an
mighty Sick began Toby that evening
as he opened his masters bed.
"Who is Sukey?" asked the colone
indifferently. $500
Toby smiled at the bedpost. TIL
colonel always asked that identica
question when Sukey was mentioned
lust as If he didn't know, having ha
several verbal encounters with Suke
for trespassing on his property.
! "Sukey. sab, am Miss Rebecca Dot
sons cook" explained Toby solemnly
"She say her ole miss am powerful
sick bed"
"Humph!" snorted the colonel.
"She am badly wounded fror
scratches" went on Toby. Seems lai
she went through de bob wiah fence t
ketch that wanderfoot ginny hen sh
sets such stoah by and she got mes:
ed In de bob wiah. Sukey declar he
Miss Rebecca am welterin' in blood!
"Rubbish!" commented the colone
indifferently.
Eyes, sah," agreed Toby as he bacl
ed out of the room.
/ When he was alone the colonel d.
cided not to retire just then. Strang
TO say, he didn't feel in the least lik
sleeping What in thunder did Tob