The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-02-10
REPAIRING THE FENCE
ey JOHN DARLING.


veranda reading book.
, Say! sayl"
The girl shook her head to signify
that there was nothing doing in his
line.
"oh, I'm not after q hand-out"
Then go ont"
And / don't want TO do that until
l have told you that there is q hog
in the side garden out there, and that
he is roofing up things for fair!"
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, III"
"oh, no, Missy" interrupted the
tramp as he began moving away, you
can't play that on me-"
Mr., Mortimer had an interest in q
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 couple of boards. She
had got all the materials on 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 IL 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
a 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. 1
have read that few women could drive
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 kneTt
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 q yell!
The hammer had missed the nail and
hit the thumb!
'You-you--"
II didn't do i'll" he protested.
But II you hadn't been here and
looking on 1t wouldn't have hap
pened!"
"NonsenseI Didn't I say that a
woman couldn't drive a nail without
MASKING her thumb?"
"And didn't say that man couldn MT ?
You pick up that hammer and try H."
The board was held in place while
the nan was neatly driven, and the
young man 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 q smash and a howl. It was more
than howl. It was language-lots
OF language. For a moment the vic
tim thought himself far from the
haunts Of men (and women), but then
he Gained down ana said:
Il sincerely beg your pardon"
1T was unfair Of you, when you
knew I couldn't do the same thing
How bad Is it?'
He held out hts hand for inspec'
ton. The blood had already begun
to settle under the nail.
And yours?" he asked.
1t was as bad, and the girls face
had become very pale with the pain
OF 1t. At that mcment the cook came
limping out to seq what had happened
and they held out their bruised
thumbs to her.
Great cats and dogs!" she ex
claimed. WHY both of you Will sure
ly lose your Ehumbnails, anyhow, and
1t will be miracle If you are Ipot dis
figured for nfe!"
The mashed" took seats Ian the
veranda and held on to their thumbs
while the cook brought out nllages
and ointments by the handful.
why did you go and do it?" a, 1ked
the woman as the last thumb was
cared for.
III this, gentleman hadn't colue
along and butted in" began Mass
Nellie, when she was interrupted:
Whose name is Esrl Bell. Excu st
me that I haven't given 1t before o.
l believe this is Miss Mortimer"
And I believe that pesky hog ha 6
got back into the garden again! Pei =
haps you have also read that no WON.
an can drive a hog?"