Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-07-04
THE SPITE FENCE
BY GLADYS e. sALTER.

new neighbor, Burton Price, within a
week after the latter had moved from
another part of the town next to the
Lane home. Price was quiet. unas-
Stunning man with large family, his
children happened TO break one OF MI.
Lanes windows In playing ball, their
dog rooted up some Of the garden stun
Mr.. Lane had carefully planted and
that was the start OF Mr.. Lanes Ill
feeling.
II is true that Mr.. Price stepped
over to his neighbours house. insisted
on paying for The window and having
the garden damage repaired. That
Modified Mr.. Lane somewhat. hut the
next evening Mr.. Lane stepped over
to the Price home and returned, his
brow like thunder cloud.
what is the trouble, Robert?' in
quired his wife.
THAT Price I'm through with him.
Meta" to his eighteen-year-old daugh-
ter, II hear that you let that Price cub
walk with you to the seminary. Cut
II out AS to the smaller children, |
look to you. Martha, to see that they
don't associate with that brood next
door"
"Why, Robert !" echoed Mrs. Lane,
"whateyer has crossed you?'
price has. and I'll see that he re-
grets 1t. l stepped over in Il kind
OF neighborly way to ask him to vote
for Waller for sheriff Price Informed
me calmly that Waller was not the
kind of man he could recommend"
"Well--could he?" challenged Mrs.
Lane. significantly. "You know Wal
Ter associates with the worst class In
town"
Never mind. I'm going to try for
mayor this fall, amt II" demanded
Lane. by catering a bit to Waller In
the spring county election, he'll return
the compliment and help me win out
in the fall won't hep
So within week there was set
condition of feud between the two fam
flies.
I'm fence those yandals in" he vo-
clferated, and hired a carpenter TO
build fence twelve feet high.
Mr.. Price continued to bow courte-
ously to Lane, although the latter re-
buffed him with a scowl II nettled
the latter to the point OF distinction
when he discovered that the spite
fence made an excellent surface for
the Price children to play handball.
He nearly collapsed one evening when
he came upon Meta, receiving through
knothole in the spite fence rose
poked through Ivy her ardent lover.
young Dudley Price.
I'VE won't have to stand that fac
tious brood much longer" he remark
ed TO his wife. "Soon MS I'm elected
to the mayoralty I'm going TO move to
a better part Of the town"
One evening Lane arose 10 face
decidedly unpleasant incident. During
the night some nimble burglar had
scaled the spite fence, climbed into
the upper room and made off with a
lot of iewelry and money.
IF 1t had not been for the fence"
began Mrs. Lane. and then thought ii
wiser not to further disturb her dis
gruntled husband.
A week after that Lane came home
to view wreck and ruin There had
been a furious windstorm about noon.
and fully 80 feet of the fence had been
blown down.
III 1t hadn't been for the fence" he
gan Mrs Lane again, but again sub
sided for Lane was boiling over with
Ill hImor rs he began to realize that
his unneighborly tactics were bearing
bitter fruit.
The fan election neared and the
town was split up between the two
main political parties and an indepen-
dent group, comprising the workers In
the plant at the other end OF town.
where Mr., Price was employed. One
day the manager in charge of the Lane
campaign came 10 him with rather
anxious face.
Tell you, Lane he said. IT'S go
ing to be close shave"
W ny, now Gun mat ne WDen we rep
resent the usual majority party9"
well to be plain with you. there's
a detection. a good many are shylng
away from YOU"
"What for?"
That spite fence business hasn't
made a very good impression with the
class. It's true your OPP
ponent win lose a good many votes he.
cause he has antagonizcd the mill PEG.
pie, but their Independent votes count
up in the hundreds"
AS the days went on Lane began tn
realize that his manager was n pretty |
Shrewd analyst Lane became gloomy |
over the prospect The night before
election he came home restless and |
pesSimiStic II was foregone conclu- |
sion that he had lost weight In his own |
party About eight o'clock someone |
called him up on the phone.
MIR. Lane? Yes? am about to adj |
dress the Independents NJ the min" a |
voice spoke II want 70 ask you a 4
question"
"All right" replied Lane wondering |
who his iuterlocutor might be.
Are you in favor of putting through 1
the new road for the convenience and 1