The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-26
BY JOAN SCHMIDT

Granny Wilcox sat on the side porch of the home she had given her son when he'd lost everything he owned and teetered back and forth in the high-backed rocker. Every so often Granny could hear Eileen, her daughter-in-law, berating the entire household, finally finishing with her husband l-Granny's son.
 You're like your mother. She's crazy and I'm cooped up here day after day slaving to keep body and soul together and see to 1t that our children make better marriages than I did. If had my way, your mother would be put in an asylum where she belongs"
 And then Granny would rock little more and nod to herself. Not much chance of putting Granny in an asylum. The whole family was living on her income.
 Not much chance unless one of the girls married some one with money. Granny would nod again and pretend to be sound asleep.
 
 But Granny wasn't asleep, usu- ally. She was thinking how hard poor Rene worked. Granny could think about Rene, the youngest of the daughters, and smile, because she loved Rene.
 It was Rene who had nursed Granny so faithfully when all the rest of the family had been stand ing about the living room waiting for her to die. And then, too, Rene would come and sit on the porch at Granny's feet and talk to her, try ing to make Granny forget she wasn't wanted any more. However, the two sisters did marry well, and left Rene with most of the homework to do. At first the work had seemed to suit Rene. She sang about it all day, but Granny missed having her on |'the porch. Rene didn't come so often any more. And when she did, Granny noticed cloud of des- pair in Rene's eyes.
 Granny took the cane she had to use for walking, tied the shawl about her shoulder a little tighter, and walked to the back of the house. At the porch she stopped. In the alley, leaning across the whitewashed board fence, was Rene, her curls flying in the soft breeze and her cotton dress pressed against the smooth contours of her body. She was eagerly talking to young man.
 The young man was leaning on a basket of groceries. He had nice blue eyes, blond hair that also swirled in the breeze, and strong shoulders. He was looking at Rene , as though the fence were more than just fence, but were, instead, an immense obstacle between him and Rene.
 When Rene returned to the house, her eyes were shining. Granny wandered back Co her rocker. She teetered, and looked about in the hope Rene would come out, but Rene was in the kitchen singing to herself. Granny closed her eyes because she could think better that way. | Granny went to the back fence
 the next day before Rene could.
 She heard the young man coming, saw his blue eyes searching for
 Rene at the fence, and saw that
 light leave them when they found
 Granny standing there.
 What's your name?" Granny l asked, liking his face even better, now that she could see the firm set of his jaw, the straight nose and the friendly smile.
 Peter" he replied kindly, thought his eyes were still looking past Granny for Rene. Granny shook her head, a soft little smile playing about her lips. Mice name, Peter. You know, Peter, I once knew a young man just like you. He loved a girl very much, but since he was only a poor boy he didn't dare tell her he was eating his heart out for her. Then of course he couldn't know that she was very miserable because she loved him and the only reason she stayed so far away was because of high"-Granny's eyes were very bright-"of high fence."
 But the high fence is still there," Peter said in low voice that throbbed with the ache in his own heart.
 Granny nodded understandingly. They were very good friends after that.