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Show I CROSSEDJN LOVE I How the Building of Spite Fenoe I Reunited Lovers Separated Twenty Years. I By HUBERT ROSCOE. It certainly was a desirable prop-H prop-H rty from every point of view, but one H point of view was permanently lnclud- ed, and that was the outlook upon old H Mr. Smith's garden. It was an enor- ,H . mous garden, almost big enough for rjQ the grounds of an , Institution, and from Mr. Smith's front gato Mrs. Har- nack could see rows of magnificent elms and locust trees and flower bods which always seemed to bloom with seasonable flowers. Dut from her side windows she could seo nothing. "It's the spite fence," explained the agent. "That's why the property's so cheap, Mr, Smith resented the lato owner's building next to him, and so he put It up." It was a formidable fence, twenty feet high, and built of lumber, painted paint-ed green on Mr. Smith's side, and bearing a luxurious growth of Ivy, but on the outside Just plain, unpalnted boards. "I think ho Is a horrid old man,' aid Adellna Harnack angrily. "And you may tell him so." "I haven't see him for two years," answered the agent. "He never stirs outside his grounds. He's an old hermit her-mit and has a grudge against the world. They say ho was crossed In love." "How old is ho?" asked Mrs. Harnack Har-nack curiously. "Oh, about fifty," answered the agent carelessly. So Mrs. Harnock bought the property. prop-erty. It was Just the place, she told herself, for a widowed lady' to settle down, and thoro was an excellent finishing fin-ishing school near by for Miriam, her only child. And days passed and weeks passed, but nolther saw Mr. Smith. One day the agent stopped her In the street. "I hear yoa'ro going to have a neighbor," neigh-bor," he said, grinning. "What, somebody else going to build on the other side?" asked Ado-Una Ado-Una Harnack apprehensively. She "It's Really You, Adellna?" v was afraid of another Bptto fenco, and v she loved the view from her windows, J for Cosset Town was a pretty place with sbado trees and gardens. 4 "No, Mrs. Harnack," tho agont an- swered. "Old Mr. Smith's nophow I John Is coming to live with him. V heard about It from tho baker's man, who's sweet on that girl of Mrs. Tracy's, Mr. Smith's housekeeper. His brother died a pauper and left John In his caro. Thoy say he's a fine- ; looking young "fellow, and Just out ol college. Wonder what old man Smith ' will do with him." i "Teach him to bo a foncemokor, 1 5 suppose," said Mrs, Harnack crossly. Sj The sptto fenco was bocomlng more $ than an eyesoro, and she hated Mr 4 Smith and wished him at the bottom 5 of the sea. J Young John Smith was put Into a c lawyer's offlco in Cosset Town, He t was a fresh-facod, pleasont young fol .1 low, and showed no symptoms of any doslro to koop up tho feud. One day, when Miriam had been homo from school two weeks, Mrs. Harnack, walking with her, saw her daughtei ! bow, and John Smith raised his hal as he passod on the opposite- side ol the road. ' 1 "How do you know him?" demand Ied the moihor. "Oh, I was Introduced," answered her daughter evcslvoly. "Then understand, Miriam, I forbk you to speak to him again or notlc him." "Very well, mamma," answerod thi :iL4 daughter submissively. r r Dut her mother had once been youn and In lovo, beitro an unkind for tune separated her from her lovoi and married her off to Mr. Harnack stout, forty-flvo and bald. Slio was re solved to prevent any possibility o Miriam's disobedience. That night shi wrote n lottor to hor neighbor. "I hate nbstalncd from asking yoi . to ruinovo your objectionable fenco,' slio snld, "becauso you have the lav on your sldo, If you hnvo no sonso o nelghborllness Hut I positively forbll your nopliew to speak to my daugb ter ngnln " The letter enme back. Undorneatl was scinwlod; "I havo told my nepbow Mint I'l T disinherit htm unless ho keeps better company." That, shown to Miriam, was a clincher, tho mother thought. But on the next day carpenters arrived ar-rived at Mr. Smith's house, and they proceeded to erect a rough scaffolding on the outsldo of the fence. And tho next day painters mounted It, and before be-fore nightfall the exterior bore tho sign, In huge letters of yellow and red: "Try Pyramid Pills for That Tired Peeling." Adellna Harnack was away that day In town. When she got back she saw tho legend. She was furious. "Miriam, I am going to stop this If It takes every penny I have," she said. 'I am going straight down to Mr. Capel, tho lawyer, to Instruct him to got out an Injunction." "Ilut, Mamma " "Now, not a word. Miriam!" "All right. Mamma, only John I mean Mr. Smith Is working in Mr Capel's office." Tho name betrayed tho secret which tho girl's tones concealed. Mrs. Harnack Har-nack turned on her. "Why do you call him John?" she asked Icily. "Is It possible possible possi-ble r She looked at her daughter's scarlet face. "Miriam, has there been anything between you and that contemptible con-temptible young man?" Miriam began to cry. "I love John," she sobbed. "And he loves me, and he's coming to see you tomorrow afternoon." aft-ernoon." "No, Indeed," answered her mother. "I am going to see him, and his uncle, too, and tell them what I think of them." She waited till she saw the young man pass the front gate, with many wistful upward glances; then, giving him time to change his ofllce clothes, she boldly entered the Smith grounds and sallied up to the house. Her anger an-ger was at the boiling point when she arrived at tho front door. "Is Mr. Smith in?" she asked of tho housekeoper. "Mr. John Smith or Mr. Jonathan Smith?" asked tho woman curtly. "Jonathan!" said Mrs. Harnack quietly, and the housekeeper thought It was the answer to her question, nut Adellna Harnack merely repeated repeat-ed tho name In wonder. Could thero bo two Jonathan Smiths, or was It? "Walk In, please," said the housekeoper, house-keoper, and a half minute later the visitor found herself In tho presence of tho recluse. Ho had not changed so greatly. Ho was tho same man whom she had once loed so passionately, save for the tale of the years. All at once she began be-gan to recall their early love, the memories which now In her widowhood widow-hood began to creep out of her heart's hiding places. And ho know hor. "Adellna!" he exclaimed and stumbled stum-bled forward. And Adellna Harnack romehow found herself In his arms, though It was twenty jears slnco sho had left them. "It's realTy jou, Adellna?" ho asked Incredulously "Where do jou live? How havo jou found me hero'" "I live next door," sho answered. "Next door? ' "neyond tho fence. Don't jou ro-member ro-member that I wrote to vou? O, but j-ou didn't know my married name, did jou? I want to tell jou so much but tho shock has unnerved mo." He caught her in his arms again. "It Is jou, then," ho snld "I've held you In my heart and fenced you round about and nil tho while I was fencing you out, unknowing It. nut, Adellna I shall keep you now I " He paused. "We'll tear down tho fence tomorrow," he said, ''and then we can talk. Not tonight. Tonight we are a boy and girl together again, as we used to bo." (Copyright. 1912. by W. a. Chapman.) |