The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 85: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

JUST FOR SPITE. His wife met him at the door. ‘What is it, John?” she _ cried. ‘What is all this lumber for? The man said you ordered it, and I had to let him leave it. Explain to me. What’s it all about?” = “Why, nothing in particular, Bertha,” said Hicks, really considering his action seriously for the first time. ‘‘ You saw the fence-posts, didn’t you?” “Yes, but what are they for?” “Bertha, you surprise me! Fence- posts are used exclusively in the build- ing of fences.” “But these are so high.” ‘Exactly. They will stick sixteen feet out of the ground. That is the kind of fence I am going to build.” “A spite fence!’ she cried. é< Yes.’’ There was silence between them for some minutes. Hicks looked around in a manner that was almost guilty. His wife stood staring. ‘“So it has come to this!’ she said finally. ‘“‘ John, what on earth are you building a spite fence for? We will suffer from it as much as the Pierces.” ‘“Not quite so much,” Hicks smiled sheepishly. ‘‘ You see, it will cut off all the view from the Pierces’ house, and he will never be able to rent it again.” ‘“ John, John ’’—she was on the verge of tears—‘‘I never thought you would stoop so low in an effort to get even.” “Neither did I,’ answered John Hicks, stepping to the window to view his lumber-pile. To his great surprise, he saw Pierce in earnest consultation with the team- ster who had just driven up with his load of sixteen-foot fence-boards. Hicks tried to guess at the conversa- tion between the two, but lip - reading was beyond him. He exercised his patience by walking up and down the room in characteristic pose, his hands behind his back, for some minutes. Then he saw Pierce leave the driver, after slipping him a bill, and enter his house. The teamster came to Hicks’s door and rang the bell. “Will you sign for this lumber, Mr. Hicks?” he requested. Hicks took the receipt and signed it. The teamster turned to go and unload. 643 “Just a minute!’ requested Hicks. “What is it?” “What were you and Mr. Pierce talking about out there on the lawn? I don’t like to appear inquisitive, but—’” he slipped half a dollar into the man’s hand and the driver smiled, for he had heard the story of the political struggle over the ax-handle. ‘“T don’t mind tellin’ you,” smiled the teamster. “Mr. Pierce just asked me how our lumber stock was and told me to take an order in to Mr. Jones for the same amount and kind of lumber as you ordered.” “Oh!” said Hicks, shutting the door. “Bertha! Bertha!” he cried a minute later. “ Pierce is going to build a spite fence, too, and he thinks he’ll get his up first.” CHAPTER IX. A RACE FOR A FINISH. Mrs. Hicks rushed to the window. “John! John! This is awful,’ she sighed. “It’s going to be exciting,” replied Hicks, rolling up one sleeve and striding back and forth as though he sniffed a battle in the air and seemed to like the anticipation of the burning gunpowder. “But how foolish!” protested Mrs. Hicks. ‘It’s foolish of Pierce to build a spite fence when mine would do as well; but his pride is a strange thing. I never saw a man so eager to get the best of a fellow being in my life.” ‘Except yourself,”’ corrected his wife. ‘Bertha, you surprise me,’’ her hus- band growled. _Then he picked up his hat and strolled outdoors. It was already growing dark, and the teamster had just finished un- loading. “Will you be able to get much more of the stuff here to-night? ’”’ asked Hicks. ““No. There’s just one more load due, and that'll be here ’fore long. We've got over half of it delivered, so you can get a start to-morrow all right.” “ That’s good,” answered Hicks. The teamster drove away with a pe- culiar smile on his face, and Hicks fell to pacing the party-line between the two COmicloo (©