Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-07-07
Vol SO: No. 2s

said the Quaker.
Perhaps | was though I have never re-
pented the act / met Dick few days af-
terwards. The grin OF satisfaction on his
face accepted as an Acknowledgement Of
his mean and cruel revenge. Within a week
from that time one Of my COWS had horn
knocked off. y
What did thee do r.
Il went to Dick Hardy and gave him a
piece of my mind
That is, the scolded, and called hard
names, and threatened.
1es-just SO, friend Martin.
Did any good come Of it n
to the wind. .
How has it been since ~
no change for the better. 1t grows, if
anything, worse and worse. Dick never
| gets weary OF annoying me-
Has thee ever tried the Jaw with him,
friend Levering? The law should protect
thee.
y yes, I've tried the law Once he ran
his heavy wagon against my carriage, pur-
posely, and upset me In the road / made
narrow escape of my life. The carriage was
so D;edly broken that it cost me fifty dollars
for repairs. A Aneighbor saw the whole thing
and said it was plainly intended by Dick.
30 sent HIM the carriage makers bill at
which ne got into towering passion Then
threatened him with prosecution, and he
laughed IN my face Indignantly | felt that
the time had come to act deciSiVely and sued
him, relying on the evidence of nv neighbor.
lie was afraid Of Dick, and SO worked his
testimony that the jury saw only an accident
instead OF purpose to lnJlre, and gave their
verdict accordingly. After that, Dick Har-
dy was worse than ever He took an evil
delight in annoying and injuring me. am
satisfied, that In more than one instance he
left gaps in his fences In order to entice my
cattle into his fields that he might set his
savage dogs on them, and hurt them with
stones. 1t is more than a child of mine
dares to cross his premises. Only last week
he tried to put his dog on my little Florence
who strayed into one of his fields after but
tercups The dog was less cruel than his
master, or she would have been torn BY his
teeth, instead of being only frightened by his
bark F"
1t hard case, truly, friend Levering.
Our neighbor Hardy seems possessed of an
evil spirit y
THE very spirit of the devil, - was ans
wered with feeling.
HES thy enemy, assuredly; and if thee
doesn get rid of him, will do thee greater
harm
Il wish [ could get rid of him.
Thee must, if thee wouldd wellin safety
friend Leyering.
The Quaker face was growing very seri-
GUS He spoke In a lowered voice and bent
towards his neighbor In a confidential man
ner. =
Thee must put him out of the way.
Friend Martini The surprise Of Paul
Leyering was unfeigned
Thee must kill him -
The countenance of Leyering grew blank
with astonishment
Kill him T he calculated.
1t thee doesn't kill him. he'll certainly
Kill thee, one of these days, friend Levering.
And thee knows what is said about self
preservation being the first law of nature
And get hung r.
Il don't think they Il hang thee, coolly
returned the Quaker. Thee can go over
to hic place, and get him all alone by thy
self Or, thee can meet him In some by
road. Nobody need see thee, and when |
he's dead, think people viii be more glad
than sorry. Thee needn't fear any bad con-
sequences" "
DO you think I'm no better than mur-
derer r. Leyerings astonishment passed |
to horror and Indignation Il, Paul Lever |
ing, stain my hands with blood ~
Who said anything about staining thy |
hands with blood?' The Quaker was i'm |
perturable
Why, youl"
9Ihee's mistaken. | never used the word
blood.
But you meant it. You suggested MUIR
der =
No, friend lowering. advised thee to
XIII the enemy, lest some day he should kill |
thee.
Isn't killing murder, | should like to
know 2 demanded Levering.
There are more ways to kill an enemy 1
than one, said the Quaker. I've killed
a good many in my time, but no stain of I
blood can be found on my garments. My
way Of killing enemies is to make them my
friends. Kill neighbor Hardy with kindness
and thee Il have no more troublewith him."
"A sudden light cleaned over Mr. Lever
ing face, as if a cloud had passed from the
sun of his spirit. y
"A new way to kill people,
The surest way to kill enemies, as the'll |
find, if the Il only try
Let me see. How shall | 60 about it 2''
said Paul Leyering, taken at once with the
idea.
IF thee has the viii, friend Levering, it
viii not be long before thee finds the way.
And so it proved Not two hours after
wards, as Mr. Leyering was driving into the
village, he found Dick Hardy with stalled |,
cart-load of stone. He was whipping his
horse and swearing at him passionately; but
to no good purpose. The cart-wheels were
buried halfway to the axel in stiff mud, and
de6ed the strength of one horse to move
them. On seeing Mr.. Levering, Dick stop
ped pulling and swearing, and getting on
the cart, with his back towards his neiehbor,
commenced pitching the stones off into the
middle of the road
Hold on bit, friend Hardy, said Lev
erlng, in a pleasant voice, as he dismounted ,
and commenced unhitching his horse.
But Dick, pretending not to hear him, ,
kept on pitching out the stones.
Hold on, | say, and don't give yourself
all that trouble added Mr.. Levering,
speaking in louder voice, but in kind and ,
cheerful tones. 'aTWo horses are better than .
one. With Charley's help, we'l soon have :
the wheels on good solid ground again. 2 !
UNDERSTANDING now what was meant !
Dick's hands fell almost nerveless by his
side.
There, said Levering, as he put his /
horse in front Of Dick and made the trace !
last, zone pull, and the thing is donel"
And before Dick could get down from the !
,art, it was out of the mud-hole.
Without saying word more, lowering
lnfaStened his horse from the the front Of ! a
Dick animal, and hitching up again. rode s