The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-12-11
Nor cried Mr.. Todhetly, staring.

got summons served him, too to give
evidence
Mrs. Todhetley lifted her face; Tod
left Hugh and Lena TO themselves; l slid
down from the beech-trce; and we llsten-
ed for more.
But Mr.. jacobson could not give par
, ticulars, or say much more than he had
already said. All he knew was that on
Monday morning George Reed had ap-
peared before the magistrates and made "A
complaint. At first they were unwilling
to grant a summons, laughed ut it; but
Reed In burst Of reproach, civilly dellv-
: cred, asked why there should be n law for
the poor and not for the rich, and In what
lay the difference between himself and
Major Parrifer; that the one should be
called to account and punished for doing
wrong, and the other was not even to be
accused when he had done 1t.
'Brandon happened To be on the bench,
concluded Mr.. Jacobson. lie appeared
struck with the argument. and signed the
summons. My belief Is continued old
jacobson, with wink over the cider
glass ut his lips, that the granting of that
summons was rs good as play to Bran
don and the rest. Id as lieve. though,
that they'd not brought blossom into It,
'whyy asked Mrs. Todhctly, who had
been grieved atthc time Ut the injustice
done to Reed.
Well, Parrifer l. n disagrceable man to
offend. And he Is sure to visit Blossoms
part In Il on me-
Let him. said Tod. with enthusiasm.
well done, George Reed
De you very sure we went over to the
fight. Squire Todhetley did not appear;
ut which Tod exploded little; he only
wished he was magistrate, wouldn't he
take his place and judge the major! But
MS age. they liked to be at peace with
their neighbors-not but what he hoped
Parrifer would ''get it," for having been
SO hard upon Reed.
Major Parrifer came driving to the
Court-H House In his high carriage with
great bluster, and his iroil-grey hair stick
Ing up, two grooms attending him. Only
the magistrates who had granted the sum
mons sat. The news had gone about like
wild-tlre. and several were In the town
anu about, but did not take their places.
don't believe there was one world have
llfted his finger to save the major from a
months Imprisonment; but they did not
care to sentence him to 1t.
II was regular battle. Major Parrifer |
was In an awful passion all the time |
asking, when he came In, h ow they dared
summons him. Him! Mr.. Brandon, cool
rs n cucumber, answered In his squeaky |
voice that when n complaint Of breaking |
the law was preferred before them and
sworn to by witnesses, they could only
act upon IL.
FIRST Of all, the major denied the facts.
He work In his garden on Sunday!-the |
very supposition was prcposterous! Up-l
II al. In. Ia
best cloths, and looked every bit as good
rs the major, and pleasanter, testified to
what he had seen.
Major Parrifer, dancing with temper
when he found he had been looked Mt
through the hedge, and that Il was Reed
who looked, gave the lie direct, and called
his gardener Richard Hotty, ordering him
to testify whether he, the major, ever
worked In his garden, either on Sundays
or weekdays.
'Hotty was working,hlmself,' interrupt |
ell George Reed. He was picking peas
and he helped to weed the onlon-bed. But
Ii was by his masters orders, so II would
be unjust to seek to punish him.
The major turned on Reed as II he
would strike him, and demanded OF the
magistrates why they permitted the fellow
to interrupt. They ordered Reed to be
quiet, and told Hotty to proceed.
But Hotty was one Of those slow men to
whom anything like evasion Is difficult, |
His master had thlnned the apricot tree
that Sunday morning; he had helped tol
weed the onlon-bcd; Hotty conscious Of
the fact but not liking to admit 1t, sta M
mered and suffered, and made poor fig
ure of himself. Mr.. Brandon thought he
would help him out.
Did you see your master pick the april
cotsg
Il saw him pick-just few answered
IIotty, shuilllng from one leg to the other
In his perplexlty. ''rwarht to be called
work, SIR
.Oh! And did he help you to weed the
onion-bedg
There warn't dozen weeds In II In all,
returned IIotty. The major see 'em, and
and me too. We had 'cm up In u twink
ling. srwarnt work, sir; couldn't be
called 1t nohow. The Major he never do
work at no time.'
/ Blossom had not arrived, and 1t was
hard to tell how the thing would termi-
nate; the major had witness, such rs II
was, protesting that nothing to be called
work was done. Reed had none, rs yet.
'Old jacobson Is keeping Blossom back,
Johnny whispered Todd. It's sin and
shamev
NO, he Is not said. look thercr
/ Blossom was coming In. He had walk
ell over, and not hurried himself. Major
Parrifer east daggers on him. II looks
could do IL, but IL made no difference to
Blossom.
He gave his evidence In his usual surly
manner. Ii was clear and straightfor-
II at ID. h.I
apricot tree for It's own benefit; and had
weeded the onion bed, Hotty helping at
the weeds by order.
What brought yos spying at the place,
James Blossomy demanded lawyer on
the majors behalf.
Accident was the short answer.
| Indeed! You didn't 90 there on pur-
pose supposer-and skulk under the
hedge ON purposes-and peer into the ma
jor's garden on purposeg
No, didn't, said blossom. The field
Il open To walk I'm. and was crossing II.
George Reed made me sign aforc I came
up to him, to look In rs he was doln', and
did SO, not knowing what there might
be to see. II would be nothing to me III
the major worked In his garden OF Sun
day nom sunrise to sunset; he's welcome
to do Ii; but, II you summons me here
anu ASK tlt uiu sec Eitn WOThiurs cay
yes, did. Why d'you send me u sum-
mons II you don't want me to tell the
TRUTH Let me be, and I'D ha' said moth |
Ing to mortal man.
Evidently nothing favorable to the de-
fense could be got out OF James Blossom.
Mr.. Brandon began saying to the major
that he feared there was no help for Il
they should be obliged to convict hlm
and was met by a storm Of reproach.
Convict him! roared the major. For
having picked two or three green apricots
and for STOPPING to pick up n couple OF
80 OF worthless weeds? He would be glad
To ask which Of them, his brother magis-
trates sitting there. would not pick an
apricot, or peach, or what not, on Sun
uy, II he wanted to eat oner The thing
was utterly preposterous.
~ Anu what was II I did p demanded
1eorgc Reed, drowning interfering voices
wno would have stopped him. Il went to
inc garIen to get up bunch of turnlps
ior my sick wife, and seeing some wlther.
eI weeds hung on the bed, drew them
on with the hoe. What was that I asks
Anu u was no more; no more. Gentlemen
i In the sight OF heaven,