The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-12-24

out, "that was a sneaky piece Of business.
and 1 don't mean to do any moresuch jobs.
/ threw the rooster into B%rayton's yard,
and then 1 got behind a tree; and pretty
soon one Of the girls came out and found
IL, and began boohooing like a baby. As
near / could make out, it was a present
TO her, and she had raised IL in q basket
and 1 felt Just as if 1 had been stealing 9
sheep"
"Iet them boohoo," replied Rachel,
with severe dignity. "They ought to thinl
enough of their choice fowls 10 keep then
o. home"
After the dinner dishes were out of the
way, and the chores all done up, RacheI
Henderson %replenished her fire, and put on
an extrasized kettle of water TO heat. Then
she went up stairs and changed her dress.
aud when she came down again there was
a bit of a lace collar with transferred work,
and q cherry bow at the throat Of her de.
laine dress, over which she wore n jaunty
black silk apron with braided pockets.
She seated herself with her work-basket
ut the sitting-room window, almost as If
looking for company, and let her gaze wan
der down the visible stretch of road, where
g~olden.road and asters bloomed, and the
sumaoh bushes reside the old stoRe-walls
appeared 10 drip with scarlet color, and the
pokeberry was turning a vivid purple,
Presently her eye lit up with aglcam OF
triumph. There we're the BraytOn pigs,
nosing along the dust Of the road; and, for
once, she was glad to sec the pests. They
we're ~long-snouted, slab-sided animals, with
plentiful marks Of the slough upon their
coats and indispensable appetites.
Rachel watched with a grim species Of
amusement to see them turn in from habit
toward the Henderson side-gate, which was
shaded by a huge black-cherry tree, and
begin the process Of roofing under. They
dug with the nozzle, bent the forelegs, in.
clined the dorsal column. and lifted power
fully, until the gate was Unattached, and the
whole bristly tribe poured into the YARD
with grants Of satisfaction.
Under one of the kitchen windows lay a
tempting pile Of potato parings, previous
ly prepared for bait, which n vicious old
female, the mother Of numerous disreput-
able children, Immediately scented, They
gathered together, pushing and struggling
for the tit-bits, when slap dash down came
n pail Of boiling water upon the backs OF
the m~iscreants, and with heart-rending
they galloped in a body from the
yard.
II was evident to Rashel's mind that the
hair and hide OF her enemies had suffered
considerable damage; but still she replen-
the fire and put on more water, de-
lermined TO DO prepared for action should
the porEers return. However, during the
remainder of the afternoon there was peace
along the border; aud Rachel went 10 bed
hat night flushed with a consciousness Of
The next morning early, Mr.. Henderson
md his men went of to q distant detached
meadow, TO do q job Of top-dressing, and
.ook their dinner with them. The part
had been heard whirring through
he bright wood for some days past, which
,aused Jack TO shy away with the long.
from the garret-an ancient fire.
lrm, supposed TO be worthy of much rev.
srence, because of n tradition which con.
IL with the war Of 1912. It would
kick beastly, as Jack expressed IL; and,
BY a deal OF coaxing, managed 10 60 offono
lime in ten.
Rachel had enough on hand to keep her
pleasantly occupied for two or three hours.
There was a tray of solid, golden butter
upon the shelf, which must be
worked over and lnyed down for winter use,
the last scald was yet to bo givento her
sweet pickles.
She opened the window and let the warm
,ir in, laden with the mellow, ripened smell
of apples dropping from the orchard trees,
the crysanthemums and zenias bloom
about the yard door. Over the prisma-
tically-tinted woods, softened by "A tender
haze, crows were circling, and their loud
caws alone broke the country stiffness, which
seems deeper Of n dreamy autumn
day.
Rachel was contented in the midst Of her
busy loneliness. There was something
about the mild glow of tho morning. and
the beauty Of the world, and the soft wind
in through the south window, that
illed her with rest. She had almost forgot
zen the ~annoyances Of yesterday and those
provoking Braytons, and was stepping
about at her work, singing "G~reenyille."
a clear, sweet, but untutored voice, when
/ gawky lad, all offs color-frOm his tow
.rowsers, hitched high in the back by i'm
~suspenders, TO the struggling
that strayed from below the rim of
.orn straw hat-made his appearance at the
door.
81 thought I'd stop and tell tho folks"
said he, putting his head in, 'that Bray
IONS COWS are IN your corn. Gosh! they
have stuffed themselves till they're ready
10 bust!'
Instantly the strain died on Rachel Hen
lerson's lips, the spirit Of peace went out
Of her, and she was prepared 10 act On the
Did law Of IAN eye for a eye and tooth
for a tooth"
"rhey shall go TO pound" instantly she
exclaimed. ''Ihe man folks are away from
home; but ii you will help me, Tim, 1 will
see you get paid for it,"
I'D do il to oblige you, Rachel, as quick
rs q wink; but, you see, father sent me down
to the blacksmith's after q coulter, The
horses are up and ready to do n job of fall
blowing, and, if / should stop by the way,
he might lohale me-"
Go along, then" said Rachel, proudly.
81 will drive them 10 pound myself" aud
the moment she looked and felt equal TO
anything. At starting, Rachel tied on her
sun-bonnet and armed herself with a long
~oarriage-whip having a particularly yindic-
tive snapper,
The corniield, which was rustling with
grain almost ready for the sickle,
on a cr~oss-road, and 10 gave Rachel a
peculiar feeling of satisfaction to know that
she would be able TO drive the COWS past
enemy's very door, and thus cast an
other act of defiance in their teeth. Sec
reilly she hoped to find the whole Brayton
dairy Of thirty COWS browsing and crushing
the tall stalks; but instead OF that, only two
had broken bounds, and having
eaten to the point Of safety, they were now
stupidity standing by the gap in the rail-
Rachel drove them out into the road Mt
smart troti but as she neared the Brayton
place she slackened her gait, aud looked
up at tho front windows. But none of the
family were visible, and thus part of her
proved abortiye.
The pound was a good long country mile
Rachel Henderson was in a hurry:
for she had lett unfinished work at home.
The heat Of the autumnal midday appear
ed TO come straight down, with scarcely a
breath Of air stirring; and Rachel did not
spare the cows, When she arrived, hot
and tired, at her destination. the nonnd-