Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-01-13
warm air in, laden with the mellow,
ripensda malh of appheSdropping frcfntfE
orchard trees, and the eehrYsAhthemums

warm air In, laden with the mellow,
ripens6h malh of appleSdropping from tfe
orchard trees, land the rysanthemums
and zenias blooming about the yard door.
Over the prismatlcally- tinted woods, soft
ened by atender haze, crows were circling
and their loud caws alone broke the coun.
try Stiffness, which always seems deeper
OF dreamy autumn day! > "Hf
Rachel was contented in the midst Of
her busy loneliness. There was some
thing about the mild glow of the morning,
and the beauty of the world, and the soft
wind coming through the south windows,
that Tiled her with rest. She had almost
forgotten the annoyances of yesterday and
those provoking Braytons, and was step,
ping about at her work, singing Green
ville," in a clear, sweet, but untutored
voice, when gawky lad, all of a color
from his tow trowsers, hitched high in
the back by improvised suspenders, to the
struggling locks that strayed from below
the rim of torn straw hat-nade his APP
pearance at the door. ft
II thought Id stop and tell the folks"
said he, putting his head in, !" that Bray
tons COWS are in your corn. Gosh they
have stuffed themselves till they're ready
to bustW
Instantly the strain died on Rachels
lips, the spirit of peace went out of her,
and she was prepared to act on the old
law of IAN eye for an eye and a tooth for
q tooth"
q "They shall go to pound" instantly she
exclaimed "The men folks are away
from home but If you will help me, Tim,
| will see you get paid for il" .ti III.
I'd doitto oblige you, Rachel, as quick
as wink; but you see, father sent me
down to the blacksmith's after coulter.
The horses Me up and ready to do Job
of fall blowing, and, if | should stop by
the, way, he might aoltate me-" 20
Go along, then, i" said Rachel, proudly.
:" | will drive them to pound myself" and
at the moment she looked and felt equal
to anything. At starting, Rachel tied on
her sun bonnet and armed herself with
long carriage whip having a particularly
indicative snapper
The cornfield, which was ,rustling with
ripened grain almost ready for the sickle,
lay on cross-road, and it gave Rachel
peculiar feeling of satisfaction to know
that she would be able to drive the cows
past her enemy's very door, and thus cast
another act of defiance in their teeth.
Secretly she hoped to find the whole Bray
ton dairy of thirty cows browsing and
crushing the tall stalks; but instead of
that, only two animals had broken bounds,
and having eaten to the point Of safety,
they were now stupidity standing by the
gap in the rail-fence
Rachel drove them out into the road at a
smart lrot; but as she neared the Brayton
place she sackcned her gait, and looked
up at the front windows. But none of the
family were visible, and thus part of her
triumph proved abortive.
The pound was good long country mile
distant. Rachel was in hurry; for she
had left unfinished work at home. The
heat of the autumnal midday appeared to
come straight down, With scarcely
breath of air stirring; an, Rachel did not
spare the cows When she arrived, hot
and tired, at her destination, the pound
master, who was jolly, fat man, came
out to meet her. nral
"Well, now, Rachel" said he as he took
in the situation, "you are spunky
little girl; but | tell my wife | wouldn't
give brass farding for girl that hasn't
some snap to her"
1--WE couldn't stand it any longer said
Rachel defantly. 1.-THE Brayton animals
were overrunning us, and its my opinion
that there's a point where patience ceases
to be virtue"
"That's true as preachin', and all the
Lnt f,r trnJ do ha IL
ing slowly round one of the cows which
was shaking and quivering now as if in an
ague fit, but it strikes me you must have
druv pretty good jog" he added, with a
refreshing disregard of grammar. "This
one acts as If she was sick She had eat
herself as full as a tick and it amt safe
to Stir critters much in such case. They
sometimes die in less than twenty-tour
hours That would be bad piece of
business You would not like to kill
neighbours COW, now, would your
"Of course not" returned Rachel,
sharply, with dreadful sinking of the
heart "You don't mean to tell me there
is any such dangerg'
Sim afraid so, he replied, cycling the
COW professionally; ait looks little scaly;
but you had better go and find Herman
Brayton, and tell him all about it; he is
better posted on cattle diseases than half
the cow.doctors in the country; and if
anybody can save the critters life he can"
Rachel turned back on the road, feeling
halfdazed and wholly frightened. Her
father was slow to anger; but she did
not like to think what the consequences
might be should he discover that his girl
had been instrumental in killing neigh.
boris COW. Her pugilistic spirit had oozed
out and left her in bad scrape. How
could she face those Braytons with her
story and how could she beg pardon and
assistance, as it were, of Herman Brayton.
toward whom she had begun to feel a set
tied dislike?
While she was hurrying along with
burning cheeks, turning over these
wretched thoughts in her mind, and feel
ing very humble, young man sprang
over the low wall by the road side, and
politely raised his hat. He wore a farm.
iahorers blouse and checked shirt but