Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-06-26

| OuL I'LL IuC OWACI CdllS IOI Gill; Dut, IuI
Babcock, what if he should refuse to pay
| the damages? | should hate to go to law
| about it,"
"He won't refuse; if he does, keep the
critters till he aoaW pay. AS to law, ]
guess he's had about enough of that"
Pm sure | thank you for your ad-
vice." said Miss Letitia, and mean to
| act upon it to the very letter."
a very happy expression of countenance.
Scarcely was he out of sight when
Miss Letitia sent summons for Mr.
Small, which he obeyed as promptly as
his neighbor had done.
She made to him precisely the same
statement she had made to Mr.. Babcock,
showed him the injured property, and
asked him to fix damages.
It was remarkable that before he did
this he should ask the same question Mr.
Babcock had asked, namely, whether she
had any suspicion to whom the animals
belonged.
"Well, one of them [ observed had a
terribly crooked horn"
Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer. [
should know her among thousand. She
was black and white, wasn't she?"
"Well, now I think of it, she was; one
seldom sees so clear a black and white
ON cow"
"To be sure they're Babcock's animals
fast enough. Well, let me see-what you
want is just about fair estimate, sup
pose?"
Certainly"
"Well, should say ninety dollars was
as low as he ought to be allowed to get
off with"
"Oh, but I fear that will seem as if I
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy-ive?"
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him off for less than a
hundred, if twas nsy case"
"And if he refuses to pay?"
"Why, keep his animals till he comes
round, that's all"
"But there's one thing | neglected to
mention-our gate was standing open
that may alter the case"
| "Not at all-there's no law against
your keeping your gate open; there as
against stray animals"
every well-thank you for your adj
vice." said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling a countenance
as Mr. BabcOck had worn.
But at milking time that night he made
a strange discovery; old Brindle was miss
ingl
At about the same hour Mr. Babcock
made similar discovery the black and
white heifer was nowhere to be found!
A horrible suspicion seized them both
"a suspicion which they would not have
made known to each other for the world
They waited till it was dark, and then
Mr. Babcock stole round to Miss Letitia' s.
and meekly asked leave to-look at the
| animals which had committed the tres
pass He would have done it without
asking leave only that thrifty Miss Le
| titia always locked her barn doors at night
While he stood looking over into the
fpen where the COWS were confined, anC
| trying to negotiate with Miss Letitia fol
| the release of the heifer, along came Mr.
Small, in quest of Brindle. The two mer
stared ateach other for an instant in blank
dismay, then hung their heads in confu
sion.
1t was useless to assert that the dam
ages were too high, for had they not fixed
them themselves? 1t was useless to plead
that Miss Letitia was in a manner re.
sponsible for what had happened, on &C
count of the open gate, for had they not
assured her that circumstance did not af
feet the case? 1t was useless to say that
she had no right to keep the cows in
custody, for had they not counseled hel
to do so? AS to going to law about it.
| would they not thus become the sport o1
the whole town?
"t He that diggeth pit, he himselt
shall fall into it," said Miss Letitia, who
read what was passing in their minds az
well as if they had spoken, for the ligh
l T., ,x,,c G1II Ill 4I,a.x. Co
However, | don't wish to be hard upor
you, and on one condition will free the
cows and forgive you the debt"
",What is that?" Both looked the ques
| ton, but did not ask it.
"The condition is that you promise tC
put good new fence in place of the ole
one that separates your estates, dividing
| the cost between you, and that hence
forth you will live peaceably together al
| far as in YOU lies. Do you promises"
| "Yes," muttered both, in voice
scarcely audible.
"Shake hands upon it, then," said Miss
Letitia.
They did so.
| "Now let the COWS out, Isaac; it's time
they were milked," said she And thu
two men went away driving their animal
| before them, with shame-faced al
| greatly in contrast to the look of triumph
with which they had last quilted he
presence.
The fence was built, and the strife
ceased when the cause was removed, bu
it was long before Miss Letitia's part il
the affair came to the public ear; for sh'
herself maintained a strict silence con
corning it, and enjoined the same upoI
| her man-servant Isaac.-Y0uth's Com
paaaion