Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-23

She i. had balls OF her horns. didn't
:" Yes, 80 Isaac said.
"And kind of hump on her back 2"
GA perfect dromedary," said Miss
Lstitia. 81 noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows,-no doubt
about it ut all }" said MIR. Babcock, rub
bing his hands. 'No sheep with them;
hey r.
sheep-they ran away as soon as they
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly there were
Sheep. said Miss Letitia.
"I know it,-they always go with
the COWS; and what you wish OF me-.
Is to fix the damages" said Miss
Letitia. 'As I said before, women
folks are no judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated moment,
and then sal
"Well, I wouldn't take cent less
than seventy-five dollars, if [ were you,
not cent"
"Seventy-fve dollars |! Isn't chat q
good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know I
don't wish to be hard on the poor man
all want ia fair compensation for the
mischief DONE"
"Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma a'am,
in fact, I may say it's low wouldn't
have herd of cattle and sheep tramp
ing through mypremises in that way for
a hundred"
There's one thing I forgot to state,
tho orchard gate was open or they
couldn't have got in |; that may make q
difference"
"Not bit,-not n bit. You'd q
right to have your gate open, but
Small's COWS had no right to run loose.
hope Isaac drove 'em all to the pound,
didn'G he?
"I heard him say he'd shut 'em up
somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'em
out till the owner calls for 'em. But,
Mr.. Babcock, what if he should refuse
to pay the damages? should hate to
go to law about it."
she won't refuse if he does, keep
the critters till he aOill pay. AS to law,
guess he's had about enough of that.
I'm sure thank you for yolr ad-
vice" said Miss Letitia, "and mean
to act upon it to the very letter."
And Mr.. Babcock took his leave with
a very happy expression of countenance.
Scarcely was he out of sight when
Miss Letitia sent a 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.. Bab-
cock, showed him the injured property,
-A.A.l an. -.
Tt ras 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.
"WelI, one of them observed had
terribly crooked horn"
Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer. I
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 black and
white on cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's AMI
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is Just about fair csti-
mate. I suppose?"
Certainly"
"Well, 1 should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to he allowed to
get off with"
so, but fear that will seem MS if I
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy fiye?"
"Just as you please, of course but
hanged if I'd let him off for less than n
hundred, if twas my 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 ut all,-there's no law against
your keeping your gate open; there is
against stray animals."
Very we'll, thank yon for your ad-
vice." said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling countenance
rs Mr.. Babcock had worn.
BIT at milking time that night he
made strange discovery-old Brindle
was missing!
At abont the same hour Mr.. Babcock
made similar discovery-the black
and white heifer was nowhere to be
found
A horrible auspicion seized them
both,-a suspicion which they would
not have made know 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 Mt the animals which had commit
ted the trespass. He would have done
it without asking leave, only that
thrifty Miss Letitia always locked her
barn doors Mt night.
While he stood looking over into the
pen whore the co gs were confined. and
trying to negotiate with Miss Letitia
fori the rolease of the heifer, along
came MIR. Small, in quest of Brindle
The two mon stared mt each other for an
instant in blank dismay, and then hung
their heads in confusion.
It was useless to assert that the dam
ages were too high. for had theynot fixed
them Themselves? 1t wns useless to