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

:" Yes, 80 Isaac said.
" And kind of hump on her back ?"
GA perfect dromedary," said Miss
Lett tia. 81 Inoticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows,-no doubt
about it ut ALL" said MIR. Babcock, rub
bing his hands. "Nol sheep with them; !;
hey 2" 4
"Well. now I think of it, there were
sheep-they ran away as soon as they
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly there were
Sheep" said Miss Letitia.
81 know it,-the5 always go with
the COWS and what you wish OF me-.
I" Is to fix the damages" said Miss
Letitia. sAs I said before, women
folks are no Judges about such matters. I"
Mr.. Babcock meditated a moment,
and then sal
Well, I wouldn't take cent less
than seyenty-:five dollars, if I were you,
not n cant"
Seventy-five dollars Isn't that q
good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know I
don't wish to be hard on the poor man !;
all / want liz fair compensation for the
mischief DONE"
Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma'am,
have herd of cattle and sheep tramp
hundred"
&c There's one thing T forgot to state,
tho orchard gate was open or they
couldn't have got in that may make a
difference.
"Not bit,-not a bit. You'd q
right to have your gate open, but
Small's COWS had no right to run loose.
1 hope Isaac drove 'em oil to the pound,
didn'5 hep"
(" 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 a0ill pay. AS to law,
guess he's had about enough of that. !"
Sim sure thank you for your ad-
vice." said Miss Letitia, "and menn
to act upon it to the very letter."
And Mr.. Babcock took his leave with
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.. Bab-
cock, showed him the injured property,
and IantaI s1SiAA s<>- ALL e,
It vas 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
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 think of it, she was !;
one seldom sees 80 clear black and
white on q cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's ani-
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is just about fair esti-
mate. I suppose ?"
Certainly"
"Well, / should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to be allowed to
get off with"
so, but I fear that will seem MS if I
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy five?"
"Just rs Won please, of course but
hanged if I'd lot him off for less than n
hundred, il 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 a}l,-there's no law against
your keeping your gate open; there is
against stray animals."
Very we'll ll,-thank yon for your nd-
vice." said Miss Letitia and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling countenance
as Mr.. Babcock had worn.
BIT at milking time that night he
made strange discovery-old Brindle
was missing!
At about 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.. Babcnck stole round to Miss
Letitia's, and meekly asked leave to
look ut the animals which had commit
ted the trespass. He would have done
it without asking leave, only that
thrifty Miss Lstitia always locked her
barn doors Mt night.
While he stood looking over into the
pen where the coys were confined, and
trying to negotiate with Miss Letitia
forii the release of the heifer, along
c,me Mr.. Small, in quest OF Brindle.
The two men 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? Tt was useless to
plead that Miss Lstitia was in manner
responsible for what Ind happened. on