Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-12-17
bonnet Miss Letitia showed Mr.. Bah.

bonnet Miss Letitia showed Mr.. Bah.
cock over the damaged precincts.
You don't happen to know whose
animals did the mischief 2 said Mr..
Babcock.
We'll, didn't observe them in par
ticular myself, but Isaac said there was
one with peculiar white mark, some
thing like cross, on its haunch.'
why, that's Smalrs old brindle,
cried Mr.. Babcock. Il know the mark
as well as know the nose on nv face.
She had balls on her horns, didn't
she?'
Yes, so Isaac said
And kind of hump on her back 2
"A perfect dromedary,' said Miss Le-
titia. 4 noticed that myself
They were Smalrs cows, no doubt of
it at all said Mr.. Babcock, rubbing
hands. No sheep with them, hey 2
We'll, now think Of it, there were
sheep-they ran away as soon as they
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly they were
sheep said Miss Leti;ia.
Il knew it-they always go with the
cows. and what do YOU wish of NE
It's to fix the damages said Miss
Letitia. AS / said before, women folks
are no judges about such matters.
Mr.. Babcock meditated a moment,
and then said:
well, l wouldn't take cent less
than seventy-tivc dollars if l were you
not cent
'5evcnty-tire dollars! Isn't that a
good deal, Mr. Babcock You know
don't wish to be hard on the poor man !;
all ! want is fair compensation for
the mischief done
.Scvcnty-Gvc dollars is fair, ma'am-
in fact, | might say it, low; / wouldn't
have a herd Of cattle and sheep tramp
inE through my premises in that way
for hundred"
There's one thing that I forgot to
state-thc orchard gate was open, or
they couldn't have got i'll; that may
make n difference
Not bit-not bit You'd n right
to have your gate open, but Smalrs
COW had no right to run loose. l hope
Isaac drove them to the pound, didn't
he Z
Il heard him say he shut EN- up
somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'em
ont till the owner calls for 'em. But,
Mr.. Balcock. what if he should refuse
to ray the damage? / should hate to
20 10 law about it,
He won't refuse; if he does, keep the
critters till he will pay. As to law. |
guess he's had about enough of that
I'm sure l thank you for your ad-
vice, said Miss Letitia, and ] mean to
act upon it to the very letter
And Mr.. Bahcock took is departure
with happy expression Of countenance.
Scarcely was he out of sight when
Nj liti;ia sent summons for Mr.
Small, which he ohcycd as promptly as
his ncighbor had done.
She made to him precisely the same
statement she had made to Mr. Bah
cock, showed him the injured property,
and asked him to fix the damages. 1t
was remarkable before he did this that
he should ask the same question Mr..
Bahcock had asked, namely, whether
she had any suspicion to whom the an
imals belonged.
Well, one of them observed had a
terrible crooked horn
Precisely Babcork's hcifer. I
should know her among a Thousand
She was black and white, wasn't she :
We'll. now think of it. she was: one
seldom sees 50 clear black and white
on cow
10 lie sure, they're Blbrocks ami
mails fast enough. Wen. let me see
what YOU want is ust fair estimate,
l suppose:
Certainly
Well. l should say ninety dollars was
rs low rs he on, hit to be allowed to get
off with
oh. but l fear that will seem rs if l
meant to take advantage. Suppose We
call it-say sevcnty-tiSe 2
Just as you please, of course; but
han: if Ia lei him off for cent less
than hundred if it were my case
And if he refused 10 pay 2
Why keep the animals until he comes
round, that : all
But there's one thing neglected to
mcntion-our gate was standing open;
that may alter the case.
Not at all-therc's no law against
keeping your gate open; but there is
against stray animals
Very well; thank YOU for your ad-
vice. said Miss LetitiA; AMI Nr. Small
departed with smiling countenance as
Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milkinS-time that night he
made strange discovery; old brindle
WAS missing, Al about the same hour
Mr. habcock made similar disCove-
ry: the black and white heifer was no.
where 10 IL found.
\ horrible suspicion seized them both
"A suspicion which they would not
have made known to each other for the
world.
They waited till II was dark, and then
BabSock stole around 70 Miss Letitia' :
and meckly asked leave to look at the
animals which had commmitted the
trcspaSs. He would have done il with
out asking leave only that thrifty Lett
tin always shut her barn door ut night.
{ While he stood there looking over
into the Pen where the cows were con-
fined. and irving 10 negotiate with Miss
Lctitia for the release of the heife-.
along came Small in quest Of his brin-
die. The two men stared ut each other
for an instant in blank dismay, then
hung their heads in confusion.
Ii was useless 10 assert that the dam
ages were too high, for had they not
fixed them themselves? Ii was u ;eless
20 plead that Miss Letita was in a