The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-11-27

| NN"s, oh' HHdl uO you WISH OF mo
It's to fix the damages" said Miss Lett
TIA. las said before, women folks ar
no judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated moment, anc
then said:
swell, wouldn't take cent less thai
seVenty-tive dollars ifI were you--not
cent"
"Seyenty-five dollars! Isn't that goot
deal, Mr.. Babcock2 You know l dom
wish to be hard on the poor man; all
want IS fair compensation for the mis-
chief DONE"
Seventy tive dollars is fair, ma'am-ir
fact, might say it's low; wouldn't have
a herd ofcattle and sheep tramping through
my premises in that way for a hundred
There's one thing that forgot to state
the orchard gate was open or they
couldn't have got ii; that may make a
difference"
Not a bit-not a BIT You'd a right
to have your gate open, but Smull's cow
had no right to run loose. hope Isaac
drove them to the pound didn't he2'
Il heard him say he shut 'em up some.
where, and didn't mean to let 'cm out till
the owner calls for 'em. But, Mr. Babcock,
what If he should refuse to pay the dam
age l should hate to go to 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"
Pm sure l thank you for your advice"
said Miss Letitia, land l mean to act upon
it to the very letter."
And MIR. Babcock took his departure
with happy expression of countenance.
Scarcely was he out of sight when Miss
Letitia sent summons for Mr.. Small,
which be obeyed as promptly as his neigh
Dor had done.
She made to him precisely the same
statement she had made to Mr.. Babcock,
showed him the injured property, and ask
ed him to fix the damages. 1t was re-
markable before he did this that he should
ask the same question Mr.. Babcock had
asked, namely, whether she had any sus-
picion to whom the animals belonged
"Well, one Of them observed lad ter
ribly crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer, l should
know her among thousand. She was
black and white, wasn't she 2"
"Well, now l think of it, she was; one
seldom sees so clear black and white on
a cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's animals
fast enough. Well, let me sec-what YOU
want is just fair estimate, suppose 2"
"Certainly."
"Well, should say ninety dollars was
as low as he ought to be allowed to get off
WITH
ooh, but fear that will seem as if
meant TO take advantage. Suppose we call
it-say scventy-tive?"
Just as you please, of course; but hang
if I'd let him off for cent less than hun
bred if it were my case"
"And ifhe refused to pay2"
"Why keep the animals until he comes
round, that's ALL"
"But there's one thing l neglected to
gate was standing open /;
that may alter the case"
"Not at all-theres no law against keep
ing your gate open; but there is against
stray animals"
Every well; thank you for your advice"
said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small departed
with a smiling countenance as Mr.. Babcock
had worn.
But at milking time that night he made
a strange discovery; old brindle was mis-
sing AT about the same hour Mr.. Bah
cock 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 |
stole around to Miss Letitias and |
meekly asked leave to look at the animals |
which had committed the trespass. He
would have done it without asking leave |
only that thrifty Letitia always shut her
barn door at night.
While he stood there looking over into
the pen where the COWS were confined, and |
trying to negotiate with Miss Lctitia for
the release of the heifer, along came Small |
in quest of his brindle. The two men |
stared at each other for an instant in blank |
dismay, then hung their heads in confu-
sion.
1t was useless to assert that the damages |
were too high, for had they not fixed them |
1t was useless to plead that |
Hiss Letitia was in q manner responsible |
for what had happened, on account of the |
open gate for had they not assured her |
that this circumstance did not alter the |
case2 1t was useless to say that she |
had no right to keep the cows in custody, |
for had they not counsellcd her to do so |
As to going to law about it, would they |
thus become the sport of the whole town 2 |
"He that diggeth pit, he himself shall
fall into it," said Miss Letitia, who read |
what was passing in their minds as we'll as
if they had spoken, for the light of Isaac's
lantern fell full upon their faces. "How-
ever, on one condition will free the COWS |
and forgive you the debt"
"What is that 2" Both thought the
question but did not ask it.
THE condition is, that you promise to
put good fence in the place of the old one
that separates your estates, dividing the
costs between you, and that henceforth you
will live together peacably so far as in you
lies. Do you promise2"
EYES," muttered both in voice scarcely |
audible.
"Shake hands upon it, them" said Miss
Letitia.
They did SO.
"Now let the cows out, Isaac it's time
they were MIXED" said she. And the |
two men went away driving their cows be-
fore them, with shame faced air greatly |
in contrast to the look of triumph with |
which they had quit her presence.
The fence was built, and the strife ccas-
ed when the cause was removed, but it |
was long before Miss Letitia's part in the
affair came to the public ear, for she her.
self maintained u strict silence concerning |
it, and enioined the same upon her man
servant, Isaac.
~------------ 's------------