The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-11-20


shot Brackctt's dog"
ooh, John"
But didn't know whose dog it was
saw him coming out from the shcd-it
was too dark to see more than that it was
a dog. only thought of the sheep had
lost. and fired"
am sorry, John. 0, how Mrs
Brackctt and the children will feel They
set everything by old Carlo But YOU
can explain it,"
Ics-l can explain it,"
Half III hour later Mr.. Wclton was
going to his barn with lighted lantern
in his hand. He was thinking of tie re
cent unfortunate occurrence, and was
sorcly worried and pcrplexcd. What
would his ncighbor say? He hoped
there might be no trouble. He was
rejecting thus when Mr.. Bracket ap-
pcarcd before him, coming up quickly,
and stopping with an angry stomp of the
foot.
Now there may be a volume of electric
influence even in the stamp of Il foot, and
there was such an influence in the stamp
which Brackctt gave; and Wclton felt
| it, and braccd himself against it, There
was, moreover. an ntmosDherc cXhaling
from the presence of the iratc man ut
once rcpellant md aggravaling.
John Welton! you have shot my
| dog.' The words were hisscd forth
hotly.
Yes" said Wclton, Jelly.
g How dared you do it?"
dare shoot any dog that comes
prowling around my buildings, especially
when have had my sheep killed by
them
But my dog never troubled your
sheep, and you know it,
| =" low should ! know it ~
You know that he never did harm to
sheep. It wasn't in his nature. 1t was
4 mean, cowardly act, and Gan oath) you
shall suffer for itn'
:" Bracket, you don't know to whom
you are talking"
go how (anothcr oath) I" We'll find
out! Well see! Don't put on airs,
John Wclton. You aint Il saint. ri
have satisfaction if have to take it out
Of your hide ~
Peter. you'd better 90 home and cool
of. You are making yourself ridicu-
louS"
Now, really, this was the unklndcst
cut of all. Not all the mad worls o
Brackctt put together were so hard us
this single sentence; and John Wclton
put all the bitter sarcasm of the com
mand into it,
Braekctt burst forth into torrent of
ihvcctivcs, and then turned away.
Half IN hour later John Wclton ac-
knowlcdgcd to himself that he had not
done exactly right. Had he, in the out
sct-in answer to Bracketts first out
burst--told the simple truth--that he
| had shot the dog by mistake; that he
was sorry and that he was willing to do
any thing i'll his power to make amends
had he done this, his ncighbor would
| probably have softcncl at once But it
was too late now. The blow had been
struck; he had been grossly insultcd :;
and he would not back down.
Mr.. Brackctt was not so much rchcc-
tive. He only felt his wrath, which he
nurScd to keep it warm. That evening
he hitchcd his horse to a job-wagon and
went down to the village after Il barrel
of flour. Having transacted Ehis store
business, he called upon Laban Pepper,
Il lawyer, to whom he narrated the facts
of the shooting of his dog.
Pepper WAS 4 man anxious for fees.
He had no sympathy or soul above that.
You say your dog was in company
with two of your chiidrcn?'
q Yes"
And this passage over Mr.. Wclton's
land, and through his shed, has been
freely yielded by him as right of way
to his ncighbors 2"
9 Yes sir, ever since can remember"
Then, my dear sir, Wclton is clearly
liable IF you will come W. Ii me. we
will step into'Mr. Garfcld's and have n
suit commenced at once"
Mr.. Garfield was the trial Justice
All this happened on Friday evening.
On Saturday it had become noiscd
abroad in. the farming district that there
was not only serious trouble between
ncighbors Wclton and Brackctt but that
they were going 10 law about it.
On Sunday morning John WcI,on
told his wife he would not attend church
| She could go if she liked She had no
need to ask her husband why he would
not 60 out. She knew he was unhapnv
and that he could not bear to meet his
old ncighborsin the house of God while
the dark cloud was uron him. Nor did
she wish to meet either Mr.. or Mrs. Brack-
cit. So they both stayed at home.
Peter Bracket was even more miscra-
able than John Wclton, though pcrhap,
he did not know it, He held in close
companionship the very worst demon ),
man can cmbracc--thc demon of wrath
iul vengeance; and in order to maintain
himself at the strain to which he had set
his feelings, he was obliged to nurse the
monster. lie did rot attend church ON
that day, nor did his wife. Two or three
times during the calm, beautiful Sab
bath, as he glanced over toward his
neishbor's dwelling, he found himself