Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1876-03-25
awcll, wouldn't take a cent less than

aWcll, wouldn't take cent less than
| $75 If i were you-nOt cent.
Seventy-five dollars! Isn't that good
doaI Mr. Babcock? You know don't
wish to he hard on the poor man; all
want is a fair compensation for the mis-
chief DONE" - e
.Seventy-five lollars-is fair, ma'am,-
in fact i might say it's low I Wouldn't
have herd of cattle and sheep tramping
through my premises in that way for a
hundred."s
"There's one thing l forgot to state
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make a
difference"
Not a bit-not a bit. You'd right
to have your gate open, but Small's cows
had no right to run loose. l hope Isaac
drove them to the pound, didn't he?r
IL heard him say he'd shut them up
somewhere. and didn't mean to let 'em
out till the owner calls for 'eln. Mr..
Babcock, what if he should refuse to pay
the damages? 1t should hate to go to
law about it."
"He won't refuse; if he does keep the
critters till he will pay. AS to law, !
guess he's had about enough of that
I'm sure thank you for your. advice,
said Miss Letitia. sand mean to act upon
it to the very letter"
Scarcely was he out OF sight when
Miss Letitia sent summons for Mr.
Small, which he obeyed as promptly as
his neighbour had done. y Ct}t$N
She made him precisely the same state
ment she had made to Mr.. BabcOck, show
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.. Babcock had asked
namely, whether she had any suspicion
to whom the animals belonged. .s
swell, one of them observed had a
terribly crooked horn"
"Precisely-its Babcock's heifer =
should know her among thousand. She
was black and white wssn't she?"
"Well, now think of it. she was; one
seldom sees so clear black and white on
a cow"
80 be sure they're Babcock's animal:
fast enough Well, let me see; what you
want is a fair estimate, SUPPOSED"
Certainly" -,
"Well, | should say ninety dollars was
as low as he ought to be allowed to gel
off with"
''Oh, but fear that will seem as if
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy-five dollars"
''Just as you please, of course; but
hanged il I'd let him off with cent less
than one hundred, if it were my case"
''And if he refuses to pay.?'
"Why, keep the animal till he come;
around, that's all'
s'But there is one thing 1 neglected to
mentiOn-our gate was standing open;
that may alter the ease"
Not at all; there's no law against keep
ing your gate open; there is against stray
animals"
Very well; thank you for your adj
vice." said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling a cOuntenance
us Mr.. Babcock had worn. a
But at milking time that night he made
a strange discovery; old brindle wa;
missing! At about the same hour Mr.
BabcOck made similar discovery; the
black nd white heifer was nowhere t(
be found. A horrible suspicion seized
them both-a suspicion which they
would not have made known to each
o:her for the world.
They waited till it was dark, and ther
BabcOck stole around to Miss Letitia s
and meekly asked to look at the animals
which had committed the trcspass. Ht
would have done so without asking leave
only that thrifty Miss Letitia always shu
her. barn doors at night. ---r
While he stood looking over into the
pen where the COWS were confined, and
trying tOinegotiate with Miss Letitia fol
the release OF the heifer, along came Mr.
Small in quest of his brindle. The two
men stared at each other for an instant
m hla,,ly Hic,nau tban hunp. THAR heads
i'm confusion. ~
1t was useless to assert that the dam
ages were too high, for had they not
fixed them themselves? 1t was useless
to plead that Miss Letitia was iE a man
ner responsible for what had happened
on account of the open gate, for had they
not assured her that that circumstance
did not alter the case? 1t was useles;
| to say she had no right to keep the cows
in custody, for had they not advised hel
to do so? As to going to law about it
would they not thus become the sport Of
the whole town.. - - -e-- -
He that diggeth q pit, he himself shall
fall into it," said Miss Ietitia, who read
what was passing in their minds as well
as if they spoke, for the light of Isaac's
lantern fell full on their faces. "HOw-
ever, on one condition / free the cows
and forgive the debt"
3 "What is that 20 Both thought the
question, but did not ask it.
/ 1.-The condition is, that you promise to
put good new fence in place of the old
one that separates your estates, dividing
the cost between you, and that hence
forth you will live together peaceable so
far as in you lies. Do you promise 2"
"Yes," muttered both, i'll voice scarce
ly audible.
''Shake hands upon it them" said Miss
Letitia.
They did so.
SNOW let the COWS out, Issac; it's time
they were milked," said she. And the
two men went away, driving their cows
before them, and with a shame-faced air
greatly i'm contrast to the look of triumph
with which they before had quit her
presence. Itht lt Nlii
The fence was built, and the strife
ceased when the cause was removed, but
it was long before Miss Letitia's part in
the affair came to the public ear; for she
herself maintained a stole silence con-
corning it, and she enjoined the same up
on her man-servant, Isaac.