The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-11-01

"Brother Welton, have you the hear
and courage to do this r
The farmer arose and took two O.
three turns across the floor and final,
said:
"Iwill do it,"
On the following day, toward the
middle of the afternoon, Peter Bracket
stood in the doorway with his heae
bent. He was thinking whether he
should harness his horse and be off be-
fore dinner, or whether he would wal
until afternoon. He could not even put
his mind to ordinary chores.
"I wonder" he said to himself, show
the trial will come out Is'pose Vel
ton'u hire old Whitman to take his case
Of course the office'll be crowded. Tom
Frost says it's noised everywhere, an6
that everybody'l be there. Plague take
it I wish -
His meditations were interrupted by
approaching steps, and on looking up
he beheld neighbor Welton.
"Good morning, Peter"
Bracket gasped, ,and finally answered
"Good morning." though rathe,
orustily. ~.
Welton went on, frankly and pleas
antly:
} "You will go to the village to-day2'
81 Is'pose 30"
"I have been summoned by Justice
Garfield to be there, also, but really,
Peter, I don't want to 60. One of us
will be enough. Garfield is fair one,
and when he knows the facts he will do
what is right. Now, you can state them
as we'll as can, and whatever his de-
cision is, T will abide by it. You can tell
him that shot your dog, and that your
dog had done me no HARM"
. "Do you acknowledge that old Carlo
never harmed you-that he never trou.
bled your sheep?" inquired Bracket,
with startled surprise.
"It was not his nature to do harm to
anything. I am sure he would sooner
have saved one of my sheep than have
killed it."
"Then what did you shoot him for p
"That is what I am coming at, Peter.
You will tell the justice that had lost
several of my sheep-killed by dogs
that I had just been taking the skin
from valuable wether, that had been
so killed and mangled-thet was on
my way from my house, with my gun in
my hand, when I saw dog come out
from my shed. My first thought was
that he had come from my sheepfold.
It was almost dark, and I could not see
plainly. Tell the justice that I had no
idea it was your dog. never dreamed
that had fred that cruel shot at old
Carlo until Tom Frost told mea"
"How9 You didn't know it was my
dog2" ....; "
"Peter, have you thought so hard of
me as to think that could knowingly
and willingly have harmed that grand
old dog. I would sooner have shot one
of my oxen."
"But you didn't tell me so at first.
Why didn't you9"
b" Because you came up so-so-sud-
denly
"Oh, pshaw /" cried Bracket, with a
sGaup Ol ulS IOOt. why Ocu you
spit it out as it was9 Say I came down
on you so like hornet that you hadn't a
chance to think. Twas a blamed fool,
that's what was. -
"And I was another, Peter; if 1
hadn't been I should have told you the
truth at once, instead of haring up. But
we will understand it now. You can
see the justice -
"Justice be hangedl John, hang it
all What's the use9 There, let us end
it so" r,
From her window Mrs. Bracket had
seen the two men come together, and
she trembled for the result. By-and-
bye she saw her husband, as though
flushed and excited, put out his hand.
Mercy! was he going to strike bis neigh
bor2 She was ready to cry out with
alright, the cry being almost upon her
lips, when she beheld a scene that called
forth rtj',icipg instead. And this was
what she saw:
She saw these two strange men grasp
one another by the hand, and she saw
big bright tears rolling down their
cheeks, aud she knew that the fearful
storm had passed, and that the warm
sunshine of love and tranquility would
come again.