Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-11-23

warm discussions, onJ never Yet q
direct falling out OF the two Wei,
I ton was the more intellectual, and
perhaps a little more tinged with
pride than was his neighbor But
they were both hearty men, enjoying
! life for the good 1t gave them.
/ 1Ir Welton entered his kitchen,
and stood the empty gun up behind
the door.
"What's the matteg John p bis
wife asked, as she sag his troubled.
face. 1Sts
aIin afraid wv g g :S sss thing"
he replied, reese tfnay Il fear ]
have shos BRACKETS dog"
s.OM John!'
But I didn't know whose dog it
was, I saw him coming out from
the shed-it was too dark to see
more than that it was dog. only
thought of the sheep. I had lost and
| fred
4 am sorry, John. Oh, how
MRS. Bracket and the children will
feel. They set everything BY old
Carlo. But you can explain it,
eyes, can explain it."
Half an hour later Mr.. Welten was
going to his barn with q LIGHTED
lantern in his hand. He was thinks
ling of the recent unfortunate occur
renee and was sorely worried and
perplexed. What would bis neigh
Dor say? He hoped there would be
no trouble, He was rejecting thus
when Mr.. Bracket appeared before
him, coming up quickly and stopping
with an angry stamp OF the foot.
Now, there may be a volume of
electric influence even in the stamp of
foot, and there was such an in
huence in the stamp which Bracket
gave, and Welton felt it and braced
himself against it. There was, more
over, an atmosphere exhaling from
the presence of the irate man at
once repeiIant and agravating.
"John Welton, You have shot my
dog The words were Kissed forth
holly.
Eyes" said Welton Jelly.
Glow dared you do it?"
q dare shoot any dog that comes
prowling about my building, especially
when ! have had my sheep killed by
them.
"But my dog never troubled your
sheep, and you know it.
GLOW should know it e
"You know thai he never did harm
to a sheep 1t WASH in his nature.
1t was mean, cowardly act, and you
shall suffer for it,
Bracket, you don't know to
whom you are talking"
"Oho! Wen find out. Don't put
on airs, John Nelton, you amt
saint. III have gatisfaction, if | have
to take it ont of your hide"
''Peter, you'd better 90 home and
cool off. You are making yourself
ridiculous"
Now, really, this was the unkine est
cut of all. Not all the mad words of
Bracket put together were 50 hard
as tins siuele sentence and John
Welton put all the bitter sarcasm in
his command into it.
Bracket broke forth into a torrent
Of invectiyes, and then turned away.
Half an hour later John " elton
acknowledged TO himself that he had
not done exactly right. Had he, in
the outset, in answer to Brackets
first outbnrst, told The simple truth
that he had shot the dog by mistake
that he was sorry, that he was willing
to do anything in his power to make
amends : had he done this, his
neighbor would probably have soften
ed at ONCE But it was too late now.
The blow had been struck he had
been grossly insulted, and he would
not back down.
Mr. Bracket was not so reflective.
He only felt his wrath, which he
nursed to keep it warm. That night
he hitched his horse to a job wagon;
and went to the village for barrel OF
flour. Having transacted his store
business, he called upon Laban Pepper,
a lawyer. 20 whom he narrated the
facts Of the shooting of his dog.
Pepper was man anxious for
fees. He had no sympathy or soul
above that.
2a'.You say your dog was in company
! with two of your children z"