Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-03-23

and then said:
"Well, l wouldn't take a cent less
than seventy five dollars if L were
/ you-not IA cent"
"Seventy-tive dollarsl Isn't tha,
a good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know
l don't wish TO be hard On the poor
man, all / want is fair compensa.
tion for the mischief done"
"Seventy-ii five dollars is fair. ma'am
--in fact, l might say its low.
wouldn't have II herd of cattle and
sheep tramping through my premises
in that way for hundred"
There's one thing / forgot to state
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make
u difference"
Not "a Bit bit You'd a
right to have your gate open, bul
SmalI's COWS had no right To run
loose. / hope Isaac drove them to
the pound, didn't he!
Il heard him say he'd shut 'em
But, Mr.. BabcOck, what il he should
refuse 10 ply the damag -? / 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 adj
vice." said Miss Le;iiia. land L 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 neighbor had done.
She made to him precisely the
same statement she had made 10 Mr..
Babcock. showed 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.. Bi5cock had ask
ed, namely, whether she had any sus
picion to whom the animals belonged
well. one OF them / observed had
a terribly crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's Bah ocl,'s bcigcr;
l should know her among a thousand
She was black and white, wasn't
she?"
We'll, now think of it, she was
one seldom sees 81 clear black and
white OH a cow"
"To be sure they're Babcock's ami
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is just "a fair estimate
suppose?'
~Certainly."
"Well, | should say ninety dollar:
was as low as he ought to be allowed
to get of with"
"Oh, but fear that will seem as il
1 meant TO take advantage. Suppos,
we call it-say seventy-iiye dollars.
"Just as you please. or course; but
hanged il I'll let him off for cent
less than one hundred il il were my
case"
And il he refuses to pay?'
Why. keep the animals till he comes
around, tht.i's ALL.
But there's one thing 1 neglected
TO ment;on-our gate was standing
open: that may alter the ease
Not at all; there's no law agains
keeping year gate open; there il
against stray animals"
very well: thank you for your nd
vice" said Miss Letitia; and Mr.
Small departed with as smiling ;
countenance as Mr. BabcOck had won
But at milking time that night h,
made strange discovery; old brin
die was misSingl At about the sam,
hour Nr. Babcock made similar dis
covery; the black and white heif-l
was nowhere To he found. A horribl,
suspicion seize them both-a sus
picion which they would rot hav,
made known TO each other for tn,
world.
They waited till it was dark. an,
then Mr.. Babcock stole around tc
Miss Letitias, and meekly asked t.
look at the animals which had com
mitted the trespass. He would hav,
d ne il without asking leave, onl,
that thrifty Miss Letitia always shu
her barn doors ut night.
While he stood looking over int,
the pen where the cows were con
fined, and trying to negotiate Will
Miss Letitia for the release of tn,
hcifer, along came Mr.. Siaall in ques
of his brindle. The two men stare,
at each other for an instant i'm blanl
di,may, then hung their heads in con
fusion.
Ii was useless to assert that tn,
damages were too high. for had the,
not fixed them themselves? 1t wa
useless to plead that Miss Letitia wa
in manner responsible for wha
tad happened, on account OF tn
open e,;,sr, sOr had ,ney n,t assured
her that that circumstance did no
alter the case? 1t was useless to sa,
that she had no right to keep tn,
COWS i'm custody, for had they no
counseled her to do so? As to goin;
TO law about il, wonId they not thu
become the sport of the whole town
"He that diggeth "a pit. he himscl
shall fall into it," said Miss Letitia
who read what was passing in thei