The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-09

Pcl plCAClt. ~ Atto NOtlo ulS u0lS IL
Dor say He hoped there might be
no trouble. He was rejecting thus
when Mr.. Bracket appeared before
him, coming up quickly and stop
ping with an angry stamp of the
foot.
Now, there may be volume of
electric influence even in stamp Of n
foot, and there was such an influence
in the stamp which Bracket gave ;
and Wclton felt it, and braced him
self against it. There was, moreover,
an atmosphere exhaling from the
presence Of the irnte man ct once
ropollant and aggravating.
John Welton, you have shot my
dog !" The words were Kissed forth
hotly.
"Ycs," said Welton. icily
"How dared you do it 2"
81 dare shoot any any dog that
comes prowling about my buildings,
especially when ! have had my sheep
killed by them"
"But my dog never troubled your
sleep, and you know it!''
"How should l know it ?"
"You know that he mover did
harm to a sheep. It wasn't III his
nature. It was q mean, cowartlly
act, and you shall suffer for it.
'Brackett, you don't know to
whom you nre talking"
"Oho! Well find out. Don't
put Oh airs, John Wclton. You aint
q saint. I'll have satisfaction if I
have to take it out Of your hide 2"
peter, you'd better go home and
cool off, You are making yourself
ridiculous
Now really, this WAS the unzind-
est cut Of all Not ell tie mad
words of Bracket put together
were so hard as this single sentence;
and John Welton put all the bitter
sarcasm in his commund into it.
Brackctt broke forth into q tor
rent Of invectives, and then turned
away.
Half an hour later John Welton
acknowledged to himself III It he had
nyt done exactly right. Had he, in
the outset, in answer to Brackets s
first outburst, told the simple truth
that he had shot tho dog by mis-
take; tn t he was sorry, and that he
was wiling to do anything in his
power to make amends-had he
done this his neighbor would proba-
bly, have softened nt once. But it
WAS too late now. The blow had
been struck he had been grossly
insulted, and he would not back
down.
Mr.. Brackett was not so reflective
He only felt his wrath, which he
nursed to keep it warm. Thatnight
he hitched his horse to Il Job wagon,
and went to tho vi l.gc for barrel
OF flour. Having transacted his
store business, he called upon
Laban Peppel, q lawyer, to whom
he narrated the facts of the shoot
ing Of his dog.
Pepper was aman anxious for fees.
lie had no sympathy or soul about
tlat.
"You say your dog was in compa-
ny with two of your children y"
Eyes"
"And this passage over Mr.. Wei
tons land and though his shed had
been freely yielded by him as right
of way to his neighbors?'
eyes, sir, ever since can remem-
ber."
"Then, my dear sir, Welton is
clearly liable If you will come with
me we will step into Mr.. Garfield's
and have n suit commenced ut once.
Mr.. Garfield was the trial justice.
All this happened on Friday even
ing, On Saturday it had beco' oe
noised abroad in the farming dis
trict that there was not only serious
trouble between the noighbors Wei
ton and Brackett, but that they were
going to law about it.
On Sunday morning John Welton
told his wife he should not attend
church. She had no noed to ask her
husband why he should not go out.
She knew he was unhappy, and that
he could not bear to meet his old
neighbor in the house of God while
tho dark cloud was upon him. Nor
did she wish to meet either Mr.. or
Mrs Bracket. SO they both stayed
Mt home.
Peter Bracket wes even moro mis-
orable than John Welton, though he
perhaps did not know it. He held
i'll close companionship the very
worst demon u man can embrace
tho demon of wrathful vengeance--
and in order to maintain himself at
the strain to which he had set his
feelings, he was obliged to nurse
the monster. He did not attend
church on that day, nor did his wife.
Two or three times during the calr.l,
beautiful Sabbath, as he glanced over
toward his neighbours dwelling, he
found himself beginning to wish that
he had not gone to SEQ John Welton
in such n heat of anger but he put
tho wish away, and nursed back his
wrath. "
On Monday, toward noon, the
constable came in from tho village
and read TO John Welton an impos.