St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-12-29

affairs"
''Jes' sO," said Mr.. BabcOck.
"Wcll. the state of the case is this
When Isaac came up from the long
meadow to-day-and an uncommonly
good weld there iS-when he came M
to dinner, he found that certain stray
COWS had broken into the vegetable
gardcn.r
He did, hey ~
You can fancy the riot they made
| declare, Isaac WAS almost ready to use
protane language. I'm not sure that he
didn't say deuce and I'm certain he
did say darn : and after all. couldn't
feel to reprOach him very severely. for
the pains he had taken with that gar
den Is something amazing; working i'll
it, MI. Bahc0ck. early and late, wedding
and digging and watering, and now to
see it all torn and tramplcd so that YOU
wouldn't know which was beets and
which was cucumhels, it's enough to
rouse anybody's temper"
ut is so," said Mr.. Babcock.
'And that isn't all. for bv the looks
of things they must nave been rampag-
ing il full hour in the orchard and clover
field before they had got into the gar
den. just you come and see :" and
putting on her sun bonnet. Miss Letitia
showed Mr.. Babcock over the damaged
precinct.
.l"u don't happen To know whose
animals did the mischief"
We'll, didn't observe them in par
ticular myself, but Isaac said there WAS
one with Il particular white mark
something like IL cross on her haunch.
"Why, that's Small's old Brindlc,
cried Mr.. Babcock. Il know the mark
as well as know the nose on my face.
She had balls on hel horns. didn't she D.
''leS, 80 Isaac said"
And Il kind of hump on her back D.
A perfect dromedary." said Miss
/ Letitia. Il noticed that my self
"They were Small'S cows. no doubt
about it ut all" said Mr.. Babcock. rub
bing bis hands. NO sheep with them
! hey ,"
well. now think of it. there were
sheep: they ran away as soon as they
SAW Isaac. Yes. certainly there we've
/ sheep" said Miss Letitia
Il knew it. they always 90 with his
COWS: and what you wish of me-
is to Fix the damages" said Miss
/ Lctitia. ''A> said before. womrn-folk>
are no judges about such Matters"
/ Mr.. Babcock mcditatcd moment.
and then said =
"Wcll. / wouldn't take Il cent less
/ than >cvcntNtivc dollars. if were YOU
not Il cent.
"ScveutI five dollars, Isn't that Il
good deal. MI. Bahcock You know |
don't wish t" hc hard on the poor man
all | want Is a fair compensation for the
mischief done"
''ScVeutN five dollars i fair ma am :
in fact ! may say its low: | wouldn'r
have herd of cattle and sheep tramp
ing through my premises in that way
tor hundred"
"Ihcrc'> ON" thing forgot to state
the orchard gate WAS open. OF they
could not have got in: that may make.
Il difference"
Not a bit: not IA bit. You'd Il right
to have N"ur gate open: but Small :
COWS had no right To run loose. hope
Isaac drove them all to the pound.
didn't he -
Il heard him say he shut them up
somewhere. and didn't mean To let EN-
out till the owner calls fur EN-. But.
MI. Hahc"ch. What if he should refuse
t" pay the damages | should hate It"
90 to law about it,"
He wont refuse. and if he dnr>
keep the critters till he will pay. A.
t" law. gue>> he's had about enough
ot that.
"Im sure thank you for your ad
vice. said Miss Lctitia land mean
to act upon il To the very letter.
And Mr. Bahcuck took his leave with
4 very happy cNPrc>>iou of cnuntcnancc
Scarcely was he ont of sight when
Miss Lrtitla sent Il summons tor MI
small. which hr ohrycd ~ promptly a,
his uriyhhor had done.
She made /" him precisely the same
statement She had made t" Mr. Bah
cock. showed him the injured property.
and asked him to fix damages.
1t WAS remarkable that before he did
this he should ask the same question
that Mr Bahcock had asked: namely.
whether she had amy suspicion To whom
the animals belonged.
'Wrll. one of them observed had Il
terrible crooked horn"
''prcci>cly its Bahcock'S hcitcr. |
should know her among Il thousand
She WAS black and white. wasn't she ?''
'Wcll. now think of it. She waS
one seldom sees 81 clear Il black and
white on Il cow
TO be sure: they're Babcock'> : ami
mails fast enough. Well let me see
What You want is just about Il fair c>ti-
mate. suppose"
"Ccrtainly."
'Wcll. should say ninety dollars
was as low aS he ought to bc allowed
to get off with -
"Oh. but fear that will seem us if
meant I" take advantage. suppose we
call It-Say seventy five ?!
Just as You please, of course but
I'm hanged if Id let him off for less
than Il hundred, if twas my case
And II he refuses to pay p
''Why keep the animals till he comes
round, that's all"
But there's one thing neglected t"
mention; our gate was standing open
that may alter the case
Not at all there's no law against
your keeping your gate open there is
against stray animals
Every well; thank you for your ad-
vice" said Miss Letitia and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling IL countenancr
as Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milking time that night he
made Il strange discovery Blindlc
waS missing.
At about the same hour Nh Babcock
made similar discovery black
AID white heiter was nowhere to be
found.
A horrible suspicion seized them both:
Il suspicion which they would not have
made known to each other for the world.
They watched till it WIS dark and
then Mr.. Babcnck stole round to Miss
Letitia's and mccklN nSknl IcnnD IL