Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-31

than seventy-fve dollars, if were you
not cent
Seventv-fve dollars Isn't that 6
good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know
don't wish to be hard on the poor man
all I want is fair com pensation for the
mischief DONE"
"Seventy- five dollars is fair, mann;
in fact, l may say it's low; / wouldn't
have herd of cattle and sheep tramp
ing through my premises in that way
for hundred"
"There is one thing I forgot to state
the orchard gate was open or they could
not have got in; that may make differ
ence"
mot bit; not bit. You'd right
to have your gate open; but Small's
COWS had no right to run loose. hope
Isaac drove them all to the pond; didn't
he?"
ST heard him say he shut them up
somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'em
out till the owner calls for 'em. But,
Mr.. Babccck, what il he should refuse
to pay the damages? I should hate to
go to law about it,"
'He won't refuse, and if he does,
keep the critters till he will pay. AS to
law, / guess he's had about enough of
that"
"I'm sure I thank you for your ad-
vice" said Miss Letitia; "and | mean
to act upon it to the very letter.
And Mr.. Babcock took his leave with
very happy expression of countenance.
Scarcely was he cut 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 to Mr.. Bah
cock, showed to him the injured prop
erty, and asked him to fix damages.
It was remarkable that before he did
this he should ask thesa question that
Mr.. Babcock had asked: namely, wheth-
er she had any suspicious to whom the
animals belonged.
"Well, one of them observed had a
terrible crooked horn"
"Precisely; it's Babcook's heifer. I
should know her among thousand
She was black and white, wasn't she?"
"Well, now think of it, she was;
one seldom sees SO clear black and
white on q COW"
ssTo be sure; they're Babcock's ami
mails fast enough. Well, let me see;
What you want is just about fair esti
mate, I SUPPOSED"
"Certainly."
"Well, I should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to be allowed to
get off with p
''Oh, but fear that will seem as if I
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy five %
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him off for less than q
hundred, if was my case"
''And if he refuses to pay?"
"Why, keep the animals till he
comes round, that's all"
''But there's one thing neglected to
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 -
"Very we'll; thank you for your ad-
vice. said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling countenance
as Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milking time shat night he
made a strange discovery-old Brindle
was missing.
At about the same hour Mr.. Babcock
made a similar discovery-the black
and white heifer was nowhere to be
found.
A horrible suspicion seized them both;
a suspicion which they would not have
made known to each other for the world.
They watched till it was dark and
then Mr.. Babcock stole around to Miss
Letitia's and meekly asked leave to look
at the animals which had committed
trespass. He would have done it with
out asking leave, only that thrifty Miss
Letitia always locked her barn doors at
night.
While he stood looking over into the
pen where the COWS were confined, and
trying to negotiate with Miss Letitia for
the release Of the heifer, along came
Mr.. Small in quest Of Brindle. The
two men stared at each other In blank
dismay, and then kung their heads in
confusion.
It was useless to assert that the dam
ages were too high, for had they not
fixed them themselves It was useless
to plead that Miss Letitia was in man
ner responsible for what had happened
on account of the open gate, for had
they not assured her that circumstances
did not affect the case? It was useless
to say that she had no right to keep the
COW in custody. for had they not coun-
seled it; would they not thus become
the sport of the town?
"He that diggeth pit, he himself
shall fail into it" said Letitia, who read
what was passing in their minds as if
they had spoken, for the light of Isaac's
lantern fell full on their faces. Chow
ever, I don't want to be hard upon you,
and ON condition I will free the COWS
and forgive you the debt"
"What is that ?" Both looked the
question but did not ask it.
''The condition is that you promise
to put good new fence in place of the
old one that separates your estates, di-
viding the cost between you, and that
henceforth you will live peaceably to,
gether as far as in you lies. Do you
promise p
eyes," muttered both in a voice
scarcely audible.