Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-12
TRE BOARD FENCE.

critters y cried Mr. Babcock, waving his
arms rs he chased q dozen sheep and
lambs through q gap IN the fence.
1t was wooden fence, and when he
had succeeded In driving the animals to
the other side of it he lifted it from the
fallen position and propped it up with
stakes. This was an operation he found
he had to repeat many times in the
course of the season, and not only of
that season, but OF several previous sea-
sons.
The truth was that this fence formed
the boundary line between his estate and
that of Mr.. Small, and three generations
of men who owned these estates had
been unable to decide to whom it be-
longed to rebuild and keep it in repair.
Again and again had they consulted
their respective lawyers on the subject,
and dragged from their hiding places
musty old deeds and records, but always
with the same result.
81 say it belongs to you to keep it in
repair; that's as plain as pike-staff,"
Mr.. Babcock would say.
Sand I say it belongs to you-any
fool might see that" Mr.. Small would
reply; and then high words would fol-
low, and they would part in anger,
more determined and obstinate than
ever.
The lawyers fees and the loss by
damage from each others cattle had al
ready amounted to a sum sufficient to
have built q fence around their entire
estates. But what was that compared
to the satisfaction Of having their own
way?
At last, one day, Miss Letitia Gill,
and Of some weight as landowner and
taxpayer, sent for MIR. Babcock to come
and see her on business-a summons
which he made haste to obey, as how
could it be otherwise where lady was
concerned?
Miss Letitia sat at her window sewing
seam, but she dropped her work and
took off her spectacles when Mr.. Bah
cock made his appearance.
$50 you got my message; thank You
for coming, I'm sure. Sit down, do. I
suppose my man Isaac told you wanted
to consult you on business matter of
equity, may say. It can't be expected
that we women folks should be the best
judges about such things, you know.
There's Isaac, to be sure, but then he
lives on the place /; maybe he wouldn't
be exactly impartial in his Judgment
about our affairs"
"Jes' sc" said Mr.. Babcock.
"Well, the state of the case is this:
When Isaac came up from the long
meadow to dinner-they're moving the
meadow to-day, and an uncommonly
good yield there is-when he came up to
dinner he found that stray COWS had
broken into the vegetable garden"
He did, hey?"
"You fancy the riot made. declare.
Isaac was almost ready to use profane
language. / am not sure he didn't, and,
after all, couldn't feel to reproach him
very severely, for the pains he has taken
with that garden is something amazing;
working and digging, and watering, and
now to see it all torn and trampled so
that you wouldn't know which was beets
and which was cucumbers. It's enough
to raise anybody's temper"
eft is SO" said Mr.. Babcock.
"And that isn't all, for, by the looks of
things, theymustha beenrampagingi in
the orchard and clover field before they
got into the garden. Just you come and
see," and, putting On her sun-bennet,
Miss Letitia showed Mr.. Babcock over
the damaged precincts.
You don't happen 10 know whose
animals did the mischief ?" said Mr..
Babcock.
"Well, I didn't observe them IN par
tcular myself, but Isaac said there was
one with a peculiar white mark, some
thing like cross, on its haunch."
Why, that's Small's old Brindle,"
cried Mr.. Babcock. al know the mark
as well as I know the nose on my face.
She had balls on her horns, did she?'
eyes, so Isaac said"
"And kind of hump on her back ?"
"a perfect dronledary," said Miss
Letltia. 81 noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows no doubt of
it OF ALL" said Mr.. Babcock, rubbing
his 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 were
sheep" said Miss I,etitia.
"I knew it-they always go with the
COWS; and what DO you want of me?"
LII W HA udIdaSeS, SdIQ VulSS LEU
tia. GAS said before, women folks are
no Judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated q moment,
and then said:
"Well, I wouldn't take cent less
than S75 if were you-not cent"
"Seventy-fve dollars Isn't that q
good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know I
don't wish to be hard on the poor man :;
all want is fair compensation for the
mischief DONE"
"Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma'am-
In fact, I might say, it's low. I
wouldn't have had a herd of cattle and
sheep trampling through my premises
In that way for hundred"
"There's one thing I forgot to state !;
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make
a difference"
"Not bit-not q bit. You'd q right
to have your gate open, but Small's
COWS had no right to run loose. hope
Isaac drove them to the pound"
81 heard him say he'd shut 'em up
somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'em