The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-07-22

cock over the damaged precincts.
"Hou don't happen TO know whose
animals did the mischief" said Mr..
Babcock.
"Well, / didn't observe them in par
ticular myself but Isaac 5aid there was
one with peculiar white mark, some
thing like cross, on Its haunch."
"Why that's Small's old brindle,"
cried Mr.. Babcock. II know the
mark as well as / know the nose ON my
face. She had balls on her horns, didn't
,hePn
"Yes, so Isaac said"
"And kind Of hump on her backF"
"A perfect dromcdOry," said Miss
Lctitia; II noticed that myself"
"They were Small's cows, no doubt
Of it at ALL" said Mr.. Babcock, rub
bing his hands, "No sheep with them,
hey2"
We'll, now l think of it. there were
:hecp-they ran away as soon as they
saw Isaac. Yes, certainly there were
sheep" said Miss Letitia.
81 knew it-they always go with the
COWS; and what OF mefn
IT'S to fx damages said Miss I,e.
titia. "As I said before, women folks
are no judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated moment, and
then saii;
"Well, 7 wouldn't take a cent less
than scvcnty-fve dollars, il were you
mot cent"
"Seventy five dollars! Isn't that
good deal, Mr.. BabcockP You know ]
don't wish to bo hard on the poor man;
all want is p fair compensation tor the
mischief done"
"Scvcnty-Gve dollars is fair, ma'am
in fact, l might say it's low.
wouldn't have had herd of cattle and
sheep trampling through my premises
in that Why for hundred"
"There's one thing l forgot TO state;
the orchard gate was open or they
couldn't have got in; that may malse q
difference
mot q bit-not bit, You d right
20 have your gate open, but Small's
COWS had no right to run loose. ]
hope Isaac drove them to the pound,
didn't hep"
81 heard him say he'd shut 'em
up somewhere, and didn't mean to let
em out till the owner calls for 'em.
But, Mr.. Babcock, what if he should
refuse TO pay for the damages! l
should have 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 l thank you for your ad-
vice." said Miss Letitia, land 1 mean
to act upon it to the very letter"
Scarcely was he out of her sight
when Miss Letitia sent summons for
MIR. 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 Linn 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..
Babcock had asked, namely, whether
she had any suspicion to whom the ami
mails belonged.
well, one of them | observed had
terribly crooked horn"
Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer; ]
should know her among a thousand
She was black and white, wasn't she?r
"Well, now l think OF it, she was
one seldom secs so clear q black and
white on o cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's ami
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is Just fair estimate,
supposeP"
Certainly"
"Well, | should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to be allowed to
get off with
"Oh, but | fear that will seem as if
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 cent less
than hundred, il il were my case"
And If he refuses tO nav pn
"Why, keep the animals until he
comes around, that's ALL"
But there's ore thing neglected to |
mention-our gate was standing open
that may alter the case"
Not at all; there's no law against
keeping your gate open thrrei is against
stray animals"
Very well; thank you for your ad-
vice." said Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling a counter.
anceas Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milking time that night he
made strange discovery-old brindle
was missing! At about the same hour
Mr.. Babcock made q similar discovery
the black and white heifer was no.
where TO be found. A horrible sus.
picion seized them both--a suspicion
they would not have made known to
each other for the world.
They waited till was dark, andthen |
Mr.. Babcock stole round to Miss
Leiitia's, and meekly asked leave 10
look ct the animals which had com.
mitted the trespass. lie would have
done it without asking leave, only that
thirty Miss Lttitia always shuts her
knr,, JDnre ot nfuhf