Connecticut western news., 1881-01-19

" It IS so, said MT. Babcock.
 "And that isn't all, for by the looks of things they must have been rampag- ing in the orchard and clover-felds before they got into the garden. Just you come and see," and putting on her sun-bonnet, Miss Letitia showed MT. Babcock over the damaged precincts.
 "You don't happen to know whose animals did the mischief?" said MT. Babcock.
 "Well, didn't observe them in par ticular myself, but Isaac said there was one with peculiar white mark, some thing like cross, on its haunch."
 "Why, that's Small's old brindle,' D cried MT. Babeock. ''I know the mark as we'll as I know the nose on my face. She had balls on her horns, didn't she ?"
 "Yes, so Isaac said"
 "And kind of hump on her back ?"
 "A perfect dromedary," said Miss Letitia, "I noticed that myself"
 "They were Small's COWS, no doubt of it at all, said Mir. 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 Letitia.
 "I knew it-they always go with the COWS and what you want of me-"
 "Is to fix damages" said Miss Leti- tia. "As said before, women. folks are no judges about such matters.'
 MT. Babcock meditated moment, and then said:
 "Well, I wouldn't take a cent less than seventy-five dollars, if were you not cent"
 Seventy-fve dollars Isn't that a good deal, MT. 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. wouldn't have herd of cattle and sheep tramp ling through my premises in that way for hundred"
 l. 4utlO O1S l uO oUtbGO the orchard gate was open, or they couldn't have got in that may make a difference.
 "Not bit-not bit. You'd right to have your gate open, but Small's COWS had no right to run loose. I hope Isaac drove them to the pound, didn't hep
 "I heard him say he'd shut 'em up somewhere, and didn't mean to let 'em out till the owner calls for 'em. But, Mir. Babcock, suppose he should refuse to pay for the damages? ? 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, I 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 tc the very letter.
 Scarcely was he out of sight, when Miss Letitia sent a summons for MT. Small, which he obeyed as promptly as his neighbor had done. She made to him precisely the same statement she had made to MT. Bab- cock, showed him the injured property, and asked him to fix the damages. It was remarkable, before he did this, that he should ask the same question l MT. Babcock had asked; namely. whether she had any suspicion to whom the animals belonged. "Well, one of them observed had a terrible crooked horn." Precisely-it's Babcocks heifer; l , should know her among thousand She was black and white, wasn't she?' "Well, now I think of it, she was one seldom sees so clear black an6 !, white on cow"
 "To be sure, they're Babcock's ani 7 mals fast enough. Well, let me see l what you want is just fair estimate, : suppose?"
 8 Certainly"
 "Well, should say ninety dollars 7 was as low as he ought to be allowed tc ] get off with"
 0 "Oh, but I fear that it will seem as e if I meant to take advantage. Suppose d we call it-say seventy-fv n "Just as you please, of course; bu
 hanged if I'd let him off for a cent less 8 than hundred, if it were my case" }, "And if he refuses to pay 9 d "Why, keep the animal until h. o comes around, that's all. l. "But there's one thing I neglected t. s mention-our gate was standing open v that may alter the case.'
 "Not at all there's no law agains Q keeping your gate open there is agains q stray animals" J. "Very we'll thank you for your ad
 vice, said Miss Letitia; and MT. Smal u departed with as smiling a countenanc I as Mir. Babcock had worn. d But at milking-tim that night h ,f made a strange discovery-old brindl d was missing! ,t At about the same hour MT. Bab ; cock made a similar discovery; tn e black and-white heifer was nowhere t t be found
 1t A horrible suspicion seized them bot
 a suspicion they would not have mad
 known to each other for the world. !: They waited till it was dark, and the g MT. Babcock stole around to Mis- le Letit1a's and meekly asked leave to loo y at the animals which had committed tn ID trespass. He would have done it witt