Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-01-08

don't wish to be hard on the poor man
all l want is fair compensation for the
mischief done"
"Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma am
lin fact, might say it's low.
1 wouldn't have herd OF
cattle and sheep trampling through
my premises in that way for hundred"
"Thefe's one thing I forgot to state;
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make
difference"
=" Not 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 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, suppose he should refuse
to pay for the damagesP should hate
to go to law about it."
{" He won'trefuse; 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 | thank you for your adj
vice." said Miss Letitia, and l mean to
act upon it to the very letter.
Scarcely was he out 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 him 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, wheth-
er she had any suspicion to whom the
animal belonged.
"Well, one of them I observed had s.
terrible crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer;
should know her among a thousand.
She was black and white, wasn't shep"
"Well, now think of it, she was
one seldom sees so clear a black and
white on a cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's ami
mails fast enough. Well, let me see i;
what you want is just fair estimate, l
supposeP"
"Certainly."
"Well, l should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to be allowed to
get off with"
"Oh, but fear that it will seem as if
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call it-say seventy-fve?''
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him off for cent less
than hundred, if it were my case"
"And if he refuses to payP"
"Why, keep the animal until he comes
around, 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
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 countenance
as Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milking-time that night he
made strange discovery-old brindlt
was missing!
/, At about the same hour Mr.. Babcock
made similar discovery; the black.
and-white heifer was nowhere to bt
, found!
, A horrible suspicion seized them both
"a suspicion they would not have made
3 known to each other for the world.
They waited till it was dark, and ther
Mr.. Babcock stole around to Mis-!
o Letitia's and meekly asked leave to lool
at the animals which had committed thu
y trespass. He would have done it with
out asking leave, only that thrifty Mis-
n Letitia always shut her barn doors a
q night.
i While he stood looking over into thu
n pens where the cows were confined ant
trying to negotiate with Miss Letitia TO
the release of the heifer, along came Mr.
Small in quest of his brindle.
/ The two men stared at each other il
q blank dismay, then hung their heads il
9 confusion.
n 1t was useless to assert that the dam
9 ages were too high, for had they no
fixed them themselvesP 1t was useles
o to plead that Miss Letitia was in man
s ner responsible for what had happened
:. on account of the open gate, for ha
they not assured her that that circum
=, stance did not alter the clSeP 1t wa
7 useless to say she had no right to kee
Il the cows in custody, for had they nc
# counseled her to do SOP AS to going t
u law about it, would they not become tn
e. sport of the whole town.
>. ale that diggeth a pit, he himse
~ shall fall into it," said Miss Letitia, VIII
y read what was passing in their minds a
~ we'll as if they had spoken, for the ligf
~ from Isaac's lantern fell full on the
faces. "However, on one condition
will free the COWS and forgive the debt.
- "What is that?n Both thought til
20 question, but did not ask it.
w. "The condition is, that you promis
N to put good new fence in place of ii
Il old one that separates your estates, d
" viding the cost between you, and TIL
henceforth you will live together peac
q. fully, so far us in you lies. Do yo
90 promisePn
OF eyes," muttered both, in a volt
oI scarcely audible.
he "Shake hands upon it, then," sa
10 Miss Letitia.
y They did so.
ID Snow let the cows out, Isaac; it
90 time they were milked," said she.
~ And the two men went away drivir
ID their cows before them, and with
70 70 shame faced air, greatly in contrast
W the look of triumph with which they he
before quilted her presence.
l,S The fence was built, and the STIR
~, ceased when the cause was removed; b
q it was long before Miss Letitia's part
NJ the affair came to the public ear; f
w chn hnrcnlf maintained a Strint Silnnl