The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-22
"No sheep with them,

"Well, now l think of it there were
sheep-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 you want of me-P"
"It's to fix damages" said Miss Lett
tia. Gas l said before, women folks are
no Judges about such matters"
Mr.. Babcock meditated moment,
and then said:
"Well, I wouldn't take cent less
than seventy-ive dollars, if 1 were you
not a cent"
Seventy-fve dollars! Isn't that a
good deal, Mr.. Babcock? You know |
don't wish to be hard on the poor man
all l want is fair compensation for the
mischief DONE"
Seventy-five dollars is fair, ma am
in fact, l might say it's low:
L wouldn't have herd of
cattle and sheep trampling through
my premises in that way for hundred. ."
"There's one thing l forgot to state /;
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. 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 damages? l should hate
to 60 to law about it."
ale won't refuse; and if he does, keep
the critters till he will pay. AS to law,
l guess he's had about enough of that. ~
"Im sure l thank you for your ad-
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 a 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. t...
"Well, one of them 1 observed had a
terrible crooked horn.''
"Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer;
should know her among 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 cow"
"To be sure, they're Babcock's ami
mails fast enough. Well, let me see;
what you want is just a fair estimate, l
supposed"
"Certainly." H
"Well, 1 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 fveP"
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him off for a 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 1 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.''
"Very 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 brindle
was missing!
At about the same hour Mr.. Babcock
made similar discovery; the black
and-white heifer was nowhere to be
found! ....
A horrible suspicion seized them both
"a suspicion they would not have made
known to each other for the world.
They waited 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 the
trespass. He would have done it with
out asking leave, only that thrifty Miss
Letitia always shut her barn doors at
night.
While he stood looking over into the
pens 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 his brindle. p.
The two men stared at each other in
blank dismay, then hung their heads in
confusion. .t -..l ....
1t was useless to assert that the dam
ages were too high, for had they not
fixed them themselvesp 1t 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 that circum-
stance did not alter the casep 1t was
useless to say she had no right to keep
the COWS in custody, for had they not
counseled her to do SOP AS to going to
law about it, would they not become the
sport of the whole town.
"He that diggeth a pit, he himself
shall fall into it." said Miss Letitia, who
read what was passing in their minds as
well as if they had spoken, for the light
from Isaac's lantern fell full on their
faces. "However, on one condition
will free the cows and forgive the debt. -
"What is thatp" Both thought 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-