Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-02-23
all want is a fair compensation for
the mischief DONE"

all want is a fair compensation for
the mischief DONE"
"Seventy-fve dollars is fair, ma'am-
in fact, might say its low. | wouldn't
have had herd of cattle and sheep
trampling through my premises in that
way for hundred"
There's one thing | forgot to state
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may make
a difference"
"Not a bit-not a bit. You'd a right
to have your gate open, but Smalps
cows had no right to run loose. hope
Isaac drove them into the pound, didn't
hep
q heard him say he'd shut 'em up
somewhere, and didn't mean TO let 'em
out till the owner called for 'em. But
Mr.. BabcOck, what if he should refuse
to pay the damages? should hate to
60 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" sud Miss Letitia, "and | mean
to act upon it to the 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 damaged prop
5rty. 1t was remarkable before he did
this, that he asked the same questions
Mr.. BtbcOck had asked, namely, wheth-
er she had any suspicion to whom the
animals belonged.
"Well, one of them | observed had Il
terrible crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's BabcOck's heifer; l
should know her among Thousand,
she was black and white, wasn't she?'
"Well, now | think Of it, she was
one seldom sees so clear black and
white on a cow"
TO be sure, they're Blbcock's ami,
mails fast enough. Well, let me see,
what you want is fair estimate, |
suppose?'
Certainly"
"Well, | should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought to be allowed
to gel off with
"0h, | fear that will seem as if
meant to take advantage. Suppose We
call it say seventy-hveY'
"Just as you please, of course; but
hanged if I'd let him off for a cent less
than a hundred if it were my case"
"And if he refuses TO pay?'
"Why, keep the animals until he
comes around, that's ALL"
"But there's 0ne thing neglected tc
mention-our gate was standing open
that may alter the case."
"NOt at all; there is no law against
leaving your gate open; there is against
stray animals"
"Very well; thank you for your ad
: vice." said Mss Letitia; and Mr.. Smal
, departed with as smiling cOunte
nance as Mr.. BabcOck had worn.
But at milking time that night HI
: made startling discoyery-Old brindl'
was missing! At about the same h0u
Mr.. Babcock made a similar discover.
the black and white heifer was no
: where to be found! A horrible sus
pici0n seized them both--a suspicion
4 they would not have made known t.
9 each other for the world.
+ They waited until it was dusk, ant
D then Mr.. Babcock stole around to Mis-
: Letita's and meekly asked leave t
, look ut the animals which had commit
a ted the trespass. He would have don
it without asking leave, only tina
=. thrifty Miss Letitia always shut he
k barn doors at night!
:. While he stood looking over into tn
pens where the cows We're confined
Il and trying to negotiate with Miss 1t
1 llJld lOI lllt ltlt'toD vi lllO IVllVl, "iuli
: came Mr.. Small, in quest of his brindl,
, The two men stared at each other i
e blank dismay, then hung their head
d in confusion.
!, 1t was useless to assert that til
e, damages we're too high, for had the
Ne n, fixed them themselves? 1t wa
useless to plead that Miss Letitia wa
in IA manner responsible for what ha
happened on account of the open gat
J. for had they not assured her that eli
" cumstances did not alter the case?
l. was useless to say she had no right
ID keep the COWS in custody, for had the
% not told her to do SOP As to going
ID law about it, would they not becOm
the sport of the whole town?
"He that diggeth pit, he himse
l shall fall into it," said Miss Letiti
Sc who read what was passing in the
at minds as well as if they had spoke
el for the light of Isaac's lantern fell fu
le upon their faces. "lIOwever, on OF
is condition | will free the cows, and fO
II. give the debt"
G. "What is that?" Both thought Il
it question, but did not ask it.
u "The condition is that you promi
Id to put good fence in place of the o
to one that separates your estate, dividil
tn. cost between you, and that henC
forth you will live together peaceful
ks so far rs in you lies. Do you promise
n. "Yes," muttered both in a vol
Id scarcely audible.
Ist "Shake hands upon it, then," sa
er Miss Letitia.
Ir. They did so.
Is. "NOw let the cows out, Isaac; i
'se time they were milked," said she. Al
Ir. the two men went away driving thu
cows before them, and with shan
ar faced air, greatly in contrast to t
ere look of triumph with which they h
TX, before quilted her presence.
L." The fence was built and the STR
e." ceased when the cause was remove
.rk but it was long before Miss Letiti
ny part in the affair came to the pub
MT ear, for she herself maintained str
silence concerning it and she enjoy
the same upon her man-servant, lisa
p
iss An Owl Story,