Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-02
"Seventy-ave dollars is Fair. ma,am-

trampling through my premises in thai
way for a hundred"
There's one thing forgot to state
the orchard gate was open, or they
couldn't have got in; that may max,
a difference"
mot bit-not a bit. You'd a right
to have your gate open, but Small.
cows had no right to run loose. hop,
Isaac drove them into the pound, didn'
ne?"
81 heard him say he'd shut 'em VI
somewhere, and didn't mean 10 let EN-
out till the owner called for 'em. But
Mr.. BabcOck, what if he should refuse
to pay the damages? / should hate tC
go to law about IT,"
"He won't refuse: If he does, keeI
the critters till he will pay. AS to law
| guess he's had about enough of that
I'm sure thank you for your ad
vice." said Miss Letitia, "and L NEAR
TO act upon it to the letter."
Scarcely was he out Of siSlTt wher
Miss Letitia sent a summons for Mr.
Small, which he obeyed as promptly a:
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 die
this, that he asked the same question:
Mr.. BIbcOck had asked, namely, wheth
er she had any suspicion TO whom the
animals belonged.
"Well, one of them / observed had q
terrible crooked horn"
"Precisely-it's Babcock's heifer; 1
should know her among a thousand
She was black and white, wasn't she p
"Well, now l think of 1t, she was
one seldom sees so clear black and
white on a cow"
ITO be sure, they're Babcock's ami.
mails fast enough. Well, let me see
what you want is a fair estimate,
suppOse?"
Certainly"
"Well. should say ninety dollars
was as low as he ought TO be allowed
to get off with"
"Oh, l fear that will seem as If
meant to take advantage. Suppose we
call ii say seventy.hve?"
"Just as you please, Of course; but
hanged IL I'd let him off for 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"
"Butthere's one thing / neglected To
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 Miss Letitia; and Mr.. Small
departed with as smiling a cOunte.
nance as Mr.. Babcock had worn.
But at milking time that night he
made startling gdiscovery-oldb brindle
was missingl At about the same hour
Mr.. Babcock made a 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 until it was dusk, and
then Mr.. Babcock stole around to Miss
Letitia's and meekly asked leave 10
look at the animals which had commit
ted the trespass. He would have done
IL without 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 lie.
titia for the release of the heifer, along
came Mr.. Small, in quest of his brindle
The two men stared at each other in
blank dismay, then hung their heads
I'm confusion.
1t was useless to assert that the
damages were, too high, for had they
nDt fixed them themselves2 1t was
useless to plead that Miss Letitia was
in manner responsible for what had
happened on account of the open gate
for had they not assured her that cir
cumstances did not alter the case? II
was useless to say she had no right tC
keep the cows in custody. for had they
not told her to do SOP As to going tC
law about it, would they not become
the sport of the whole town?
"IIe that diggeth a pit, he himself
shall fall into it." said Miss Letitia,
who read what was passing in their
minds as well rs if they had spoken,
for the light of Isaac's lantern fell full
upon their faces. However, on one
condition will free the cows, and for.
give the debt"
"What is that?" Both thought the
question, but did not ask it.
"The condition is that you promise
10 put good fence in place of the old
one that separates your estate, dividing
tbs cost between you, and that hence.
forth you will live together peacefully
so far as in you lies. Do you promise r
EYES," muttered both in a voice
scarcely audible.
Shake hands upon it, then" said
Miss Letitia
They did so.
"NOw let the cows out, Isaac; it's
time they were MIXED" said she. And
the two men went away driving their
cows before them, and with a shame
faced air. greatly in contrast to the
look of triumph with which they had
before quilted her presence.
The fence was built and the strife
ceased when the cause was removed
but 1t was long before Miss Letitia's
part in the affair came to the public
ear, for she herself maintained a strict
silence concerning it and she enjoyed
the same upon her man-servant, Isaac
An Owl Story