Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-09
4 MUTUAL MISTAKE.

DdIdll, Sdlu .hl. Lyman CODD, COM
ing in to breakfast from what he called
his garden, With half Il dozen str.ngy
radiShes in his hand Sarah, I've lust
been talking across the fence to Neighbor
Kimberly, and he tells me that his hen
house was robbed last night"
Good gracious!n said Mrs. Cobb, set
ting down the coffee pot and turning
around with eager interest. "Who are
the thieyes2 and how did they get into
the hen house? and how many chickens
are stolen?"
Il don't remember-three or four, or
perhaps five or six, or more. | didn't
notice particularly"
Just like Il man! hearing of hen
house being robbed, and not noticing
how many fowls were taken!"
''The matter to u.s." said Cobb, ad-
miringly surveying the radishcs, sis
rather how to prevent our fowls meeting
the same fate. If the thieves could
break open Kimberlys poultry house
which is kept locked, they will find no
difficulty in getting into ours"
That is true; and my precious Co chin
Chinas and the pair of Leghorns! What's
to be don2I"
"Shoot EN-, pa!' bawled Master Tommy
Cobb in eager excitement. II would if
l was you!H
Cobb looked with parental pride upon
his promising heir with the warlike
spirit, but shook his head reprovingly.
"No, no, Tommy; it wouldn't be right
to take mans life for the sake of few
chickens" "
''But they're robbers and robbers
ought to be shot" persisted Tommy,
"Onghtn't they, MAJ"
"Come to breakfast, Tommy, and
don't tax about dreadful things" re-
piled his mother. "And, Lyman, be
sure you don't forget to bring home u
paddock this evening for the hen house.
1t ought to have been fixe long ago"
81 will, If can rem mamber it. .
Remember it! True; you never do
remember anything that you ought to-
See here. I'll make memorandum Of
it,
And Mrs. Cobb tied close hard knot
in one corner of her husbands bue polka
dotted pocket handkcrchief-he usual
mode Of keeping him in mind of any spe-
cial domestic commission to be executed
down town.
Then they sat down to enjoy becrsteak
and onions, and the fresh home-raised
radi shes-so fresh, as Master Tommy ex-
ultingly observed, that they tasted of
the ground out of which they had just
been taken
That day Cobb came home as usual to
dinner, and when questioned by his wife,
said he had bought the paddock on his
way to his shop, but unfortunately forgot
to bring it home.
However, he would do so in the Oven
ing, if he came home, which was rather
doubtful. Judge Brooks wanted some
Improvements made II his house. few
miles in the country, and had proposed
to take him out in his buggy this even
ing to examine it, and bring him back to
town in the morning. So, if he were not
at home TO supper, his wife need not eX-
pect him to night.
AS to the chicken thieves, it WASH +
likely that they would make II second at
tempt in the ncighborhood on the very
night succeeding the lat; so she need
not be uneasy on that score.
And if anything should happen in his
absence-why, there was his shotgun on
the hooks in the closet, and she knew
how to fire it well enough to frIghten
the thieves and arouse the neigh
bors.
Mr.. Cobb didn't make his appearance
at tea, but sent a m eSsage by Joe Kim
berly, who had seen him riding off in a
buggy with Judge Brooks
At about ten o'clock, Mrs. Cobb, who
was strong minded woman, commenced
preparations for retiring.
Despite her husbands assurances, she
had all day been haunted by a fear of
losing the valuable fowls for which she
only last week paid high price.
And, according to her Judgment, it
was much more natural that the thieves
should repeat their attempt on the night
succeeding the first robbery, for the very
reason that most people wouldn't ex-
pect them TO do so,
Therefore. in thinking over the matter
she resolved to go out and secure the
hen-house door with piece of old tele-
graph wire which had ben for some-
time lying in corner of the yard--one
of a mis- cllnneols cal e ;tion Of odds and
ends belonging to master T0mmy's pri-
vatc store
That promising youth was already in
bel and asleep; and his mother, throw