Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-05-01
THE TWO ORCHARDS.
BY AUSTIN c. BURDIcK.

Solomon Watts and Stephen Green
were two well-to-do farmers, and they
both owned good orchards. Their fruit
was mostly of a choice kind, and not only
found a ready market, but commanded .
high price. One thing vexed Mr.. Green
exceedingly, and was constant source
of annoyance. No sooner did his fruit
begin to ripen on his trees than nocturnal
and diurnal marauders commenced petty
depredations ON his choicest CRAFTS.
''It is very strange" muttered Green to
his wife, "that those scamps will continue
to rob my orchard. Only night before
last old Towser tore the clothes nearly off
from one of the villains, and from the
marks of blood that found on the fence,
should think somebody must have got
pretty severely bitten; and yet last night
some ore was in the orchard again. l
declare, it's enough to make one run
mad"
"It is curious" answered the wife,
''and I'm sure can't see into it. How
is it with neighbor Watts's orchardl"
"That's just what puzzles me. They
don't trouble his fruit at all, and he
hasn't got any dog, either; and what's
more, his fruit is some of it better than
mine, and more exposed, too. Just let
me catch one of 'em, that's all"
"It's too bad, certainly" uttered Mrs.
Green for she knew not what else to
say.
Father" exclaimed one of the boys,
who came running into the house,
"Towser's dead. Just as stiff as log!"
"Deadp %
eyes, s,-out in the she'd"
An oath escaped from Green's lips, as
he leaped from his chair and hastened to
the she'd There he found his dog-a
real bull dog, that he had bought on pur-
pose to bite those who troubled him
dead, to use his own expression, ssas a
door-nail." This was the most severe
cut he had yet experienced, and for
long time his mingled feelings of rage
and chagrin rendered him literally fran
tic. He knew at once that the animal
had been poisoned, by the froth that had
collected about the mouth; and he vowed
vengeance most dire on the perpetrator
of the deed, if he ever found him.
1t was several hours after the above
event that the family were seated by the
supper-table. 1t was already slightly
dusk, yet not so dark but that the dis
tant landscape was visible.
"By crackee, dad" exclaimed one of
the boys, whose attention had been di-
rected towards the orchard, "there's
somebody down in the corner hooking
apples"
Mr.. Green leaped from the table, put
on his hat, and then seizing stout whip,
he hurried from the house. He distinctly
saw two young fellows under one of his
trees, and having gained the road, he
carefully crept down upon the other side
of the wall, until he had reached point
opposite to where the two boys,-for
boys they were-were filling their poe
kets with the fruit that had fallen upon
the ground.
"Aha! my young scamps" shouted
Green, as he leaped the barrier, "Tve
caught ye, have Ia' And as he spoke,
he seized one of the unlucky youths by
the collar, and commenced beating him
most numerically.
''I'll teach ye" be growled, shaking
the crying boy.
go don't! l only picked up few.
y, won't"
"You won't. won't ye2 No, I'll be
bound We won't. There, take that, and
that, and"
Before the next word escaped his lips,
Mr.. Green felt himself hit in the side by
a stone which had been thrown from the
road by the boy who had escaped. The
excited man let go his hold and sprang
for the wall, but he failed to catch the
nimble urchin who had assaulted him,
and in the attempt he lost the one he
had caught. When the farmer reached
his house he was not only enraged but
he was really miserable. The ill-feeling
he had cherished had poisoned every
fountain of feeling and his soul was the
very gall of bitterness. Before he went
20 haI fbot x.~ht ha had rwor, that he