Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1892-09-29

n Af haps IL Is had
been an ordi-
nary cuvv-bcll.
ar had been heard ia any other field. II
would o have caused even a ripple Of
excitement among the stolid farmers;
but that that particular bell should
ring IN hat q field and ia no other.
iust az that particular time. and that
no % should ever catch sight Of the
mysterious ringer. was enough tocause
excitement even in a place where sen
satEo.S were more common than they
ere IA that little backwOodS settle
meat.
Clarks Crossing had been named after
b wealthy owner Of the largest farm
IN the township Il is doubtful II this
name would have been chosen if the
mar who had first applied it TO the
cluster Of hoases that stood near the
spot where the railway crossed the main
ru1d had supposed that his neighborS
would adopt the lame for Mr.. Clark
Sss NOT popular among them They
d~rtrustei and tizIE<ed him
he vas an ignorant man. but No one
could say he was positively dishonest.
lie Vas too acEte 20 be caught in d Of
th- p~,tE meannessss q which they
f~it sure h. haa been guilty. therefore.
they euul8 Only watch him closely in
al their dealings and probably believed
hin guilty % many thing he never
thonwht - Goia~.
Feeling thus toward him il was not
- - -. ~
cOw was run ov-r on the track Just BE-
Iow the crossing. WHERE the railway
ran through q portion Of Mr.. Clark's
farm. there should ,. a number
readv 10 say that he hal ct down the
fence and driven d animal 90 - the
track else. how did sn- gct thsre7
Not from the road. the cattle guards
prevented that and the railway itself
was well fenced
The COW was known to have broken
into the whsarfeld IN the afternoon
She a heavy. cracked peculiar
sounding bell that was we'll known 10
all Two OF the neighbors had after
terward said that. returning home late
from the village. three miles away, they
had heard the COW there again
Later still, when the express train
went by. several had been aroused
from sleep By its short, sharp danger
whistle; but the train had gone on, aud
afterward the COW had been found bv
the section men beside the track. dead.
They notified Mrs Garrett. and. TO save
her any trouble OF expense, buried the
carcass where il was found.
Tommy Garrett, freckled, under
sized, big-eyed Tommy-Nrs CARROTS
dull. commonplace fourteen-year-old
and only son-went over and watched
them. and Mrs Garrett grieved, for the
COW had been a help to her, and She
eould not afford to replace il.
Did they take the bell off Brindle?-
she asked Tommy that evening. a. he
sat staring stolidly into the fire.
No, he replied-'thOught It WASH,
worth II It's buried. but not deep,
though.
We'll. we can't get it. ever il il
isn't deep answered hts mother. but
Tn sorry it wasn't taken of. The bel
and strap would have been worth some.
thing at the junk-shop in town. even II
no q here wanted them Fifty cents,
MAYBE
Tommy's dull face frightened some
what and his why figure Strengthened
for a moment
The old bell worth Htty cents. wha;
aPity he bad not known it.
This was the way the matter stood
when. the second night after the COW
had been buried. Mr.. Clark heard a cow.
bell in his wheat f~ld
He dressed hastily. grumblIng mean.
while about people who allowed their
stock "a run IN the road-althoagh he
was q Of them-lit his lantern and
fastened u 70 the field
All the way from the house to the
wheat field fence he could hear the
short -elink. elink. elink made By the
bell OF an animal feeding.
Get cut. you brute he shouted. as
ne set his lantern on \ fence post and
began 20 climb stifsy into the field
IL was n still hight Every sound
could oe heard distinctly There wa.
a sharp "elank- Of the bell Is II the
animal had paused startled by his
voice. and raised IT'S head suddenly tc
listen and presently the steady. half.
mufaed -'eljnk. elink. elink began
again
Mr. Clark wen. out , few yards into
Z wheat and holding his lantern a.
sigh as he could. peered into the semi,
darkness.
"Clink. elink, eliuk sounded the
oel-ouly a few yards away. II seemed
to him, but he could see nothing.
Get out you trespassing beass- M
u again stamping angrily.
Inc bell ratified as II the cow h.c
sha<en her head and then all was still
The field lay beside the main road
pne OF the section men. who had beer
TO the village and was late in return.
Ing, called 70 his neizhbor.