The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-01

found, to his utter establishment, Il
bear a later date than the one produced
by Peters. This seemed to settle the
question against him. But he appeared
to have no notion OF giving up so
and, by favor of court, the further
hearing Of the case was deferred day
or two, to enable him to procure the
town records, which, he contended,
would show the priority of his deed.
So he posted back to Guilford for the
purpose but on arriving there,
found, to his dismay, that the records
were nowhere to be found. One of that
belligerent parties Of that town, il
seems, had broken into the clerk g
Office, stolen the records, (11) and buried
them somewhere in the ground. The
fellow, therefore, had to return, and
submit to judgment against him.
Still, however, he chung to his case,
and obtained review of it, in ex-
pectation that the records would be
found before the next court. But the
poor fellow seemed doomed to disap-
pointment. At the next court, no rec
ords were forthcoming; and though he
defended his case with great zeal, he
was thrown in his suit again; when he
concluded, ! suppose, to yield to his
fate without further ado.
mot by any MEANS" said Peters
IN tone of raillery. "He has petit
toned for a new trial; and the ques.
ton is to come on at this court. :"
Indeed !" exclaimed Jones, laugh
ing. "Well, / must confess l have
never seen SO much logged determine
tion exhibited in so hopeless case.
And really could not help admiring
the fellows spirit and uncultured force
of mind, as much misapplied as, of
course, l suppose 1t to have been.
Your lawyer, Stevens, really APP
peared, once or twice, to be quite an
noyed at his home thrusts; while law
yer knights, (12) or Rough hewn Sam.
as they call him, who, either from silly
wish to see his friend Stevens bothered,
or from real wish to help Harry, vol
unteered to whisper few suggestions
in his ear occasionally, sat by, and
laughed out of his eyes, till they ran
over with tears, to see court lawyer
so hard pushed by country pumpkin. !"
Pooh. You make too much of the
fellow" said Peters, with assumed
contempt. "Why, he is mere obsti
nate boor, whose self-wil and vanity
led him to set up and persevere in a
defence in which he knows there is
neither law nor Justice. !"
"And yet. Mr.. Peters," observed
Miss Haviland, inquiringly, "the
young man must have known that he
was making great expense for himself,
in obtaining delays and new trials.
in the hope that the lost records would
be found. II he was net very confident
those records would have established
his right, why should he have done this?
80, ii was mere pretence about
the records altering the case. doubt
less, " replied Peters, with the air OF
one wishing to hear no more on the
subject.
at may have been so, rejoined the
former, doubtfully: "but l should
have hardly inferred it from Mr..
Jones's description of the man and his
conduct. T"
"Nor /, !" interposed the other lady.
playfully. but with considerable spirit
'Mr. Jones has already excited my
by his account of this young
plough logger. should like to get a
sight of him shouldn't you, Sebray?"
But the latter, though evidently mus
ing on the subject. and mentally dis
GUESSING some unpleasant doubts and
differences which it seemed to present
to her active mind, yet evaded the
question, and turned the conversation,
by directing the attention of her com
panion and the rest of the company to
a distant object in the wild landscape,
which here opened to their view. This |
was the tall, rugged mountain, OBJ |
which, rising from the eastern shore of
the Connecticut, was here, through an |
opening in the trees, seen looming and |
lifting its snowy crest to the clouds, |
and greeting the gladdened eyes of the
way worn travellers with the silent
were now within a few miles of the
mediate vicinity of their intended
hating place the thriving little
village which was then just starting
into life, under the auspices of the
man from whom its name was derived
the enterprising Colonel Brattle, OF
Massachusetts. t14)
Having now the advantage of a road,
which, as it received the many con-
paths of thicker settle
nent, here began to be comparatively
irm, the travellers passed rapidly over
he descending grounds, and, in a
hort time, entered the village. AS
hey were dashing along towards the
Tillage inn, at full trot, man, with
/ vehicle drawn by one horse, ap-
,roaching in an intersecting road from
he south, struck into the same street
/ short distance before them. His
Whole equipment was very obviously
# the most simple character, "a rough