Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1906-08-30

free-also the tin can brung 'em down
In, !" he added, magnanimously.
You're liberal, snorted Chriswaller.
"And-why, what's this? Labor, 90
cents; box, 25 cents.
That's the day you come here-hxin'
the icebox an stretchin' the tent flies
and etsetry. / don't aim to make no
profit on that box. They'G charge you
Is cents or maybe quarter for II down
TO the harbor, and you'd have to pay for
havin il brought up here by boat That's
reasonable.
Chriswaller paid the bill you
might receipt it if you don't charge too
much for the labor, he observed, sarcas-
tically.
"Haw, haw.' laughed Skedger, en-
tirely unabashed. NO, sir. / never
charge for that. Obliged TO you, sir.
The next week he had a bill to pre-
sent for supplies Mrs. Chriswaller had
her turn then. milk eight cents a
quart" she exclaimed. why, we only
pay seven cents for it in Chicago, and
this was skinned milk
Its Jersey milk, though, marin said
Skedger when you buy milk in the
city you don't know what you're gettin,.
You come down TO the pasture some time
an look at them Jerseys o. mine. lfyou
don't say eight cents is little enough
you amt the lady | take you for. Do
you know what it costs me to feed them
cows in the winter?"
"And eggs rs cents a dozenl We were
paying % for them when we left home.
Not fresh, new-laid eggs, like what
I'm supplyin' you" urged Skedger, in
sinuatingly.
GO down and look al his chicken
house and you'll say they're too cheap"
sneered Chriswaller, who had Just
looked over his wife's shoulder. What's
Rabbit 30 cents? Have you been buy
ing rabbits?"
The boys killed one in the woods,
replied Mrs. Chriswaller. but | never
supposed Mr.. Skedger would think OF
charging for IT,
Rabbits is gittin' mighty scarce
around here, said Skedger. Il didn't
know there was any left. II had ia
have been after EN-. I'm a master hand
fer rabbit pie or young un fried. I'd
'a'give 30 cents fer that one willin'"
The next charge was for some drift
plank and boards that the boys had
gathered up and consumed in a bonfire
70 drive of the mosquitoes. Skedger
estimated that his riparian rights had
been trespassed upon 10 the extent of
81 that time. He charged for the dew
berries that Mrs Chriswaller and the
girls picked from the bramble patch and
he charged for hauling a package OF
oatmeal and some coffee and sugar for
the Chriswallers when he made trip
to town.
He only missed one chance TO charge
the whole time we were there" Chris.
waller said. That was when Rob killed
a blacksnake that was climbing a tree
within a few feet of our tents. He cut
II In two with an ak. called Skedger's
attention TO the omission, but he said he
didn't want to be small. When people
were liberal with him he liked to be lib
eral with them. Then I argued that
blaeksnakes were valuable reptiles. as
they killed the mice and other vermin
that otherwise would destroy the crops.
That's true, he said, and went away,
looking thoughtful
The next day he came around and
said he had been studying on il and,
while he was a man of his word and
wouldn't make any claim for the snake,
still he thought it no more than right
that he should be compensated for the
damage Rob had done to the tree with
the AK when he struck at the snake
Chicago Daily News.