Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-16

Father, yo snail do something!
(, You have bee. cheated. You have
! surrendered year land. tell you my
5 dell has been rooted out and destroy
: ed! We mus. do something"
Eyes, certaialy-yes, of course. You
see, my dear -"
: And Miss Hattie walked straight
out of the library, and straight out OF
the house, and straight down the path
. to the dell-less dell. She meant to
see somebody and raise row, hhe
was goting to demand this and that.
! Her cheeks burned and her eyes
flashed, and the wonder was that the
. old goat, belonging q mile away. but
out for roam, dared to DO what ne
/: did. Miss Hattie had blue ribbon
|. belt about her waist. The goat didn't
like 1t. He lowered his head, roared
/ as we'll as he could. and minute Ia
ter there was a girl up an apple tree
and a goat looking oil around IN
puzzled way. He didn't go home ana
give it up. He didn't go away at
all. He was there to see the thing
through.
The girl up the tree could have
screamed for help, and Aunt Jane
/ would have come with the broom. and
the cook with the mop. but just as she
was thinking Of It the young man from
THE Oaks" came wandering that
way to see what the workmen had
| done. He wasn't bad to look at as be
wandered along and planned how he
would improve this and that spot, but
the situation was not in the least ro-
mantle.
Would the goat go for him? No!
He wore no blue ribbon. Would he
halt and turn back? 1t was u ques-
ton. Didn't his demeanor show that
be meant to inspect that very apple
| tree and make sure Of the kind and
quality Of fruit7 If the goat would
only charge him and knock him UNI
conscious-not fatally injure him, but
render him dead to the world for two
minutes-just long enough for 8 girl
up tree to descend with dignity and
gain the shelter of the house! But
he wouldn't. He never even gave tho
young man second glance. Nearer
ACKNOWLEDGMENT! And then
came voice:
60 away, sirl"
"Who-what!" he exclaimed with q
start.
"Go ut once. sirl"
"Can that be the goat speaking to
meP"
ITS girl! Go back to the housed"
"But-but where is the girl?"
The young mans wcnderment was
genuine. He was looking in every DR..
rection but the right one. Right then
and there Miss Hattie mentally called
him q pudding-head. but he was mas
ter Of the situation. and she had to
explain:
I'm up tree ] was afraid Of the
goat. Please scare him away and
then walk IN another direction
Certainly--certainly.
The goat was given whacA with a
handy club. but neither he nor Mr..
Carney had travelled thirty feet when
there was yell. fall and O thud
Dear me, but l regret-I beg par
dom hope
"You-you stole our land!' eX.
claimed the girl as she scrambled to
her feet as gracefully as possible.
Eyes, you stole our land and you have
stolen my dell. and you knew l was
up tree, and ! hate you--hate you'll"
With that she was off to the house,
walking with what dignity she could,
and she left young man and an old
goat behind her to wonder who she
was.
The goat hasn't found out yet. The
young man went at it right off. He
had to call on the proressor-and he
had to call and apologize about that
dell, which he had taken for q crows
roost-and make another call for
apology for being alive or something.
and months and months later when
he asked q certain question he was
answered:
Yes, after years and years, maybe
I believe you knew was up that ap-
pie tree all the time, and you must