Year: 1871

er Blue Laws slept well the Saturday


night was not known, but it was ascer-
aimed that the Col. was restless.


The next day was the Sabbath, and in
accordance with the custom of those
times, every person must go to church,


for these were puritanical times. Blue


Laws was prepared, and brought sec
ond quit for the occasion. The Col. and
his accomplished vile, with their guest


from abroad, walked to church, for the
Coils princely mansion was near by
At noon the Col. feigned himself sick,
and stayed at home, while lady Ruggles
and Blue Laws went TO church.


The COL, for once, stopped to on act oi
meanness Tat before he had never
thought of doing, to bring the two bulls
out into the yard and let them fight to-
day, while he, armed with pitchfork
could assist his bull, and il he could
whip Blue Laws to-day, he would be
likely to do it tomorrow. Accordingly,
as soon as the coast was clear, he let the
bulls come together.


the infuriated animals gazed on each
other for moment, and then closed in
deadly strife. The Col. was soon sails
fed that Blue Laws would win, and he
plunged the tines of the fork vigorously
into his launches, but it only made the
enraged animal fight the harder. At
last Blue Laws ran the Col. IS bull into a
a corner of the yard and broke his neck,
and he died without struggle. He had
still living enemy. He turned furi.
ously on the Col, who ran for life
through the small gate nearest tn house
but had not time to shut it. The Col.
was fleet foot; he reached the kitchen
door and got inside, but could not shut
it. The avenger of blood was teo near.
He turned into the parlor but had not
time to shut the door. He crossed it
and reached the entry leading to his
chamber. In making so many short
turns he worsted the bull just time
enough to close the last door. The bull,
for the first time, found himself in one
of the richest furnished rooms in New
England. Here wss one of the richest
Brussels carpets IN the county, that cost
ESQ; and here was a mirror that almost
reached from one floor to the other, and
that cost ESQ. The bullstood fow mo-
ments wondering where lie was, till
turning around and fpGlng tl,e mirror.
he discovo'.os ~. .9ther bull; he went Tor
him, and in an instant that beautiful
=, lat A,
The Col. was so angry that he loaded his
rifle, came round to the window and
shot the bull dead in the parlor. He
died hard, and in his death stru uggles he
pulled the carpet in many misshapen
pile, and dabbled it all over, from: side
to side, in blood. The Col. went up
stairs and flung himself on to the bed,
and silently waited for the approaching
storm.


At length, the long g-winded sermon
being over, lady Ruggles and Blue Laws
came tripping across the green. Blue
Laws had not as yet seen the beautiful
parlor of lady Ruggles. Thither she
conducted him to sit till she got her tea
ready. What a sight met her astonished
vision! Her beautiful mirror and splen-
did Brussels carpet heap of ruins, and
a dead bull, all in his gore, occupying
the premises.


She screamed with voice husky with
excitement, "Mr. Ruggles, in the name
of Heaven, where are you, aud what does
all this mean?"


A voice from the chamber came down,
"You need not make such id fuss
down there, there is another dead bull
in the barnyard."


The next day lady Ruggles started for
Boston with thousand dollars in her
pocket to reft her parlor. and Blue Laws
went cluckling back to the land ofstea-
dy habits to relate the adventure, and
show his money. He had won the bet,
and sold his own bull at his own price.