Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/74

 Harmony at Law.

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HARMONY AT LAW. BY GEORGE O. BLUME. ¿4 ¥F you've sed all your goin' to say, we'll A set down right here.'' This announce ment was made by Lemuel Ryder, attorneyat-law, to opposing counsel, Henry Par tridge, in the case of Whitby v. Slocum, which was an action of contract wherein the said Whitby sought to recover from defend ant, Joel Slocum, forty dollars for gross mis representation of a sorrel horse which said Slocum sold one Jonathan Whitby expressly with intent to defraud. The court-room at Colebrook Junction was crowded with anxious spectators eager to know just how this much-talked-of case would terminate. Trial Justice Hiram Thompson was on the bench and said, "D' yo rest, Hennery?" Being given to understand that he did, his honor addressed Mr. Ryder with, "an1 you sed ez how you wuz through Lern;" and without waiting to have this con firmed continued, "Bein' ez how the two learned gentlemen fer the plaintiff an' defense hez got all done talking, I'll jest take a hand in this myself." Whereupon his honor shifted his cud around and wiping his glasses said, "Fust thing ter consider in this yere case is, ther motive. Ef Joel was out ter beat John, wuz it fer pure love of gain or was there a motive hitched to it? Joel says he hain't got nothin' agin John an' 'twas a fair trade. John says ther hoss hed the heaves an' was foundered. Now we all on us know what Joel is in a hoss trade, but thet ain't here nor ther; the question is, what wuz his motiff 'sides ther money end of it? Tears ter me ez near ez kin be found août thet Joel an' John warn't on speakin' terms fer quite a spell afore this hoss trade. Then we find John goin' ter law an' tryin' ter mek Joel pay forty dollars fer misrepresentin' a sorrel

hoss. This wuz what might be called a blood trade, ef John hed got the better of Joel he'd a been satisfied, but Joel beat John so John hollers fer the law on et. Well, comin' ter the motiff, strikes me thet 'bout three year ago or mebbe it wor three year an' a half, anyhow et wuz 'bout the time Joe Springer put ther new sills under his silo, John wuz helpin' me cut my fodder corn et the time, an' one mornin' long bout sun up John druv over and sed thet Joel's folks wuz down with ther whoopin' cough and that he an' Suse Ann wuz goin' to tend out on 'em. Well, et 'pears thet John an' his women folks mixed up a sort of soothing syrup by mistake and give et ter Joel an' his folks, 'fore the doctor got there, thet pretty nigh put 'em all out of business. Well, ever sense thet time, John an' Joel ain't sed nothin' but what wuz bad agin one 'nother. "Now it strikes me thet Joel must have knowed thet John wuz doin' the best he could, but Joel held that John hed evil in tent. Now this yere tribunal ain't here to duscuss family troubles, but ter say what's the right and wrong of it, so without goin' into ther details of this matter beyond what we think justifies the case et hand, the court finds that one person should harbour no ill will agin' a neighbor an' thet Jonathan Whitby is guilty of lack of common sense in not knowin' a heevy hoss, an' also et finds thet Joel Slocum is guilty of takin' advan tage of same an' orders Joel to pay the cost of court an' ter trade back with John. 'Sides this findin'," hereupon Judge Thompson leaned back and stroked his chin whiskers, "this yere court would ask as a pussonel favor thet Jonathan an' Joel shake ban's an' let bygones be bygones."