A PUZZLING TRANSACTION.
It happened in this wise: The two gentlemen were Irish, and, as every one knows, the sons of that nationality are excitable. Up to a certain time they had lived as peaceful neighbors should, but when Mr. O'Farrel's cow had her career cut short in a summary fashion by being smothered under a load of hay that lost its balance and toppled off from Mr. McSway's wagon, why, it necessarily followed that the Celtic blood warmed with anger in Mr. O'Farrel's veins, and, in no genial mood, he sought his hitherto pleasant neighbor, and demanded compensation for the loss.
"Sure, now, that is a sad misfortune," commented Mr. McSway; "and how much do ye want me to pay for the cow?"
"Oi want tin dollars, and oi want it roight now."
"Faith, you're er bit loively, Mr. O'Farrel. But didn't oi understand that yez sold the cow's hide an' tallow down ter the village? How much did yez get for the baste?"
"Yis, oi did, an' oi got tin dollars an' fifty cints for it, Mr. McSway."
"Well, then, accordin' to that, yez owe me fifty cints; so pay it roight now, if you plaze, Mr. O'Farrel."
Probably it will not astonish the reader to know that before the excited and very much muddled O'Farrel recovered himself he paid the fifty cents; but even to this day he has failed to satisfy himself whether he owed the money to McSway or not.