"Nice, Mrs. Tarbox!" exclaimed her husband, turning the vials of his anger upon her; "we might have done it, too, if you had had the courage to come out and stand by your husband. You could have seized him from behind, while I gave him a lashing. Instead of that you were standing at the window smirking in your foolish way, I've no doubt. A pretty wife you are!" "O Nathan, I am sure you don't know what you are saying. You forget I am a weak, delicate woman." Though Mrs. Tarbox was tall, strong, gaunt and bony, she was accustomed to consider herself delicate. It was fortunate that she was not so, and that she was not particularly sensitive, or the brutal temper of her husband would have worn upon her more than it did. She was fortunate in being a silly woman. It saved her much mental suffering. "You weak and delicate!" retorted her husband, contemptuously. "So is a ostrich." "Where's Bruiser? Why didn't you call him?" Mrs. Tarbox had not witnessed the untimely fate of that amiable quadruped. At the mention of Bruiser her husband's wrath again overflowed. "He's dead!" he shouted. "That brute killed him." "How did he do it?" asked his wife, not without curiosity, for she knew the bull-dog's strength. "Kicked him to death! That's how he did it." "He must be very strong," murmured Mrs. Tarbox. "Don't you think we ought to erect a gravestone over Bruiser," she continued, "just as I did over that sweet canary? A piece of board would do, you know." "Perhaps you'd like to write some lines for it," remarked Mr. Tarbox, sarcastically. "I was thinking, Nathan, we could put something like this: HERE LIES BRUISER! Cut off in the flower of his youth— Gone to meet old Towser!" and Mrs. Tarbox looked up to her husband for his approval. "Mrs. Tarbox," he said, "I believe you are the greatest fool in town. Have you got any common sense?" "Nathan, you shouldn't talk so to your wife," she answered, placidly. "I only spoke for the best; of course, if you think of anything you like better, I don't care." "I have no time to think of epitaphs on dogs, Mrs. Tarbox. I've got something more important to do. Do you know what I am going to do, Mrs. Tarbox?" "Change your shirt, perhaps," said his wife; "you forgot to do it this morning." Mr. Tarbox came near swearing. "No," said he, "I'm going to have that brute arrested for assault and battery, for trespassing on my grounds and killing my dog. That's what I'm going to do." "So I would, Nathan. I wonder you didn't think of it before." "Then get supper ready, and I'll go round and get a warrant for his arrest as quick as I get through." CHAPTER IV. MR. TARBOX INVOKES THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW. Ezekiel Price, justice of the peace, generally known as Squire Price, was just rising from his supper table when the one maid of all work, Bridget, entered and said: "Mr. Price, old Tarbox is at the door and wishes to see you."