| The Queer Amethyst Quarrel - page three |
| When this unneighborly missive was deciphered, Addison and I expressed indignation openly. "Well," the Old Squire said, judicially, "the line between our lots and those of Zack Lurvey crosses the top of the mountain not far from where you got these crystals. But the lines were never run very carefully. Possibly the place is on their land. Maybe they think so. But to be certain, a new survey of that entire tier of lots would have to be made by compass." "And there's iron ore in that mountain," the Old Squire added. "There might be compass deviation." We guessed that after hearing we were blasting there, the Lurveys had made a hasty effort to trace the line, and had concluded that the place was on their forest lot. "But isn't that like those Lurveys to claim something away off up there in the woods!" Grandmother Ruth exclaimed. "They do not like us," the Old Squire remarked. "Old Zackary would enjoy making trouble for us if he could, but if these amethyst crystals were really on his land, he has a certain right to complain, although to claim them all is, of course, rather hoggish." "Sam Lurvey would never have found the crystals, himself!" Ellen exclaimed. "Nor known what they were, if he had!" Theodora added. "Still, that doesn't alter the case much," Addison said. "What do you advise us to do, sir?" he asked the Old Squire. "The lines must be resurveyed by a sworn surveyor and solar compass," the Old Squire replied. "Then, if we are at fault we will settle for it. We had better see Surveyor Matthews at once," he added. But Surveyor Matthews lived eight miles away, and when Addison found him that afternoon, other engagements for his services, already made, rendered it impossible for him to undertake work for us that fall. Matthews, moreover, was the only surveyor in the county who made use of the solar compass. For the present therefore we concluded to let young Lurvey's rough and threatening letter go unanswered. Three mornings later, however, he drove into the yard, and when Addison and I went out, burst forth without even the courtesy of good morning, in an angry demand for those crystals. "I'll thank ye to hand over them purple stones you took off'n our lot!" he exclaimed with vehemence. "But how do you know they were on your land?" Addison asked. "We follered the line and we know!" he cried. "Have you had the line resurveyed?" Addison asked him. "I tell ye we know where the line is!" shouted Sam. "And you may as well give them stones up!" "All right, Sam, as soon as we find out where the line is we will talk about it," Addison said. That made him angrier still. He evidently thought that we would surrender the crystals to him. "If you don't hand them over I'll get a writ and come here with the sheriff and search your house for them!" he threatened. "Thanks, Sam, for warning us," Addison replied, laughing. "Come on with your sheriff! " We went indoors and left him. But the Old Squire, who had heard the loud talk, sauntered down the lane and along the road, and when Sam had turned in the yard and went driving away, the old gentleman stopped by the roadside and spoke pleasantly. "I'm on my way to the post office," said he. "Could you give an old fellow a lift?" Rather gruffly Sam pulled up. The Old Squire got in beside him, and as they drove along, talked of matters in general, until they were nearly at the office. He then broached the subject of the crystals and tried to smooth away Sam's ugly mood, assuring him, and also bidding him tell his father, that we wished to do the right thing. "Wal, you've got to give up them stones!" Sam insisted. "If you don't we will sue ye." "But instead of going to law, with costs of suit, both sides, wouldn't it be better, Sam, to leave the matter to three disinterested neighbors, to say what is right?" the Old Squire suggested. "Oh, you want to pick somebody that'll favor ye!" Sam exclaimed. "Not so," the Old Squire replied mildly. "You and your father are well acquainted with Selectman Harvey who lives near you at the Mills. Let him name three referees, to decide on the right thing for us." But Sam would not agree to it. He was bent on making us give up the crystals. "I thought it possible to appeal to that boy's sense of right and fair play," the Old Squire explained, after he came home. "But I made a mistake," he added dryly. "I found he didn't have any." We remained quiet and waited for what would follow. We did not believe the Lurveys could obtain a writ to search our house, if they tried, but we thought it likely they might begin a lawsuit. Old Zackary, however, was a much wiser man than his son. After he had heard from Sam what the Old Squire proposed, he sent over a short but civil letter, by one of his hired men, saying he thought that would be a very good way of settling it. "I agree to it," he added. "And so will Sam." Three referees were therefore chosen, as suggested, and proceeded to give their verdict. The only drawback to settling controversies by referees is that these good men often wish to please both parties and hence conclude to "split the difference" between them rather than make a really just decision. That was what happened in our case. The verdict of the referees was to divide the crystals equally, and each side take half. This was done�although truth to say it hurt our feelings sadly, Addison's especially, to give up those beautiful amethysts. The Old Squire asked the referees to divide what was in the cabinet and they did so. It seemed to us�looking on�that our half was much the smaller. I believe that Theodora went away and shed tears over it. This, however, was not the end, nor yet the most mortifying part. When, finally, Surveyor Matthews came round to retrace the lines of the lots, in May the following year, it was found that the fissure from which we had taken the amethyst crystals was fully thirty feet on our side of the line! It was all rather laughable. |