Lomp Court Case -

Mrs. Bramble called for Surveyor Figg. Figg was a man who measured things twice and still doubted himself. He produced a leather-bound map, yellowed and crumbly, dated 1847. “Right here,” Figg said, tapping a dotted line, “the shadow of the Old Mast Oak was to mark the western boundary at precisely twelve noon on Midsummer’s Day.”

“Sonny,” he said to Crispin, “that fence ain’t the problem. The problem is that Mr. Hopple buried his dead wife’s jewelry box under the boundary line, and he don’t want Mrs. Bramble’s side of the fence to claim it.” lomp court case

The courtroom gasped. Mr. Hopple turned purple. “That’s a lie! I never been married!” He produced a leather-bound map, yellowed and crumbly,

Judge Shanks rendered his verdict. The fence was to come down within the week. Mr. Hopple was fined one penny—payable to the court’s dog treat fund. And Mrs. Bramble and Mr. Hopple were ordered to share a loaf of soda bread and a pinch of salt at the boundary line every Midsummer for five years. Hopple buried his dead wife’s jewelry box under

And the fifth year, when they sat down on the grass where the fence had been, the stray dog with one ear wandered over, lay down between them, and went to sleep.