Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-09-10
Wronged and Righted.

Several years ago was member Of d
dramatic company doing the interior Penn
Sylvania towns. At c., among the
'sights " pointed out to the stranger is Il
huge tree, and about four feet from the base
the bark has been cut in the form of a cross
in dimensions about two feet by three feet.
What is the meaning of that " asked
| Of my guide the clerk of the post
office-as pointed to the cross SO deeply
craven in the tree.
There's 4 story goes with that, " said
he, land its been the cause of my being
against capital punishment ever since"
"A story?"
Yes" interrupted he, land one that
even the youngest child in our town has
learned to relate. Let us sit here, and I'll
tell it you"
Lighting a fresh cigar, ne began the
following, and will give it in his own
words as near as can:
Lets see-it's now almost forty years
ince the events which am going to relate
ccurred. Two miles to the west, over
there, is an old run-out coal-pit, or should
say, pit sunk for coal, but which never
yielded much of the 'dusky.' One of the
men employed in the first working and
sinking was named John Harris, a collier
from over the water He was a sort of
e H..
workers, and had built himself a neat little
home about a mile from here, between this
place and the pit. His family consisted Of
himself and daughter, his wife having died
in England. The daughter was beautiful
girl just turning her eighteenth year, and
was the magnet that drew all the gay
young gallants for miles around. Among
the number of swains who were ready to
fight, bleed or die for her were Henry
Lewis and Charles jenkins. Both figure
prominently in my tale; 50 ! will name
none of the others who had entered the
lists for favor from Lucy Harris.
1t appears that Lewis, a qTiet, orderly
Young fellow, had the inside track in the
affections of the divine Lucy, and accom-
panied her to all the merry makings, feasts,
etc, to the envy of all others, but to none
more so than jenkins, who flattered himself
that. were Lewis only removed from his
track. he could come in winner of the
hand of the fair one. Old man Harris
really favored the latter, being, as he often
remarked. 'youngster of the right sort,
and none of your milk and water babies,
which eulogium of the talents of jenkins
was occasioned by the fact that old man
Harris in his drinking bouts found right
good companion in jenkins, and one who
could down as much mountain dew as
he. while, on the other hand, Lewis was
about the only teetOtaler among the visitors
at the Harris house In his careusals the
old man swore roundly that jenkins alone
should possess the hand, if not the heart,
of Lucy, and forbade Lewis from coming
to his house. Clandestine meetings, OF
course. followed between Lucy and the
latter. but not unknown to the vlgliant
Jenkins. who was watching the lovers Tor
all that was out.
/ "Things reached a crisis when the old
man. informed of these meetings, took 10
drinking harder, and swore by all the gods
to rid the earth of that dough-faced baby
who was trying to steal his child away
from him. Lucy, who had OF late been
treated shamefully by the old reprobate,
used to come here to this spot to hold tryst
with her lover, or to weep alone in anguish
over her unhappy life, made now douhly
wretched by her continued opposition to
her fathers wishes.
.sJenkins came to the house one beautl-
full day in May, and having brought plen-
tifuI supplv of whiskey with him, the OLD
man was soon under the Influence, anu
Jenkins was not far off, either. Lucy, see
inc how affairs stood, silently stole from
tho bouse- and wended her way towards
her fayorite spot-here. She was seen 10
leave the house by jenkins, and he imme-
diately followed her, ascertaining ilrst tlia'
Harris WAS in a drunken sleep, and obilv-
ious to all around him.
.eThe knoll yonder near the tree was 'he
only place around here for quite a distance @
froe from brush, and through a little lane
Lucy would come here to pray weep u
mect her lover. Just as she reached hei'
ON that fatal day-fatal to her, at least
.ho hoard a cracking in the brush, ahu'
,b;rkinp il was Lewis who was Keeping
his trvst. her eyes brightly kindled and
smile illumined her face. But when '"'
burlv form of jenkins burst INTO 'ile c'''''
inc her smile changed, and look o.
Ioa,bing and contempt greeted him as h'
rudely accosted her Al,
e.Tbought it was the other one ui'
voue Well. I'm tired of this shlliy-slalis
IL