Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-11
Aunt Prue's Adventure.


Adoniram's to pay visit. 1t was in q
lonesome sort of place, and 1 hadn't
been there before, for they had just
bought it, and wasn't great hand to
find my way about alone. But, one
day, aunt was sick and couldn't 60 down
to the village to do the trading, and she
Jest said to me:
"Prue, you take Blackberry, he's easy
riding, and go down to the store and or
der these things that I've made list of,
and ask 'em to send EN- over tomorrow,
for your uncle has taken the wagon,
and I can't bring 'em home myself, and
we're out of ham. and cheese, and mo-
lasses, and sugar and tea, and soft-soap,
and we Kain't got much pepper nor
thyme nor mustard in the house,
neither"
Eyes, auntie," saysI, "I'll go. And
while I m there, can't 1 stop and take
tea with Camilla Smith? I've promised
long time"
Says aunt:
"Well, yes, you may, Prudence but,
for mercy's sake, don't get belated. You
mightnt be able to find your way after
dark"
Well, promised. went out, to the
stable, and Cousin Job fixed adntie's
side-saddle on Blackberry for me, and
mounted me up. I don't say he didn't
kiss me, for Job thought heaps of me,
and l thought lots OF Job, and uncle
wasn't against cousins marrying, though
pa was.
Anyhow we had little talk, and Job
. said he never saw girl look so pretty
on horseback, and 1 rode away Jest as
happy as q queen. 1 did my errand,
and stopped at Mrs. Roberts to ask
after her sick baby, and then 1 went on
to Camilla's. We had great deal to
say to each other, and after we had had
tea we walked about the garden, and
she made me little boquet. So it was
getting dusk when I jumped on Black
berry's back. All along the open road
it was very pleasant, and was not in
the least frightened. But the road ended
in piece of woods, and as Of entered
that the shadows grew thick al. about
me, and could see great crimson
light, like fire, through the trunks of
the trees to the westward, and knew that
the sun was setting.
Then did begin to feel nervous, but
I rode on, trusting to old Blackberry,
until suddenly / found the trees grow
ing smaller and farther apart than they
were in the woods, and saw the sky over
head cloudy and with no moon, and
felt that I had lost my way altogether.
There was no such spot as that in the
woods had crossed in going to the viii
lage, and they ended in a road that
passed my uncle's door. / remembered
now pulling the left bride by accident
at cross path, and feeling that Black
berry obeyed the movement. I had
said then, this happens to be the right
way, but now felt sure that it was not.
And now Blackberry seemed quite at q
loss. He had slowly gone on until he
came to an obstacle of some kind, and
there he stopped.
The few stars that had been in the
sky were fading out. The night was
growing as dark as pitch. What should
/ do?
AT least / could discover what had
stopped Blackberry.
slipped from the saddle as the
thought entered my mind. and found
that he was standing against stone
wall. This only deepened my perplex-
ity. 1 felt about me with my hands,
and came to what seemed to he sort of
rough bench. On it was something ly-
ing. I spread out my fingers and
touched it; it was cold and stiff and
strange. At first I drove the thought
that came into my mind away from me,
but it forced itself back. I touched the
thing again to convince myself that !
was mistaken but was certain this
time-it was corpse. The naked dead
body of human being.
Some awful deed had been enacted on
the spot and -here-yes, here, came the
murderers, for heard steps and saw
the light Of lantern approaching.
could climb tree as well as q bow,
Near me was low tree of some sort. I
seized the dropping branch, and swung
myself into it. There I hid, looking
down into the darkness. The lantern
came nearer, and saw two men, who
stopped where the light fell straight
across the horrible object on the bench,
showing the CLEAN of its white flesh,
and began to speak to each other.
He was killed this morning." said
one, land there's no telling who may
come along before daylight. We'd bet
ter carry him away now"
"Shant We wait for JIM" said an.
other voice. He's heavy Load
Ialmost fell out of the tree as these
words were uttered, for knew Cousin
Jobs voice and now peering intently
/ saw his face. It was Job. Job whom
I cared 90 much about, and he was
either murderer, or the accomplice Of