Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-09-03
| do the trading, and she Jest said to

me: -.
"Prue, you take Blackberry, he's
easy riding, and so down to the
store and order these things that
I've made a list of, and ask 'em to
send 'em over tomorrow, for your
uncle has taken the wagon, and l
can't bring 'em home myself, and
we're out of ham, and cheese, and
molasses,, and sugar, and tea, and
soft soap, and we hain't got much
pepper, nor thyme, nor mustard in
the house, neither"
ayes, auntie," says /, "I'll go.
And while Pm there, can't | stop
and take tea with Camilla Smith
I've promised for a long time"
Says aunt:
"Well, yes, you may, Prudence;
but for mercy's sake, don't get be-
lated. You mightn't be able to
find your way after dark"
"Well, I promised. went out
to the stable and Cousin Job fixed
auntie's side saddle on Blackberry
for me, and mounted me up l
don't saw he didn't kiss me, for JOB
thought heaps of me, and thought
lots OF Job, and uncle wasn't
against cousins marrying, though
pa was. ,,
ANY how we had a little talk,
Job said he never saw a girl look
so pretty on horseback, and | rode
away just as happy as queen. l
did my errand, and stopped at
Mrs. Roberts to ask for her sick
baby, and then | went on to Camill-
las. We had a great deal to say
to each other, and after we had tea
we walked about the garden, and
she made me little bouquet. So
it was getting dusk when / jump
ed on Blackberry's back. All along
the open road it was very pleas
ant, and I was not in the least
frightened. But the road ended
in piece of woods, and as / enter,
ed that the shadows grew thick all
about me, and l could see great
crimson light, like fire, through the
trunks of the trees to the westward
and knew that the sun was setting
Then l began to feel nervous
but | rode on, trusting to ole
Blackberry, until suddenly l found
the trees growing smaller an(
farther apart than they were in thu
the woods, and saw the sky over
head cloudy and with no moon
and felt that l had lost my way al
together. There was no such spo
as that in the woods l had crossed
in going to the village, and the.
ended in the road that passed b.
uncle's door. l remembered nov
pulling the left bride by acciden
r at a cross path, and feeling tina
I Blackberry obeyed the movemen
y l said then this happens to he tn
e right way, but now | felt sure tina
: it was not. And now Blackberr
n seemed quite at loss. He ha
! slowly gone on until he had com
to an obstacle of some kind, an
| there he stopped.
A The few stars that had been
9. the sky were fading out III
r. night was growing as dark as pitc
q What should / doG
70 At last l could discover VIII
had stopped Blackberry.
D. slipped from the saddle as t
T. thought entered my mind, al
b found that he was standing again
a stone wall. This only deepen
10 my perplexity. I felt about l
d. with my hands and came to wi
seemed to be sort of rough benz
~ on which was something lying.
spread out my fingers and touch
it; it was cold and stiff a
- strange. At first I drove
40 thought that came into my mi
"a away from me, but it forced its
- back. / touched the thing ag
- to convince myself that l was
mistaken; but / was certain
time-it was corpse. The nal
dead body of human being.
= Some awful deed had been
80. acted on the spot; and here.
here-came the murderers, TO
ia head steps and saw the light
90 lantern approaching. 1 &C
- climb tree as well as a
Near me was low tree of s.
sort. seized the dropping bra
and swung myself into it. III