Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-06-10
Kate's Adventure.

kaIe Adventure.
am Kate. Of course 1 can tell my own
adventures great deal better than any one
can tell them for me. That stands to ma
ture. Pm not a practiced writer, and don't
know how to produce what the fashionable
authors call ''grand pen effects, but be-
lieve I can make you understand how it was,
and that is all that is necessary.
Leeman had sprained his ankle-that is
my brother-and he could not go to town
with the load of russell apples that was al
ready piled into the barrels, and stood wait
ing under the big red shed.
''It's too bad - said he. 'Those russell
apples are worth deal at this time of year
and we shall miss the market day ~
"Cau't you ask neighbor Hutton to take
them ?' said my mother.
"Neighbor Hutton is deal too sharp q
practitioner for me-" said Leeman. ''It's
hard thing to say about neighbor, but l
can't trust his honesty"
''Mr Hall ?''
"Hall would be casting it up in my face
for the next six months that l had asked q
favor of him." said Leeman. ''No, I'd
rather lose the apples than lose my inde-
pendence. But it's too provoking that 1
must need have slipped on that piece of
orange peel, now of all times in the world.
l have been saving up these apples all the
winter with special eye to this particular
market day."
'Leeman,' said I, sI'll 60"
"Nonsense p said Leeman
''But why not ?" said I. "Old Pomp is
as gentle as a kitten, and know every inch
of the way perfectly"
"But there are the Red Swamp Woods
the desolate stretch of three miles, with
never house on either side of the way, ex-
cept that deserted cabin where the old ne
gro hanged himself twenty years ago."
argued my mother.
| ''Who cares for the Red Swamp Woods ?'
said |, valiantly. II never was afraid of
frogs and whip-poor- wills, and I'm not go
ing to begin now. Lii, will you go out and
help me harness, early in the morning. and
ooh, wish was going too Can't 1
go, Kate ?' cried Lii, my hoyden younger
sister, with her blue eyes glittering with
delight at the idea of anything unusual.
''Stuff cried I, imperiously. ''Of course
you can't. Hasn't Pomp a heavy load
enough without ninety pounds of mischief
loaded on?' Besides, you must stay at
home and take care of mother and Leeman,
and finish the chintz curtain for the big
west chamber; for Colonel Hay may come
home at any time now"
Colonel Hay was our city boarder-a gen.
tleman who had been recommended by his
physician to try the fresh, pine-scented
| breezes of the Shawaugeonta Mountains,
and whom our Rector had recommended to
the Icy Spring Farm.
| We were not rich, although mother and
Leeman had managed the farm economical
| ly and we'll since fathers death, and the
weekly addition to our income would be
something worth considering.
The idea of city Doarder was very pleas
ant, too, and Icy Spring Farm was very
lovely spot, although we seldom allowed
ourselves to think of that.
So, after little, / coaxed my mother and
Leeman to consent, and the next morning
Lii and were up long before daybreak,
Harvesting old Pomp, and getting ready for
the days journey.
By the time the red. level light of the
rising sun touched old Pomp's gray name
with radiance, I was driving through the
Red Swamp, where the maple trees, from
which it took it's name, were all aglow with
crimson blossoms, and the thrushes and
robins called to one another with flute-like
notes.
Well, l managed splendidly. l knew
where l was going to when | started l
sold the six barrels of russets to the man
who kept the Parker Hotel for four dollars
apiece, and that was more than Leeman
himself anticipated.
''Be careful you don't get robbed, now,"
said the man, as he watched me put the bills
into my little leather portemonnaie.
'Robbed?" said 1, with g laugh. "Why,
who should rob me ?"
ooh, don't know !' said the landlord.
''There's always tramps and burglars
around. They're crop that don't belong
to any particular season of the year."
AS turned away-I did not notice it at
the time, but it came back afterward, as
things do come back, like sudden flash
across the dark shield of memory man
who was lounging on the steps looked hard
at me.
colored little, and thought to myself,
"Well, he will know me the next time he
sees me, - and then forgot all about it; for
I had mothers black bombazine to match,
and Lil's spring bonnet to buy, and some
dinner china to select and the doctor pre-
scription for Leeman to fill out at the drug
gist's, so it was well on to seven when
turned old Pomp's head homeward in the
suburbs of the town, with a feeling of Ella
tion which was quite pardonable, when one
considers my experience i'll the marketing
line and my exceptionally good success.
The sunshine was warm and still on the
high road. and was rather glad when at
last we came to the cool shadows of the
Red Swamp, where the birds were all silent
in the noon-h heats, the sweetest of odors
came floating up from the tangled recesses
of fern, and on either side of the solitary,
railed-in road.
All at once old Pomp gave side-wise
start-his ancient idea of shying- then
I saw a man, pale, dusty and tired-looking,
sitting on fallen log; was like mother
who would never let the shabbiest or mean
est-looking vagabond go past our house
without draught of milk, or a piece of
fresh baked pie, or slice of her famous
homemade bread cake-and without STOP
ping to think, I drew in old Pomp's rcins.
"Are you going toward Lennox Cross
Roads ?'' said I. eyes" '.Then jump in;
Pm going in that direction, too, and Pli
give you lift"
He thanked me in silent, dropping sort
of way, and seated himself on the board at
the back of the wagon, toward which
pointed with the handle of my whip.
'You look ill, " said I.
81 am not i'll, - he said, with smothered
cough. Only tired with my long walk.
didn't know it was so far to Lennox."
81 suppose you are going for work ?'' said
l. deacon Brierley has a good many
hands just now in his tobacco factory"
u 'No," said he; II am not going to work. .
| asked no more questions. l did not like
the idea of mans shrouding himself IN
mystery in that sort of way and as glanced
around once more a sudden revelation came
/, or,,so v,,o 1;lro n hlo1o of 1;oht II was the