Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-11-10

| ''O bOOA liOlO uOlse, anu Jane
a jolly old soul, lent herself willing
ly to little mi-sy's fun" Prancing
skipping, running, they all fed back
and forth from Aunt James QUAR-.
ters to Patty's own room for the
proper disguises, and there were
shouts of laughter and screams of
delight as the double of Aunt Jane
was walked out through the kitchen
door by Patty.
Your own mother wouldn't know
you for boy, much less the Yam
KEGS, said the genuine Aunt Jane"
The short, stout colored woman in
calico skirt and sack and the pink
sunbonnet that the old house sery.
ant habitually wore over her turbau
when the sun was hot, with a wash.
tub balanced well on her head.
walked away briskly toward the
creek. A breeze waved the cape of
the bonnet, and the long steps
switched she skirts good deal, but
1T was a very good Aunt Jane" in
deed. Patty eltassured She felt a
little perturbed, however, as she left
the disguised little fellow at the turn
in the road and came back and
climbed to the gatepost to watch
him still further. The womanly lit
tie thing was in the habit of keep
ing an eye" on the fat little elder
brother.
The shadows grew very long, and
the sun went down behind the man
or house trees, and little Patty in
clean white gown and blue sash, her
best yellow shoes and silk stockings,
stood out at the big gate waiting the
coming of her mother and perhaps
of the Union army. She strained her
eyes down the road for Aunt Jane"
She had not expected Aleck to be
gone more than an hour at the most.
But nobody came. Supper was all
laid in the CHEEKY dining room, and
she grew more and more anxious.
She could not be certain that her
mother would come at all that night,
nor of the appearance of the soldiers,
but the jolly little aunt Jane" was
certainly long overdue.
II am sorry let Aleck 60" she
sighed repentantly. II do wish !
hadn't dressed him up. The soldiers
may have come and taken him right
away as a spy, especially as he is a
rebel majors son, though I shouldn't
think men would do any such cruel
thing" and swallowing down sob
the majors daughter started out
down the road bareheaded. He GER
tainly would appear spy, all
dressed in women's clothes, and now
as to the missing Aunt Jane" She
had stepped off quite lively, her
washtub on her head, as she made
her way to the creek. Once there,
seeing nothing and having nothing
she sat down to rest bit. She
pushed off the hateful old sunbon.
net" stuck out her dusty shoes from
under the "tioppy old skirt" and
said, not at all patiently; "Petti-
coatsl Oh, how I'd hate to be grill"
The next minute she was fast
asleep under the old oak.
Just at dark a strange tremor of
her own fat little body, a strong
sense of the stirring of the ground
under him, woke AUNT Jane" She
sat up wide awake, her ears full of
the sound of riders and horses. 1t
was sundown. The was a great
clatter and tramping, and away up
the east hill the flash of red sunset
light on metal trappings.
JIMMY the washerwoman ex-
claimed. by cracky Patty's Yank's
are here"
Down went the small bucket into
the creek, as fast as possible, until
the tub was half filled, and then rals-
ing the burden to the sunbonneted
head the poor little pseudo negro
started off, trusting to the disguise
for safety.
The water stopped over and ran
down in small rivulets on Aunt
James" back, but the sturdy little fig
ure went along at dog trot, giving
lust one slight jump as mans
voice called out:
Hello, there, auntyl'
Nobody replied.
II say, auntyl What's your hur'
rye , ,..
rather gaining on the pair OF horse
men coming up behind her. The
water was splashing wildly over the
side of the tub, and the pink sun6on'
net was a-drip, but nothing at all to
the wet state of the perspirlng race
inside. s,u
And now the whole air was full
of cIatter and clank, and then there
was a great flashing of gilt right IN
front Of poor Aunt James eyes
Cavalry to the right of her and cav
I airy to the left of her
/ II say. old woman, what is your
rpsh1 Can't you stop long enough
I m tell us the way to some taiin'
house or otheri We are on the
noint of starvation. Where does
! p naster liyel We don't want