The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-07-12
THE BLACK.HEART CHERRY TREE.

When I was a little boy there was
nothing enjoyed sosmuch as going to
my grandfather's. Grandfather was
part owner of q great factory in -
town, but he had outside of the town,
pretty little place, half farm, half coun-
try seat. wanted no other companion
when grandfather was at home. He
played on his fiddle; he took me to ride;
he taught me to swim. He was better
company than any boy I knew, and
Saturday was the dullest day of the
week, for instead of coming home at
three o. clock in the afternoon as he
usually did. he was absent all the day
and most of the evening, for the money
for the hands was to be got from the
bank at, and many little things ar
ranged for the coming Monday. If
grandfather took me with him, that was
another thing. l enjoyed it might
lily. But grandmother sometimes
vetoed that, and 1 stayed at home.
One Saturday morning jumped out
of bed. hopeful and happy, to find, to
my great disappointment, that grand
father was already gone away in the
wagon. 1 had sneezed two or three
times the night before, and had in con-
sequence been credited with cold, and
it had been decided that should stay
athome. was so greatly disappointed
that 1 could not keep from crying. l
sat down sadly to my bread and milk,
and watered it with my tears.
Grandmother had quilt on hand and
went with the seamstress, Betsey Grimes,
to the great spare bed room, where it
was spread, and was left alone. After
sulking for some time. it occurred to
me that, as must stay at home, there
could be no better time for having all
the cherries Iwanted. The black hearts
in the meadow lot were ripe, and as yet
prohibition as to eating too many had
had not been uttered, for grandmother
did not know of the ripening.
Alas for the fruition of human hopesI
just as / was starting for the meadow
grandmother wanted some cotton of a
particular color, and was sent to the
village store to get it Then the COW
got into the vegetable garden and
had to drive her out. Then dinner was
ready. Then the help begged me to
get her some kindlings and. hunt for
eggs, and it was actually three clock in
the afternoon before 1 scampered away
to the meadow and began to climb to-
ward the cherries 1t was an old tree,
with leaves growing so thickly that
they hid me as though I had been
robin. L Iperched there. quite content,
and ate my fill, and was enjoying my
self nightly, when heard the sound
of voices below, and peeping down,
saw two of those terrible country bug
bears tramps -plodding across the
meadow with their own peculiar walk,
which always suggests an idea that they
have cushions on their feet. / kept
quite still, hoping they would pass
without seeing me, but instead of this
they paused and sat down under the
tree. where they began to eat the fallen
cherries, being, as 1t seemed, too lazy
to shake the tree.
Pretty soon they began to talk; every
word they said came clearly to my ear.
The eldest tramp, heavy, low-browed
man, spoke first, and what he said was
this:
Come now. nobody can't hear you
here. What's your planr
The other, q thin, cruel-looking fel-
low, answered with an oath:
''Why, to get the money, to be sure,
and to get it easy. I've been down to
the house and told the gal was fac
tory hand out of work. and would her
ask, but he was away to-day, to the
bank, to get the wages
"'Reckon he pays = lot of wages
said 1.
"a thousand dollars and more he
pays every Saturday said she, at six
o'clock precisely
"'Well,' said I, 4 hope I'll get job.
I'll come here 8 Monday early;' and off
IL
town and the factory there's place
where there's an old rolling mill. Hasn't
been no work done there for five years.
The folks on the farms mostly turn of
above there, and only them that's going
to the factory keep on past it. Wen
hide there. It's an uphill road. When
he gets past, going slow, as he must,
we'll Jump on the wagon, tie him, and
take the bags. The gal told me he al
ways got it in two leather bags. If he
fights too hard we'd better shoot him;
but he's old, and we can tie him up in the
old mill, and be quite sure nobody'll
hear him that night. Then you and I'll
90 down and take the cars for ALBANY,
and set up for gentlemen. Worth trying
for-ain'tita Who's to know us in store
clothes and mustacherse"
YOU'RE sure he goes alonea" asked
the other tramp.
Generally. This time he hasn't even
the little shaver with him. said the first
tramp. "lt'seasy work pumping that
gal.
With these words the whole truth
flashed upon me. 1t was my grand
father of whom they spoke. 1t was
my grandfather they intended to rob,
perhaps to murder.
was so horrified that remember my
feelings with strange thrill and quiver