The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-05
THE CHERRY-TREE INN.
BY w. Livingston Larned.

SSY EENEY had never engaged in active business
u until she set UP an inn under the cherry tree
at the far end of the country lawn; it was
not one of those fussy parlor stores where they sell
Is supposed to eat up ones personal stock, but eg-
mate hostelry with energetic customers that were as
regular in their visits as the sunshine
The first sale that Tceney made was to a very i'm
pertinent orioe with scarlet breast and Jet wings He
deliberately entered the leafes part of the establish
ment and took ripe cherry; when that had disap-
peared, he flew away with another in his beak, and
there was no mention of financial settlement When
Mother came, Father, any of the people at the
cottage they always paid for cherries, either in pins
or pennies but Mr.. Oriole was not so particular
guess he has an account" soliloquized Teeney
Praps the person that kept the inn before did al
lowed him to settle at the end of the month"
There was one strange thing about her customers
the cedar birds, and the yellow warbers and the bush
hts, and oh many different kinds of brds-they abso-
lutey refused to choose from the goods Tecney dis
played in the grass, and ravaged the limb shelves of
the cherry tree just as if Teeney had not carefully
picked out stock that better than all tho rest One
morning when the sky was clearest and the bees bus
lest and the whole garden world filled with the mel
odes of nature, Teency found string of anxious,
tweeting customers awaiting her.. Mother Kingbird
young children on limb of the cherry tree and it
was SO low that Teency, standing her tip toes,
could look right into three funny faces that gazed at
her with questioning curiosity. a..t
What will you have this morning?" asked the lit
tie girl politely, as she bowed to the three baby king
birds "The berries not ripe now, so that l only
keep cherries, but ohP and Teeney emphasized the
words they are the bestest cherries you have eaten
am sure"
Not one of the kngbirds volunteered speech, and
Teeney decided to show her stock, thinking perhaps
that might be nducement. She held UP nice fat
cherry whose sides glowed ruddily and whose cheeks
the deep color of wine Little Kingbird No Two
pecked weakly at it with his small yellow bcak but
the attempt not entirely satisfactory The wind
barely whispered as it came from the meadows
and tilted the branches and everything in the garden
drowsy, for the sunshine had taken Mr.. Sand
mans task and set birds and children to dreaming of
the strange, tossing realm that lay beyond the hills
where the feecy white clouds which looked like the
softest down, made pillow for them. Before very
long, Teeney heard odd little twitterngs among the
leaves; brides were coming from every direction and
the cherry tree was garden choir loft, from whose
shifting shadows poured forth all the pure melody
of hundred bird threats Mother Kingbird, her head
bowed, came winsing across the meadows her fcath-
ers damp from the dews of the deeper woodlands into
which she had vcntured "Twe-twe-twe" Teeney heard
the babies the low branch call to her Even little
girl could tell that something unusal was trarspirng
from the grassguarded lane below the apple there
came low rustlng as of many wings.
BE quiet, childrenp cautioned Mother Kingbird to
her brood Then from the light yellow and gray and
crimson of the lane issued the quaintest procession
that Teeney had witnessed At least three
dozen jet black crows were htched to a flower
chariot, and when Teeney looked she saw reclining
upon it most beautiful lady, all in light lavender
robes with clusters of jasmine about her brow and
tangled confusion of other wild blossoms almost hid
chariot warbling in subdued notes, hopping along
date1y their heads bowed as Mother Kngbirds
had been, was a small army of birds.
The chariot drew up directly in front of Teeney
who sat with blinking at the outer edge of the
tree shadows. From the twittering ranks stepped
righty-plun1aged orole; he strutted up to Teeney
without hesitation.
rs this Cherry-Trec Inn7" he inquired.
Teeney nodded her head
"We want accommodations for our party" con-
tinued the orioe, who seemed to have more to say
than any OF the rest Can you spread cherry ban
quot for all of us? 1t is to be farewell greeting to
the Jasmine Lady; she must leave us soon, and we
WI IN Of her mast
For month she has perfumed the woodlands where
we live with sweetest of jasmine odors, and her
white hands have tipped swinging nests with
garlands-will it be quite conveniently?
Teency overpowcred by the magnitude of the
undertakingshe was suddenly prevailed upon to act
as hostess for very big party, and yet no steps
had been taken to prepare any entertainment for them
but hospitahle Cherry-Tree Inn had never refused
anyone yet, and Teeney nodded her curley head
in assent.
On the tablecloth of grass she spread all the
cherries that she could reach, while spry linnets and
willow godhnches especially detailed by the orole as
sisted her by bringing down other fruit from the top
most limbs. In very short while banquet was
ready on the lawn that would have done justice to
Mother Nature herself had she been there to par
ticipate
They led the Jasmine Lady to a throne of clover,
with her back to the cherry tree and all the small
birds sang about her she there radiantly pretty
and all the big birds held the bue-green leaves aside
that the sunshine might sift through and gid her
locks with gold.
No one had ever heard the Jasmine Lady say any
thing. She was silence and mystery and shadowy con-
tenment, fitting through the deeper woodlands and
semetimcs yenurng TIP into gardens where traed the
blossoms. There was sad look in her violet eyes,
and sprites of the forest whispered that it was be-
cause she could remain so short time with all she
loved; the jasmine, YOU know Hourshes only scant
month, and then is gone, with its incense and its deli
eate-scented flower.
The yellow crown sparrows formed d long line at
Dne side of the table, their orange heads bobbing
fy, and then came the hermit hrushes, retcent and