Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-07-30
CHERRIES
They Saved Her
From Herself
BY cLARISsA MACKE

In April Miss Alberta ELY looked AZ
the snowy bloom Of her big cherry tree
and sighed anxiously.
"It looks as If there was going to be
sight Of fruit this year II the pesky
birds don't eat 'em all up" she said to
herself. Then aloud she suddenly
shrieked, Here. you. boy; don't you
/ dare touch them blossoms"
II was only picking a few flowers.
ma'am." he apologized- Il wanted
them for my mamma"
'.Those are not flowers" returned
Miss Alberta severely. Those would
have been cherries in July II you had
left them alone. One, two, three-um-
nine cherries you've picked of my tree.
young man."
The boy looked from her lined and
careworn face to the fragrant snow Of
blooms over his head There's plenty
more flowers, ma'am," he said wist-
fully. extending the crushed twigs he
held. "but l suppose you better take
these. They're yours"
Miss Alberta snatched the blossoms
from bis hand and tossed them toward
little mound Of wilted dandelion
roots she had been digging out Of the
turf. Hasn't your mother taught you
It's wicked to stealT she demanded.
The boy WINGED. but he squared bis
shoulders and answered sturdily: "Of
course she's told me that. ma'am. It's
me-myself-that did It She wouldn't
prove Of me doing It"
"Well. I should hope not" calculated
Alberta, with feeting glance toward,
the roof Of the little brown house next
door. when did you move in. boy%
yesterday" he answered. "and my
mammals drefIle tired today"
"What Is your nameT
Duncan Fearly Bartlett That's my
papa's name too"
April passed into May May into
June-and then came July. sultry and
hot, with the rich odor of overripe
fruits in Alberta's shrubby garden.
Faster than she could convert the ber-
ries into cans of amber and ruby tint
ed preserves they rpened on the
bushes, and pirate robins swooped to
snatch titbits for the gaping mouths
that crowded the nests.
"Scatr' Alberta would cry. waving
her gingham apron at the feathered
robbers
"Oh, twee- -wee-weeeeee" the robins
would answer saucily as they dashed
away. only to return later and repeat
the foray.
"Drat 'emr' and Alberta would
whisk indoors to rescue the scorching
sugar from the fire.
III the cherries had only waited a
little longer!" she groaned one hot day
as she looked from the kitchen win
dow into the branches Of the cherry
tree, where the rich red fruit hung
In thick clusters. "If can only get
this currant jell of my hands,
do you want boy to pick cher
RESP" asked Duncan Bartlett from the
doorway, where he stood hat In hand.
my mamma says I can pick on shares
II you want me to and I'm careful not
to fall"
Alberta looked at him suspiclously
he was seven years old and small for
his age, but he was strong and wiry
and had an open. chubby cOuntenance
that made him look still younger. He
wore a clean suit Of overalls. and his
brown feet were bare.
T don't like to have my fruit picked
on shares" she said sharply. "but I'll
tell you what you can try. You can
pick 'em on quarter shares. Out OF
every four quarts you can have one fol-
yourself"
"AlI right, ma'am," he said, with
some disappointment in his tone. III
you'll give me a pail and rope I'll be.
gin now"
Alberta provided pail and rope
and a long ladder and watched the
small cherry picker carefully climb the
rounds until he disappeared among the
green branches.
Just before noon Duncan appeared at
the door staggering under a pail OF
luscious cherries. Precipitation stream.
ed down his sunburned nose and cher
1es stained his lips.
How many you got there-eight
quarts7 Well. you get two quarts out
of that" Alberta measured a scant
two quarts from the brimming pail
and dumped them In q paper bag.
you coming back after dinnerT
IF you want me to-"
Come along. Somebody's got to pick
'em. Well. I declare. you've been eat.
Ing somer' She pointed an accusing
finger nj his reddened lips
Duncan flushed proudly. Il only ate
some the birds had pecked." he con.
fessed.
He's gritty" she murmured as she
emptied the cherries into a basket and
vet the pail outside the door.
BY 6 o'clock Duncan had picked fifty
luarts Of cherries. and Alberta reluc.
tantly parted from twelve quarts.
It was after supper that Ellen Snive-
Iy's face appeared at Alberta's kitch-
en- door. "You all through your sup
perY' she asked us she stepped within
and pushed the sunbonnet back from
her sharp face
"Yes. Sit down" Alberta pushed the
Boston rocker forward and hung her
dish towel on the line at the back door.
"Tm dead beat. Been canning fruit oil
day and got my cherries to do tomor'
row." She sank breathlessly into a
chair.
'sThat Bartlett boys making q good
thing out Of you." remarked Ellen
complacently. II bought twelve quarts
Of cherries from him. and the little
rascal charged me 10 cents quart for
EN-"
/ "F1fteen cents a quartz echoed Al
berth In dIsmay. -They told me down
to the store they'd take all could
spare for 8 cents. That boy must
have made $50 OF my tree. That's
mans wages" Alberta was becoming
excited.
miss Green only paid 2 cents .
quart to have hers picked" said Mrs.
Snively significantly. "and she sold
'em for Is, making Is cents a quart.
I thought It was too bad be should b
making all the money Oh you, and 20
ran In to tell you. got to run
along and get ready for prayer meet
Ing now. You comingr'
HBy and BY" groaned Alberta weari-